After parimutuel betting was legalized in Massachusetts, the Eastern Racing Association, Inc. was formed to open a thoroughbred race track in East Boston. Businessman, politician, and former steeplechase jockey Bayard Tuckerman Jr. was the corporation's first president. Harness racing promoter Allan J. Wilson was named vice president. Walter E. O'Hara, promoter of the Narragansett Park was named managing director of the track, however he backed out after a few months because he felt East Boston was not a suitable site for a race track and instead wanted to build a track in Framingham or Natick. Richard Danielson, Charles Adams, Bruce Wetmore, and John R. Macomber were also members of the track's first board of directors.[5][6]
Eastern Racing Association applied for a track charter and license on January 11, 1935 and on April 9, the Massachusetts Racing Commission granted the corporation a license to race in East Boston.[5][7] Construction did not begin until April 29 due to legal entanglements.[8]
The track opened on July 10, 1935. The first card consisted of eight races, with the Commonwealth Stakes, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds, serving as the feature race. The Commonwealth Stakes featured twenty-two horses from eighteen stables, including horses owned by Edward R. Bradley, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr., and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney.[9] The race was won by Bradley's Boxthorn, which had been a starter in that year's Kentucky Derby. 35,000 spectators watched the first day of racing.[10] Later that month, Seabiscuit would make his Suffolk Downs debut, finishing fourth in the Mayflower Stakes.[11]
The first MassCap was held on October 16, 1935 with Top Row taking first ever victory in the event.[11]
Early years
On May 7, 1936, Tuckerman stepped down as president. He was succeeded by Charles Adams.[12] Adams himself would step aside in favor of James H. Connors in December 1937.[13] Although Adams stated that he decided to give up the position to focus on his other interests, he would later say that Connors was elected at the behest of Governor Charles F. Hurley.[14]
In 1939, Connors resigned as Suffolk Downs president amid allegations that he, his brother-in-law (State Racing Commissioner Thomas R. Foley), and Outdoor Amusements, Inc. (a company applying for a license to open a track in Westport, Massachusetts) attempted to gain control of horse racing in eastern Massachusetts. According to the Eastern Racing Association, Foley secretly worked to acquire a license for Outdoor Amusements, Inc. while Connors demanded that his fellow Eastern Racing Association shareholders sell him their stake in Suffolk Downs or they would not get any favorable racing dates.[15] The racing commission voted to revoke Outdoor Amusements' license due to misleading information in their application, but found that there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between Outdoor Amusements, Connors, and Foley.[16]
Seabiscuit and trainer Tom Smith
On June 29, 1936, Seabiscuit won an allowance race at Suffolk Downs. This was the first time trainer Tom Smith saw Seabiscuit race and he would later recommend that Charles S. Howard purchase the horse.[17] Smith and Howard would go on to make Seabiscuit a national hero. Seabiscuit would return to the track in 1937 to race in the Massachusetts Handicap. The race was attended by 40,000 people. Seabiscuit won the race in 1:49, which broke the track record for 1 1/8 miles. The victory was Seabiscuit's seventh consecutive win, a career high. The winner's purse of $51,780 was the largest of Seabiscuit's career up to that point and would only be surpassed by his final victory, the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. In 1938, 60,000 people turned out to watch Seabiscuit defend his MassCap title against War Admiral. However, Seabiscuit was scratched due to an injury minutes before post time. The race was won by Menow. War Admiral finished fourth, breaking his streak of eleven-consecutive victories and marking the only time in his career that he would finish out of the money.[18]
On July 15, 1942, Whirlaway succeeded Seabiscuit as the all-time leading money-earner by winning the MassCap.[18]
During World War II, the track continued to hold races. On August 8, 1942 Suffolk Downs donated $625,000 to the National War Fund. This contribution was the single largest donation to the war effort by any sports venue.[11]
On February 20, 1944, the Aldred Investment Trust purchased a majority of the voting stock in the Eastern Racing Association. Gordon B. Hanlon was elected president of Suffolk Downs.[19][20] Three months later the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had filed a complaint in federal court accusing Hanlon his fellow directors of the Aldred Investment Trust of gross abuse of the trust, including drastically changing the investment policy of the trust without giving adequate notice to security holders by purchasing stock in the Eastern Racing Association.[21] On January 19, 1945, Judge George Clinton Sweeney found Hanlon and five other Aldred officials guilty of gross abuse of the trust and control of the track was given to the trust's receivers, Edward O. Proctor and Edward F. Goode.[22] On April 24, 1945, the receivers selected Allan J. Wilson to succeed Hanlon as track president.[23]
