‘Wicked Strong’ showing at Suffolk Downs’s season opener
May 6, 2014 10:26:07 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 10:26:07 GMT -5
From the Boston Globe - there still is support for racing in the Boston area. Looks like it was a great day at Suffolk Downs (there were 9609 on hand at Belmont Park for 12 races)
www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/05/03/suffolk-downs-opens-season-with-big-crowd-and-plenty-buzz/9QwpHMD6nIMrzkPzlEL3ZJ/story.html
‘Wicked Strong’ showing at Suffolk Downs’s season opener
By Anthony Gulizia | Globe Staff May 04, 2014
The start of the 79th live racing season at Suffolk Downs was still two hours away, but there was already a palpable buzz circulating through the bustling crowd at the historic racetrack in East Boston.
While there were plenty of wagers to be had on Suffolk’s nine-race card Saturday, the attention centered on Wicked Strong, the thoroughbred from Beverly’s Centennial Farms that ran from the No. 20 post in the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
That excitement came to a crescendo at 6:33 p.m., when Wicked Strong shot out of the starting gate and finished fourth in the Run for the Roses.
Among the 14,612 in attendance at Suffolk Downs Saturday, which was the largest Opening Day crowd since 2009, plenty of cheers could be heard for the local colt. Wicked Strong, owned by Don Little and a total of 28 partners, was renamed to honor those affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
The loudest cheers came when the colt was shown on the simulcast screens loading into the gate.
“It’s nice to be able to root for something,” said Stacey Prosowski, who made her first trip to the track to bet on Wicked Strong.
This year, the live racing season began in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2009. The season started a month earlier than usual to accommodate as many racing days as possible.
As Opening Day approached this season, there was a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the future of the track. With the Greater Boston resort casino license hanging in the balance, this season could be the last.
But on Saturday at Suffolk, the last active thoroughbred racetrack in New England, that uncertainty was quelled with optimism and the excitement of rooting for a local colt.
The total wagering on the Suffolk live card was $441,507, and track officials estimated the total on-site handle would be in excess of $1.5 million.
“It’s always great to have a local rooting interest in a big race,” said Suffolk Downs chief operating officer Chip Tuttle. “I was joking with somebody we’re looking forward to a wicked-strong crowd today in more ways than one.
“There’s still a really strong audience for horse racing in the Boston area. There are lots of people who think nothing of jumping in their cars and driving three hours to Saratoga in August. But we have to do a better job creating that experience here. On a day like today, the place feels special, and there’s a buzz. There are people walking around dressed to the nines and women in beautiful hats. You need to create that atmosphere more than once a year.”
The racing season on the Suffolk oval began at 2:17 p.m., and jockey Vern Bush earned the first win of the season atop Chasing Greg, running the 4½ furlongs in 52.48 seconds.
Bush returned in the eighth race, which was the premier event on the card, and rode Glowing Promise to victory and a $13,000 purse in the 5-furlong Starter Allowance.
In the second race, Erik Barbaran rode Thisonesforruthie to the finish line in a blistering 51.78 seconds, setting the track record for the 4½-furlong distance.
The final race posted at 6:06 p.m. Veteran jockey Tammi Piermarini, who has been Suffolk’s lead rider the last four years, said she could feel the increased energy while she was warming up.
“When I first started years ago, every day was like this, it was packed,” said Piermarini. “To see the people, it just brings back those old memories and it’s a beautiful thing to see.”
www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/05/03/suffolk-downs-opens-season-with-big-crowd-and-plenty-buzz/9QwpHMD6nIMrzkPzlEL3ZJ/story.html
‘Wicked Strong’ showing at Suffolk Downs’s season opener
By Anthony Gulizia | Globe Staff May 04, 2014
The start of the 79th live racing season at Suffolk Downs was still two hours away, but there was already a palpable buzz circulating through the bustling crowd at the historic racetrack in East Boston.
While there were plenty of wagers to be had on Suffolk’s nine-race card Saturday, the attention centered on Wicked Strong, the thoroughbred from Beverly’s Centennial Farms that ran from the No. 20 post in the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
That excitement came to a crescendo at 6:33 p.m., when Wicked Strong shot out of the starting gate and finished fourth in the Run for the Roses.
Among the 14,612 in attendance at Suffolk Downs Saturday, which was the largest Opening Day crowd since 2009, plenty of cheers could be heard for the local colt. Wicked Strong, owned by Don Little and a total of 28 partners, was renamed to honor those affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
The loudest cheers came when the colt was shown on the simulcast screens loading into the gate.
“It’s nice to be able to root for something,” said Stacey Prosowski, who made her first trip to the track to bet on Wicked Strong.
This year, the live racing season began in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2009. The season started a month earlier than usual to accommodate as many racing days as possible.
As Opening Day approached this season, there was a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the future of the track. With the Greater Boston resort casino license hanging in the balance, this season could be the last.
But on Saturday at Suffolk, the last active thoroughbred racetrack in New England, that uncertainty was quelled with optimism and the excitement of rooting for a local colt.
The total wagering on the Suffolk live card was $441,507, and track officials estimated the total on-site handle would be in excess of $1.5 million.
“It’s always great to have a local rooting interest in a big race,” said Suffolk Downs chief operating officer Chip Tuttle. “I was joking with somebody we’re looking forward to a wicked-strong crowd today in more ways than one.
“There’s still a really strong audience for horse racing in the Boston area. There are lots of people who think nothing of jumping in their cars and driving three hours to Saratoga in August. But we have to do a better job creating that experience here. On a day like today, the place feels special, and there’s a buzz. There are people walking around dressed to the nines and women in beautiful hats. You need to create that atmosphere more than once a year.”
The racing season on the Suffolk oval began at 2:17 p.m., and jockey Vern Bush earned the first win of the season atop Chasing Greg, running the 4½ furlongs in 52.48 seconds.
Bush returned in the eighth race, which was the premier event on the card, and rode Glowing Promise to victory and a $13,000 purse in the 5-furlong Starter Allowance.
In the second race, Erik Barbaran rode Thisonesforruthie to the finish line in a blistering 51.78 seconds, setting the track record for the 4½-furlong distance.
The final race posted at 6:06 p.m. Veteran jockey Tammi Piermarini, who has been Suffolk’s lead rider the last four years, said she could feel the increased energy while she was warming up.
“When I first started years ago, every day was like this, it was packed,” said Piermarini. “To see the people, it just brings back those old memories and it’s a beautiful thing to see.”