Birmingham (AL) Turf Club

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Hard to believe they covered a race like the Alabama Derby back then.

The Alabama Derby was worth $350k, so that was a nice chunk of change. ESPN also covered races like the St. Paul Derby, so they weren't ignoring the second-tier 3yo stakes back then.

Birmingham attracted some pretty nice horses for its first meet. Up The Appalachee, Queen Alexandra, and Weekend Delight all ran in stakes there.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

The Alabama Derby was worth $350k, so that was a nice chunk of change. ESPN also covered races like the St. Paul Derby, so they weren't ignoring the second-tier 3yo stakes back then.

Yes, I should have said it more like "it is hard to imagine ESPN covering a race like that now". I still have painful memories of my favorite all-time horse Broad Brush losing to Cheapskate in Minnesota!

[blackthroatedwind]

I saw the Dead in Birmingham in 95, and went to the track, but it was Dog Racing ( and simulcasting ) by then.

[TheSpyder]

Lost a transmission in the parking lot and had to stay an extra two days. I believe I ended up $305 with a $760 repair bill.

The racing was basic to say the least, but it was racing.

[rgustafson]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Yes, I should have said it more like "it is hard to imagine ESPN covering a race like that now". I still have painful memories of my favorite all-time horse Broad Brush losing to Cheapskate in Minnesota!

Hi CJ, I was at Canterbury that day for the St. Paul Derby, part of a huge crowd to witness one of the greatest races ever run at the track, I believe it was 1986. Wish I could tell you that I bet on Cheapskate( dont recall, did he pay over $70 for the win) but like most in the crowd, my money was on Broad Brush. The other race at Canterbury that I put on equal footing for excitement was the 1988 Chaucer Cup when Don's Irish Melody who shipped in from California hooked up with the midwest legend Who Doctor Who and ran lapped onto to each other from start to finish to set the track record for 6 1/2 furlongd in 1:14 flat with Don's Irish Melody winning the photo by a nose.
Alas those days for Canterbury are long gone.

[rgustafson]

Originally Posted by Cardus

I was at Canterbury in June 2010 on a Thursday night and enjoyed it immensely.

I was there on the first day the track opened for business and have been present on every opening day since then. Still a regular weekend warrior, but I do miss the caliber of racing that existed the first few years the place was open.

[ddthetide]

i can remember being there once in the late 80's. it was still nice new facility. the group i was with, was into dog racing and didn't have much interest in the horses.
i found this article in the birmingham paper from Aug. this year.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2..._return_t.html


and i do remember the Birmingham Bulls from the early 90's.

[BigBlue]

Great info from days gone by. Thanks.

[pmayjr]

Originally Posted by rgustafson

Hi CJ, I was at Canterbury that day for the St. Paul Derby, part of a huge crowd to witness one of the greatest races ever run at the track, I believe it was 1986. Wish I could tell you that I bet on Cheapskate( dont recall, did he pay over $70 for the win) but like most in the crowd, my money was on Broad Brush. The other race at Canterbury that I put on equal footing for excitement was the 1988 Chaucer Cup when Don's Irish Melody who shipped in from California hooked up with the midwest legend Who Doctor Who and ran lapped onto to each other from start to finish to set the track record for 6 1/2 furlongd in 1:14 flat with Don's Irish Melody winning the photo by a nose.
Alas those days for Canterbury are long gone.

I'm only 30.... and didn't get taken to the track in my teens by my parent's until CBY re-opened in the mid-90s. I heard when it was open in the 80s there was some great racing there. But Broad Brush actually ran at Canterbury at one point!? Crazy.

Originally Posted by rgustafson

I was there on the first day the track opened for business and have been present on every opening day since then. Still a regular weekend warrior, but I do miss the caliber of racing that existed the first few years the place was open.

Amen to that... I barely bet live racing anymore when I'm there anymore... just has really gone sour in recent years.

[rgustafson]

[quote=pmayjr;825347]I'm only 30.... and didn't get taken to the track in my teens by my parent's until CBY re-opened in the mid-90s. I heard when it was open in the 80s there was some great racing there. But Broad Brush actually ran at Canterbury at one point!? Crazy.

Peter,

My daughter is about your age and those first years that Canterbury was opened, on the weekend when my wife and I went down there we would take her and her best friend along. They became some of the best "stoopers" around picking up dozens of discarded tickets. When we got home, the next day I would look at the results in the morning paper and check them against all the tickets they collected. Virtually every time there was a ticket or two worth a few bucks and on occasion a lot more than that.