Suffolk Downs Begins Curtain Closing Race Meeting

It will be homecoming weekend May 18-19 at Suffolk Downs as local horsemen who had dispersed to tracks along the East Coast and racing fans from across New England return for the first of three racing festival weekends in what is the last season of live racing at the 84-year-old landmark.

"We're excited about the opening of our final meet and we're very optimistic about continuing live racing in the commonwealth beyond this year, just not in East Boston," said Chip Tuttle, the CEO of Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, which sold the property in May 2017 to a major developer but has been leasing the racing and simulcasting operations since.

Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, which was denied the single Boston-area full casino license in September 2014 by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and saw it granted instead to Wynn Resorts, has declared in the past that racing would be no more only to revive a live meet for the next season. But this time the curtain comes down for good. 

While some may be reluctant to accept the end of Suffolk Downs is really nigh, after this weekend the last days will be June 8-9 and then June 29-30. Demolition of the property, beginning with the stable area, is on the developer's schedule for July 1.

"I almost wouldn't blame them if they weren't convinced that this is it given what's happened before. When this happened in 2014, we didn't see a way forward and then we were able to get significant legislative changes in 2015, with the reduction of the live racing days requirement that made it feasible to continue," said Tuttle.

In 2015 the Massachusetts racing statutes were amended to significantly lower the minimum number of live racing days required for the licensee to conduct simulcasting and advanced deposit wagering (ADW) to one day. That change allowed Sterling Suffolk Racecourse to host abbreviated meets of from four to eight days while development plans were in the works and a solution was sought with horsemen to preserve live racing and support the state-bred program.

In 2018 the operator executed an agreement with the owners of the old Great Barrington Fairgrounds in the western part of the state to refurbish that property for live racing and the option was renewed this year. But SSR needs additional legislative relief before making the multi-million-dollar investment required to bring Great Barrington, which hasn't run a meet since 1998, back to life with needed upgrades.

"Now we're going to continue at another venue and the more time we spend assessing the facility at Great Barrington and the work that would be required there, the better we feel about that possibility," Tuttle said.

There are multiple bills pending in the current legislative session that would enable SSR to continue simulcasting in Boston, likely in a new state-of-the-art facility, and conduct live racing at Great Barrington. The existing state statute prohibits the lone running horse licensee from conducting the simulcasting and racing operations in different counties.   

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is also advancing a bill that would allow that change, as well as redefine the scope of its powers so it may be more pro-active in support of racing.

"There is also a raft of sports betting bills under consideration and we're part of the discussion in those as well. It's premature to speculate on exactly what the outcome of all that will be, but we are absolutely in the conversation," said Tuttle. "I think there is a recognition that the proposal we put forward is the most realistic in terms of its viability and its timeline."

SSR hopes that Great Barrington will be ready to host a short meet in the fall of 2020.

Earlier this month SSR officials, consultants, engineers, town officials and property owner Bart Elsbach walked the fairgrounds for a site inspection and Tuttle said a construction firm has also had a look. Plans at this stage call for the expansion of the half-mile oval and the turns have to be banked differently for safety. The grandstand, barns, jockeys' room are some of the areas that need attention.

But first, the attention turns to the opening of the last meet at Suffolk. 

"It's always great to have horses on the grounds and see a lot of familiar faces. But it's not easy to go from zero to sixty for three weekends. It's a big effort and I'm very appreciative of all the people who come back from other jurisdictions to pitch in and make this work," said Tuttle, who added the gaming commission will approve between 300 and 400 licenses. 

With the distribution of purses and incentives for owners and trainers averaging more than $500,000 daily, the entry box for Saturday and Sunday was well supported. More than 100 horses were entered for Saturday's 11-race card and there are another 11 races Sunday.

The Massachusetts breeding program will be showcased. Over the weekend four stakes races restricted to horses foaled in Massachusetts are planned: the $50,000 Rise Jim Stakes and the $50,000 Isadorable Stakes Saturday along with the $50,000 African Prince Stakes and $50,000 George F. Brown Memorial Dirt Mile Stakes Sunday.

Post time each day is 12:55 pm and the racing festivals feature food trucks, craft beers, entertainment and family fun activities.