RIP Fort Erie

[Round Pen]

I have a couple of Friends there and They are a Little concerned that there not even going to make it through the whole meet before closing the doors

[ironprospect]

This is going to be long and as time goes on it will get sloppier and sloppier as I am recalling a lot of stuff from say 1965 when I was 5 years old to today (the sloppier part is the vodka)

Let me start off by saying I am hoping that this is a "stunt", to draw attention in Ontario to the largest employer, in the busiest US/Canadian border crossing area.

Second Ft Erie is a recreational town and area. The track, the Canadian ballet, the beaches, the chinese food, that has been feeding people from the states since the 40's when most of the US had no idea about chinese food.

Regular Americans with cottages at the beach, and an almost Long Islandish beach mansion area from when Buffalo was a "power city", ending in the early 70's.

To the racing....I was the oldest of three, born in 1960, a sister in '61 and another male in 1963. My family (extended) always had cottages rented at Crystal Beach, which was a world class resort until Disney did his thing.

To you folks who have children, I would guess that you would be familiar with the all day pout. I do not have children so I do not have to endure this, but I sure did it. On the days once or twice a year the old man would go to the track w/ the buddies from work, I was a hellion. HE WAS AT THE TRACK AND I WAS STUCK HERE AT HOME. I cried and misbehaved all day.

That was when the OJC ran the place, not the same people as today. By that I mean not the same Woodbine who run racing now. When the OJC was made up of an exclusive club of the elite in Canadian racing.

They ran a three track circuit, open with Greenwood, onto Ft Erie spring meet, and then they would go to Woodbine, spend August @ Ft. Erie back to Woodbine and finish out the fall early winter at Greenwood.

Greenwood land value later made for a sale as it was part of the Greater Toronto Area. Disappointed I never made it there, although my friends were after seeing Phathom and a was leaning against a wall FT. Erie when they start simulcast

[ironprospect]

While my younger brother and sister when through the grandstand and me occasionally looking for discarded tickets.


Those were family days, not days with Dad, as far as I knew he was a $2 bettor, working on the railroad, erie lackawanna, which was a profitable company but forced into the ny central/penn merger which ended up with conrail/amtrak. Don't know the time frame here, I was a kid. Dad, was part of the union, for a bit maybe treasurer of the local. This was during nixon

[MISTERGEE]

SAD, my memory is the beautiful infield

[Mike9J]

It will be a sad day for me when it closes...in 1973 and 1974 i don't think i missed more than 3 or 4 days of racing...there was a couple old guys waiting at the peace bridge every day waving there racing forms and hoping for a ride, i always picked them up and they would give me the quarter for the toll.
Sandy Hawley was the top jock, and Jeffry Fell was the top apprentice in those days..
I don't get there as much as i used to, but go when i can, and will miss it for all time...

[richard burch]

i saw a movie that was filmed there.

[Mike9J]

Riding the comet...and the wild mouse...highlight of the summer for us was Tonawanda Days at Crystal Beach....oh yeah, the giant suckers which you can still get online