Post-war
On May 1, 1946, a consortium, led by Boston businessman John C. Pappas, acquired control of Suffolk Downs at a Federal Court-directed public auction. Pappas' $3.6 million bid exceeded offers made by Joseph F. Timilty, Henry Simberg (represented at the auction by Paul A. Dever), and Bay Meadows Racetrack general manager Bill Kyne.[24]
On July 30, 1947, Stymie became the first horse to eclipse the $700,000 career earnings mark by winning the MassCap.[11] From 1959 to 1970, Suffolk Downs hosted harness racing during the fall.[18]
On June 30, 1960, while riding Lusty Andy at the track, Henry Wajda pulled fellow jockey Anthony DeSpirito back onto Color Bearer after DeSpirito had been knocked off his saddle in the first turn and was clinging to his mount by one hand and had a foot caught in a stirrup.[25] DeSpirito credited Wajda with saving his life.[25] For his bravery, Wajda received honors from the New England Turf Writers and New York Turf Writers organizations.[26][27]
On March 21, 1964, Pappas sold the track to New York businessman David Haber.[28]
On August 18, 1966, The Beatles played a concert before 24,000 fans on the track's infield.[29] On June 19, 1968, Dancer's Image made his final public appearance. He was escorted onto the track by his owner Peter Fuller, son of former Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller, and his wife Jane.[11]
In 1968, the track was sold to Reality Equities Corporation who brought on former baseball team owner Bill Veeck as president.[30] During Veeck's tenure as president, Suffolk Downs hosted a number of promotions including chariot races, livestock giveaways and mock Indian battles. Veeck also won a number of legal victories, including one which allowed children to attend the races.[18]
Suffolk Downs MBTA station, which was rebuilt in 1984 and 1995.
In 1971, Realty Equities sold Suffolk Downs to National Raceways Inc., a subsidiary of the National Mattress Company.[31] A year later, the track was sold to Ogden Corporation.[18]
On February 14, 1976, the inbound platform of the Suffolk Downs MBTA station was destroyed by fire, which hurt track attendance. The outbound side of the station remained open[32] The station was rebuilt in 1983 and reopened in January 1984 after the project received a $1.9 million grant from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration.[11] The station was rebuilt again from 1994-95 as part of a larger improvement project on the line.[32]
On May 21, 1983, Preakness Day, Suffolk Downs aired its first simulcast race after the Massachusetts General Court passed a last-minute bill that allowed the track to air and accept bets on races from other tracks. Suffolk Downs handled $161,456 in simulcast bets that day.[11][18]
First closure
In 1986, Odgen Corporation sold the track to Belle Isle Ltd., led by Buddy LeRoux. In 1987, LeRoux threatened to close Suffolk Downs unless the state granted financial concessions to the track. In January 1988, the state Legislature gave LeRoux the concessions he asked for, which allowed racing to continue through the 1989 season. LeRoux made it known that he would allow the track's license to expire after the concessions expired, under the premise that racing was no longer profitable. The track closed after racing on December 30, 1989. Races were scheduled for the next day, however, track management canceled them out of fears of vandalism. Between 1990 and 1991, there was no racing at Suffolk Downs.[11][18]
Reopening
Horses racing in front of the results board in the track infieldStarting gate at a race in 2004
In May 1991, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC., headed by James B. Moseley and John L. Hall II, leased the track from Belle Isle for $8.5 million. The group spent seven months upgrading and remodeling the track. On January 1, 1992 racing resumed at Suffolk Downs in front of a crowd of 15,212. The track underwent further renovations in 1993, including a new AmTote Spectrum 2000 mutuel system, a newly constructed Clubhouse video lounge, a tribute to MassCap winners in the Grandstand, and a new racing strip. In 1995, the track saw the opening of a redesigned Legends Bar & Grill, improvements to the lighting, upgrades to the backstretch and racetrack, and a remodeled paddock and winner's circle. Also that year, the MassCap returned from a six-year hiatus. Cigar won the race. It was his eighth consecutive victory in his Horse of the Year season. Cigar won the race the following year to earn his 15th consecutive win. The race was attended by 22,000 spectators.[11][18]
On May 31, 1997 Suffolk Downs hosted New England's first million racing day, with six stakes races including the MassCap.[18]
On July 7, 1997, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC purchased the track from Bell Isle.[33]
