Another Brick Falls: Hazel Park Raceway Is Shuttered
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Horseracing Wrongs
April 2018

Hazel Park Raceway's demise was inevitable – and so too is Michigan’s only remaining track, Northville Downs, a harness facility with but 59 days of racing scheduled for 2018. Progress, folks.

We activists are often asked, “What do you propose to do with all the horses if you get your wish and Racing ends?” It is, of course, a spurious question, a pathetic and desperate attempt to trip us up – gotcha, they hope to say, you have no plan; are you just going to let 100,000 horses starve to death? Horseracing clearly will not disappear overnight; it will (has been, actually) go brick-by-brick – until, at last, not a one remains. Yesterday, another brick fell. A sign at Hazel Park Raceway in Michigan:

Hazel Park Raceway

Hazel had just converted back to Thoroughbred in 2014. Given that this was the only flat racing in Michigan, a top-ten population with almost 10 million people, this might seem a rather quick and shocking failure. But to those with a working knowledge of Racing, it was not unexpected at all. For you see, Michigan is not a racino state; the horseracing industry there has no slot machines to bail it out. Without the corporate welfare that is so unfortunately common in other racing-states, Hazel’s demise was inevitable – and so too is Michigan’s only remaining track, Northville Downs, a harness facility with but 59 days of racing scheduled for 2018. Progress, folks.

Progress…

Shuttered tracks since 2000 (37 and counting):

  • Anthony Downs, Kansas, closed 2009 after 105 years of racing
    Atlantic City Race Course, New Jersey, closed 2015 after 69 years of racing
    Atokad Downs, Nebraska, closed 2011 after 55 years of racing
    Balmoral Park, Illinois, closed 2015 after 89 years of racing
    Bay Meadows, California, closed 2008 after 74 years of racing
    Beulah Park, Ohio, closed 2014 after 91 years of racing
    Blue Ribbon Downs, Oklahoma, closed 2010 after 47 years of racing
    Brockton Fair, Massachusetts, closed 2001 after 60 years of racing
    Colonial Downs, Virginia, closed 2014 after 17 years of racing
    Dayton Days, Washington, closed 2010 after 122 years of racing
    Eureka Downs, Kansas, closed 2011 after 108 years of racing
    Garden State Park Racetrack, New Jersey, closed 2001 after 59 years of racing
    Great Lakes Downs, Michigan, closed 2007 after 18 years of racing
    Hazel Park, Michigan, closed 2018 after 69 years of racing
    Hollywood Park, California, closed 2013 after 75 years of racing
    Jackson Harness Raceway, Michigan, closed 2008 after 60 years of racing
    Les Bois Park, Idaho, closed 2016 after 46 years of racing
    Lone Oak Park, Oregon, closed 2000 after 67 years of racing
    Manor Downs, Texas, closed 2010 after 20 years of racing
    Maywood Park, Illinois, closed 2015 after 69 years of racing
    Mount Pleasant Meadows, Michigan, closed 2013 after 28 years of racing
    Northampton Fair, Massachusetts, closed 2005 after 62 years of racing
    Northwest Montana Fair, Montana, closed 2011 after unknown number of years
    Pinnacle Race Course, Michigan, closed 2010 after 2 years of racing
    Playfair Race Course, Washington, closed 2001 after 100 years of racing
    Rochester Fair, New Hampshire, closed 2007 after 73 years of racing
    Rockingham Park, New Hampshire, closed 2009 after 103 years of racing
    Saginaw Valley Downs, Michigan, closed 2005 after 25 years of racing
    Solano Fair, California, closed 2009 after 58 years of racing
    Sports Creek Raceway, Michigan, closed 2015 after 28 years of racing
    Sportsman’s Park, Illinois, closed 2002 after 70 years of racing
    Waitsburg, Washington, closed 2010 after 99 years of racing
    Walla Walla Fair, Washington, closed 2010 after 144 years of racing
    Western Montana Fair, Montana, closed 2010 after 96 years of racing
    Woodlands Racecourse, Kansas, closed 2007 after 17 years of racing
    Yavapai Downs, Arizona, closed 2010 after 50 years of racing
    Yellowstone Downs, Montana, closed 2011 after 65 years of racing

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