135 tracks?

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Heidilady
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135 tracks?

Postby Heidilady » Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:55 pm

Ok so I got this DRF email offering me a racetrack map for 135 racetracks and my jaw dropped open. Are there seriously that many? I know some states don't have gambling so I'm figuring that we're looking at roughly 3 per state that does and it adds up. Wow.

Can we seriously just make a list? Cuz I probably haven't ever heard of half of them. I mean if people look down on Mountaineer, heaven help us if there's a lower rung.

Sam
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Re: 135 tracks?

Postby Sam » Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:16 pm

Heidilady wrote:Can we seriously just make a list? Cuz I probably haven't ever heard of half of them. I mean if people look down on Mountaineer, heaven help us if there's a lower rung.

Well, when you count up all the fair tracks in California, there's about 15 in one state.

Santa Anita
Hollywood Park
Del Mar
Golden Gate Fields
Bay Meadows
Los Alamitos (QHs primarily, emerging breeds)
Cal Expo (Standardbreds, 2 week fair meet)
Fairplex
Alameda
Santa Rosa
Vallejo
Stockton
Fresno
Ferndale
Humbolt

There's only one track in Nevada to my knowledge (Winnemuca), but no betting allowed as far as I know and you can't find them televised anywhere. Not sure if Brisnet counts it or not. Equibase reports results but they aren't "official" (Kind of like the Steeplechases at Fair Hill).

Not counting fair tracks, the smallest track I've been to was Wyoming Downs near the stateline. BEAUTIFUL track. Nestled right in the foothills. I was there in early June about 10 years ago and it took my breath away. Decent racing too. Cashed the biggest ticket I ever had there :-D. Made enough to cover MOST of what we blew when we made it to Salt Lake later that night.

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madelyn
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Postby madelyn » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:29 pm

Kentucky has at least six..

Churchill Downs
Keeneland
Turfway Park
Ellis Park
Kentucky Downs (was Duelling Grounds)
The Red Mile (harness racing)

maybe I have forgotten another...
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

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Intrinsic Worth
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Postby Intrinsic Worth » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:34 pm

River Downs
All men are equal on the turf - or under it.

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madelyn
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Postby madelyn » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:48 pm

River Downs is actually in Ohio, along with Beulah Park, etc.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

magic code
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Postby magic code » Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:59 pm

I know that I'm missing a few in each state...

In Washington:
Emerald Downs
Sun Downs
Walla Walla
Dayton

In Oregon:
Portland Meadows
Sandy Downs
Grants Pass
Tillamook

Idaho:
Les Bois Park

Montana:
Great Falls
Western Montana Fair
Yellowstone Downs

Nebraska:
Horsemen's Park

Nevada:
a few fairs

Wyoming:
There's a bush in Wyoming, can't remember the name.

Arizona:
Prescott Downs - now Yavapai, I think
Turf Paradise

You can see how they add up!

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madelyn
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Postby madelyn » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:48 pm

Indiana has Indiana Downs and Hoosier Park; Illinois has Arlington Park and Hawthorne.... tracks in Florida, Louisiana, Virgina, West Virginia, etc. etc. etc. No, 135 doesn't surprise me.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

wilf
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Postby wilf » Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:05 am

New Mexico is very interesting as it has the newest track on the block that opened last fall named Zia Park in Hobbs eastern N.M. then they have Sunland near El Paso, Ruidoso up in the ski country, State Fair in Albuqueque, Sunray Park at Farmington, a nice plant in Santa Fe which is closed and Raton in the north east corner which has not run in a while I think.

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adrienne
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Postby adrienne » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:03 pm

madelyn wrote:Indiana has Indiana Downs and Hoosier Park; Illinois has Arlington Park and Hawthorne.... tracks in Florida, Louisiana, Virgina, West Virginia, etc. etc. etc. No, 135 doesn't surprise me.


Illinois also has Fairmont.

There is the summer midwest fair meets... trying to remember them...

Atokad (South Dakota)
Columbus Ag Park (Nebraska)
and
Lincoln (Nebraksa)

~Adrienne

Indychase
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Postby Indychase » Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:19 pm

Is Rillito still operational? That's in AZ too.

Also, just a correction on the CA tracks -- Ferndale and Humboldt are one and the same.

Shergar
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Postby Shergar » Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:19 pm

Hello All

Point of clarification. Sandy Downs is in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Add a short meet in Elko, Nevada that is run around the latter part of August through Labour day weekend. I think their thoroughbred races may now be recognized.

If you add in QH tracks that run a few unrecognized TB races, the number would be well over a 135.

In Idaho there are 8 different fair meets that run quarter horses and unrecognized thoroughbred races.

You can add Prineville Oregon and the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, (UN) in Vale, Oregon to the list. Both are unrecognized.

In years past, there was some really great QH racing in Utah. Of course no, "Official Wagering" I think there was Weber, Dixie Downs, and a couple of others I can't think of at the moment.

It sure adds up quick.

Regards, Shergar

Sam
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Postby Sam » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:31 pm

Indychase wrote:Also, just a correction on the CA tracks -- Ferndale and Humboldt are one and the same.

I thought they might have been, but I have a hard time getting the proper "(Name) County Fair" together. I tend to remember the track more than the actually country fair name it runs under. Alameda is the only one I remember because I lived there (shared a fenceline with what's left of Mrs. Bonde's land).

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Re: 135 tracks?

Postby JimbleBrimble » Sun Jan 15, 2006 7:40 pm

[quote="Heidilady"]Ok so I got this DRF email offering me a racetrack map for 135 racetracks and my jaw dropped open. Are there seriously that many? I know some states don't have gambling so I'm figuring that we're looking at roughly 3 per state that does and it adds up. Wow.

Can we seriously just make a list? Cuz I probably haven't ever heard of half of them. I mean if people look down on Mountaineer, heaven help us if there's a lower rung.[/quote]


Some of the tracks on that map have been closed and or bulldozed for years if not decades. But there are dozens if not a hundred more that were never mentioned on that map.

State racing commission websites are probably good sources of all-inclusive information about the numbers of tracks.

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Postby Bettina » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:07 am

Hallo,
several years ago I asked the same question an American member of another forum. But she couldn't answer my question. But several years ago I came across at the "Frankfurt Book Fair", a publication who includes this information.

The 'Thoroughbred Times' prints annually a "Racing Almanac", in this very informative paperback is a chapter "Complete Racetrack Directory",
of course restricted to Thoroughbred Racing. The infos include a short history, Officials ; Racing dats, Track Layout; location and wetheir website + a map where the tracks are located.

The Almanac is available from the Russell Meerdink Company, Neenah, WI 54956. The price is $ 19,95.

Best regards from Germany, Bettina

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Maureen
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Postby Maureen » Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:10 pm

try this link www.polocenter.com/racing/traceus.htm I counted 75 (?)tracks on this site alone.