On April 9, 1998, James B. Moseley, Suffolk Downs' Chairman of the Board and the man credited with reopening the track, died at the age of 66.[34] He was succeeded on the board by his widow, Patricia.[citation needed]
On June 19, 1999, Suffolk Downs held its first concert in decades when it hosted the Guinness Fleadh music festival. Thirty acts performed during twelve-hour festival, including Elvis Costello, Hootie and the Blowfish, and John Lee Hooker.[35]Van Morrison was scheduled to appear but cancelled citing "exhaustion".[36]
On March 30, 2007, Coastal Development LLC, a New York-based real estate development company headed by Richard Fields, purchased a majority stake in Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC by buying the shares of Patricia Moseley and a number of smaller shareholders.[37] Fields purchased the track with the intent to turn it into a Racino. After casino gambling was legalized in Massachusetts in 2011, the track made a bid for a casino license. The track's owners partnered with Caesars Entertainment Corporation on a plan to build a $1 billion resort casino on the site. In October 2013, Suffolk Downs and Caesars terminated their partnership after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission raised concerns over Caesars' financial state and a business relationship with company allegedly connected to Russian mobsters.[38]
Second closure
On November 5, 2013, East Boston voters rejected Suffolk Downs' casino proposal with 4,281 votes to 3,353. The track partnered with Mohegan Sun on a project entirely located in Revere, Massachusetts, where Suffolk Downs has 53 acres of property. Suffolk Downs competed with Wynn Resorts plan for a resort in Everett, Massachusetts, that was approved by voters in June, opening in 2019 as the Encore Boston Harbor.[39][40] Following the approval of Wynn's proposal in September 2014, it was announced that Suffolk Downs would close.[41]
Limited live racing returned in 2015 and on June 9, 2016, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved funding for the track to run on 6 days in 2016. The track was open on July 9–10, August 6–7 and September 3–4.[42] In March 2017, the track's owners agreed to sell it to HYM Investment Group, a Boston real estate developer. The owners at the time stated that they were going to lease back the track and operate live racing in 2017 and 2018, and hoped to continue operating as a simulcast facility after the redevelopment of the property.[43] In October 2017, Suffolk Sterling Racecourse announced that plans were underway to open up a new full-time racetrack in Massachusetts to replace Suffolk Downs.[44]
The final season of live racing was May 18–19, June 8–9, and June 29–30, 2019. The last horse to cross the finish line in the final live race at Suffolk Downs was Colonial Front on June 30, 2019.[1] The facility remains open for simulcasting year-round.
Redevelopment
In May 2017, Suffolk Downs was sold to HYM Investment Group for $155 million to be used as developments.[45] The track will be turned into a housing and shopping district similar to the Boston Landing and Assembly Square developments in the Greater Boston area.[46]
On October 20, 2017, it was revealed that Suffolk Downs would be used in a bid to bring Amazon's second headquarters to Massachusetts.[47] In 2018, it was revealed that the Suffolk Downs development would move forward despite Amazon opting to move its second headquarters to Virginia and New York City.[48]
HYM Investment Group bought the property for $155 million in 2017. In June 2023, a performance venue known as The Stage at Suffolk Downs opened inside the racetrack with a capacity of 8,500 people. The first building of the redevelopment is expected to open in spring 2024, with 470 apartments for rent. The overall development plans up to 15,000 residents, retail, restaurants, life sciences laboratory, and 40 acre of open space.[49]
Administration
Owners
Eastern Racing Association: January 11, 1935 – January 6, 1969
Realty Equities Corp.: January 6, 1969 – February 23, 1971
National Raceways Inc.: February 23, 1971 – February 24, 1972
Ogden Suffolk Downs, Inc. February 24, 1972 – April 17, 1986
Belle Isle Limited Partnership: April 17, 1986 – July 7, 1997
leased to Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC: May 1991–July 7, 1997
Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC: July 7, 1997–May, 2017
Presidents
Bill Veeck (right), president of Suffolk Downs from 1968 to 1971
Seabiscuit was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse special at Pimlico and was voted American Horse of the Year for 1938.
The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The race received Grade III status by the American Graded Stakes Committee for 2009, but the race was never held. The MassCap was stripped of its graded status in 2011 as a result of not being run for two consecutive years.
Tampa Bay Downs is an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility located in Westchase in Hillsborough County in the U.S. state of Florida, just outside Tampa. It opened in 1926 under the name Tampa Downs, and has also been known as Sunshine Park and Florida Downs and Turf Club.
