Читать книгу The Born to Run - Ryan Reed - Страница 8

CHAPTER 1

From the short-lived Atlantic City Kennel Club of the Roaring Twenties to Massachusetts’s iconic racetracks to the former Thoroughbred racetrack in Rhode Island reborn as the Lincoln Greyhound Park, Greyhound racing in the Northeast is a study in diversity. During the early 1930s, dozens of racetracks opened and then closed after a single seasonal meet of perhaps only a few months, never to open again, while Massachusetts’s Wonderland and Raynham Parks, which opened in 1935 and 1940, respectively, flourished. In the 1970s, Rhode Island and Connecticut opened their own Greyhound racetracks. During the 1990s, video lottery machines were installed at some of the racetracks, turning them into racetrack/casino hybrids known as racinos. At the same time, adoption efforts for retired Greyhound racers became a priority for everyone involved with the sport.

With a rich history of Thoroughbred and Greyhound racing, Lincoln Park was a Rhode Island icon for more than half a century.

On July 7, 1923, Greyhound racing was thrust into mainstream politics when the Atlantic City Kennel Club opened its racetrack for its second annual meet. Unfortunately for the kennel club, New Jersey lawmakers at the time viewed gambling as a sign of human weakness and even a threat to social morality. Less than three weeks after the opening, on July 26, Atlantic City detectives raided the racetrack on the order of New Jersey Prosecutor Louis Repetto, who arrested the racetrack operators and closed down the premises. With the exception of limited racing during 1926, the Atlantic City Kennel Club would not see Greyhound racing again until 1933. A year later, racing ended for good at this location.

To the north in Massachusetts, Greyhound racing was faring much better during this time. In 1934, the same year in which racing was shut down in New Jersey, the Massachusetts Legislature legalized pari-mutuel wagering, thus paving the way for three state-sanctioned racetracks to open in 1935—Wonderland Park in Revere, the Crescent Kennel Club in Springfield, and the Bristol County Kennel Club (later renamed the Taunton Kennel Club) in Taunton. By 1940, the Crescent Kennel Club was out of business, replaced by Raynham Park in the city of Raynham.

It was at the Taunton Kennel Club in 1949 that the American Greyhound Derby was established. It was the first championship stake race open to any dog in the world; the winner, therefore, was titled World Champion. On September 10, 1950, the stake race was aired nationally on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)—a first for the sport of Greyhound racing. (The Taunton Kennel Club hosted the American Greyhound Derby until 1985; thereafter, the stake was hosted by Rhode Island’s Lincoln Greyhound Park.)

Massachusetts’s Raynham Park, Wonderland Park, and the Taunton Kennel Club would remain the only Greyhound racetracks in the New England region until the early 1970s, when New Hampshire legalized Greyhound racing, allowing the Hinsdale and Seabrook Greyhound Parks to open. The Hinsdale Greyhound Park, originally built in 1958 as a seasonal harness racetrack, opened to Greyhound racing in 1972, making it a dual facility. (Harness racing at Hinsdale continued until the 1985 season, when local economics forced its discontinuance.) The Seabrook Greyhound Park opened the following year on July 2—amazingly, just three months after construction had begun at the racetrack facility. Unfortunately, Massachusetts voters took away the legalization of Greyhound racing in the state, forcing an end to the sport as of January 1, 2010.

The Plainfield Greyhound Park opened in 1976 in neighboring Connecticut; it would be another two decades before the state’s second Greyhound racetrack, the Shoreline Star Greyhound Park, would open on November 1, 1995. Both racetracks in Connecticut would eventually suffer from dwindling attendance that would ultimately lead to their demise. The Plainfield Greyhound Park closed its doors on May 14, 2005; the Shoreline Star Greyhound Park closed on May 29, 2006.

In Rhode Island, the Lincoln Greyhound Park (later renamed Lincoln Park, and then Twin River), located in the city of Lincoln, ran its inaugural Greyhound race on June 23, 1977. The first seasonal meet barely topped one hundred days, a far cry from its schedule of three hundred days per year seen in later years. The addition of broadcast video simulcast signals in 1991 allowed patrons to wager on races from different racetracks, thus broadening the patron base.

