Suffolk Downs to Add Two Racing Days This Year

Suffolk Downs will add a pair of days to its 2017 live racing calendar after track management and the New England affiliate of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association hammered out a deal to fund the purses with money from uncashed pari-mutuel tickets that has accumulated in the state’s Race Horse Development Fund.

In two 5-0 votes at an Aug. 10 hearing, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission first approved the addition of live racing Sept. 30 and Oct.1, and then approved distribution of $800,000 from the RHDF to cover an average daily purse distribution of $400,000 for each card.

"The NEHBPA and Suffolk have reached an agreement to alter the purse agreement, so that the money will come out of the 'outs' agreement for the operational expenses for those two additional days," MGC director of racing Alexandra Lightbown told the commissioners.

"It's all come together fairly quickly in the last few days" said Bruce Barnett, the attorney for Suffolk Downs. "One of the factors is always the number of horses. Are there going to be enough (race-ready) horses to be able to support the number of days of racing? At this point, the expectation is that there will be for these two additional days.

"Also, with the agreement to use the 'outs' money for these additional incremental expenses for these two additional days, we'll be able to cover that side of it. We're expecting the expense money and the horses are both going to be there to make another two successful days this year." 

When submitting its application for 2017 live racing dates in October, Suffolk's ownership requested six days, with the possibility of adding two more should the funding be available.

Since Suffolk's then gaming partner, Mohegan Sun, was denied the single Boston-area destination resort casino license by the MGC in 2014, and as a consequence, track owners announced live racing was no longer economically feasible, there has been extremely limited live Thoroughbred racing in Massachusetts.

In 2015 Suffolk raced three days and the meet was doubled to six days in 2016. For the past three seasons, each card has been part of a "racing festival" format with a variety of family entertainment options, food trucks, craft beers, and other attractions. The racing festivals have generated enthusiastic on-track crowds of more than 10,000 per day.

"We've had so much success in running these two days of racing in the past three years that we really went to bat and worked hard with (Suffolk Downs chief operating officer) Chip Tuttle to try and run these two additional days, because we think that with the way people enjoy these two-day festivals and New England racing, it is very helpful to our horsemen and breeders. We race as often as we can," said NEHBPA president Anthony Spadea. "We are so pleased to see these racing fans so happy, and it (is) so important that our horsemen are able to make some money. This is so necessary for our people, who have had to race away from home, and for our Massachusetts breeders."

In 2017 Suffolk has raced Jul. 8-9 and Aug. 5-6, and was already scheduled to run Sept. 2-3 before the Sept. 30-Oct. 1 dates were added. There is no seasonal stabling or any training on the grounds.