Timely Writer was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. The Boston Globe once described him as "the horse with the greatest potential—and the worst luck—whose very story was a fairytale of racing history."
Wonderland Greyhound Park was a greyhound racing track located in Revere, Massachusetts formerly owned by the Westwood Group. It was constructed on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park. Wonderland opened on June 12, 1935, and formerly offered 361 races during its 100-day, April to September racing period.
Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Rockingham Park was a 1-mile (1.6 km) horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. Notable horses to run at Rockingham Park included Seabiscuit, who raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command, who ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in 1984.
Larry Collmus is a Thoroughbred horse racing announcer. A native of Baltimore, Collmus has called at numerous racetracks around the country. He is the race caller for NBC Sports' coverage of the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. He previously called races at Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Suffolk Downs and NYRA.
Anthony DeSpirito was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who found instant fame when he won the national riding title in 1952 as an apprentice in his first full year of racing.
The Mayflower Stakes was one of the premiere juvenile stakes in New England. Run at Suffolk Downs, the Mayflower was held from Suffolk's inauguration in 1935 to 1988, when Suffolk was purchased from the Ogden Corporation. Run from 5+1⁄2 furlongs to about 8+5⁄16 furlongs, the event was never graded.
Walter Edmund O'Hara was an American horse racing executive who was the first President and Managing Director of the Narragansett Racing Association, which owned and operated Narragansett Park, a Thoroughbred horse track in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
James H. Connors was an American horse racing executive and businessman who served as president of Suffolk Downs.
Gordon B. Hanlon was an American stockbroker from Boston.
Allan James Wilson was a Canadian-born American horse racing executive.
Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Massachusetts include casinos, sports betting, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, the Massachusetts Lottery, and charitable gaming. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulates commercial operations under state jurisdiction.
John Russell Macomber was an American financier and sportsman.
The Grand Circuit, also known as the "Big Wheel", is a group of harness racing stakes races run at various race tracks around the United States. Run on one-mile tracks, it is "the oldest continuing horse-racing series in the United States."
Abigail Fuller is an American retired Thoroughbred jockey who primarily competed between the early 1980s and early 2000s. While competing in graded stakes races, Fuller won two Grade III events, one Grade II event and four Grade I events. Fuller won the majority of her graded stakes with Mom's Command between 1984 and 1985. Fuller was the 1985 Filly Triple Crown champion with her wins at the Mother Goose Stakes, Acorn Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Valentine Cecil Bruce Wetmore (1875–1953) was an American businessman who was associated with Charles Adams in operating Suffolk Downs and the Boston Braves.
Henry Frank Wajda was an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won over 2,200 races and was a leading jockey at New England tracks.
↑ "Horse Racing". Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
1 2 "Plan Race Track in East Boston". The Boston Daily Globe. January 12, 1935.
↑ Hurwitz, Hy (March 16, 1935). "O'Hara Severs Connections with Suffolk Downs Track". The Boston Daily Globe.
↑ "East Boston Track Licensed". The Boston Daily Globe. April 10, 1935.
↑ "Work Formally' Begun on East Boston Race on Track But Actual Construction Starts Tomorrow". The Boston Daily Globe. April 28, 1935.
↑ The Associated Press (July 10, 1935). "New Suffolk Downs Track Will Open Today At Boston, With 22 Nominated for Feature". The New York Times.
↑ The Associated Press (July 11, 1935). "35,000 at Suffolk Downs as Racing Returns to Boston After 25-Year Lapse". New York Times.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Temple, Robert (2009). The Pilgrims Would Be Shocked: The History of Thoroughbred Racing in New England. Robert Temple. ISBN978-1-4415-1428-8.
↑ "C. F. Adams President of Eastern Racing Body". The Boston Daily Globe. May 8, 1936.
↑ "Connors President of Suffolk Downs". The Boston Daily Globe. December 16, 1937.
↑ "Adams Claims Connors Back of New Track". The Boston Daily Globe. February 7, 1939.
↑ Harris, John G. (February 4, 1939). "Plot to Rule Racing Charged". The Boston Daily Globe.
↑ "Westport Racing Out; Fight Likely". The Boston Daily Globe. February 24, 1939.
↑ Palmer Jr., Thomas C. (April 3, 2007). "Casino developer buys big Suffolk Downs stake". The Boston Globe.
↑ Kamp, Jon (October 21, 2013). "Storied Boston Track Bets on 'Racino'; Suffolk Downs Suggests It Won't Survive Without State Casino License". The Wall Street Journal.
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