By the end of 1992, Greyhound and Thoroughbred racetracks in Rhode Island had been allowed to install video lottery machines, converting their respective facilities into racinos. On September 15, 1999, Lincoln Park was granted permission to add five hundred new video lottery machines—bringing its total to twelve hundred—despite Governor Lincoln Almond’s request for an emergency injunction against the Rhode Island State Lottery Commission. By 2002, Lincoln Park boasted some seventeen hundred machines.

Tucked into roadside foliage, a solitary billboard offers a hint about some of the changes that have taken place there over the decades. Originally built in 1947 as a Thoroughbred racetrack known as Lincoln Downs, the facility closed its doors in 1976 only to be purchased and converted into a Greyhound racetrack the following year. Later, in 1992, gaming was introduced with the installation of video lottery terminals, forever transforming the racetrack into a racetrack/casino hybrid. Having dropped the name Lincoln Park after a major expansion, the facility is known today as Twin River. In August 2009, Twin River suspended live racing, but reopened with different kennel operators.

The Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association (RIGOA) was conceived in 1980 to protect the interests of Greyhound racing in the Ocean State by lobbying in the capital. At the time, the state of Rhode Island was preparing to tax the racing kennels out of existence, and something had to be done to preserve the sport. Thus, the RIGOA was created and sanctioned by Lincoln Park, Rhode Island’s sole Greyhound racetrack, to fight the tax case, later winning in court.

By 1990, the RIGOA had turned into a genuine lobbying force that was dealing with multiple legislative issues. Yet, at the same time, the association was morphing into something else altogether: a benevolent group serving the needs of retired racing Greyhounds as well as Rhode Island’s underprivileged citizens.

In recent years, the RIGOA has donated around $100,000 annually to Greyhound adoption efforts, plus another $150,000 to local charities. The single biggest recipient of the RIGOA’s benefaction is the Lincoln Greyhound Adoption Program, founded in late 1994 and later known as Twin River Greyhound Adoption. To get the organization started, the RIGOA paid for an adoption kennel in the secure Lincoln Park kennel compound, as well as a brand-new van to provide transportation. Electricity, telephone service, food for the retired racers, and even furniture expenses are also covered by the owners’ association.

Summing up the relationship, adoption director June Bazar said, "Whatever we need, we get. Our kennel wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the RIGOA. All they care about is what’s best for the dogs, and I love them like family." With their combined efforts, approximately two hundred retired racing Greyhounds were adopted through the Twin River Greyhound Adoption Program each year, allowing the racetrack to enjoy a 100 percent adoption rate while it was hosting live racing.

In Massachusetts, the Wonderland and Raynham Greyhound Parks worked in conjunction with one another to host an annual Greyhound Adoption Expo at their respective facilities in Revere and Raynham. The expos drew some 450 attendees, and the schedule of events included a mock race—called a “fun run”—for retired racing Greyhounds, an amateur racing demonstration, speakers, raffles, racetrack tours, and even weeklong gigs as helpers in a racing kennel as prizes for some lucky adoption representatives.

NORTHEASTERN STYLE | photogallery

Hidden away in the quiet corner of northeastern Connecticut near Pomfret Center is a breeding farm that embodies New England charm. Fred Fulchino started the Regall Sports kennel in April 1997 after spending a good deal of his life working in Greyhound racing. Fred’s career has taken him from the position of leadout at the Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, Massachusetts, to being the owner of the highly acclaimed racer EA’s Itzaboy, captain of the 2003 All-American Team. With the assistance of two kennel helpers, Fred cares for eighty to one hundred Greyhounds at any one time.

In a moment of simple pleasure, four-year-old Capones Lil jumps for joy while Fred walks her around the breeding farm during a chilly September morning in 2003. Two years earlier, the brindled speedster won the $75,000 Great Greyhound Race at the Seabrook Greyhound Park.

A tub of kibble, ground beef, cooked macaroni, and powdered supplements is prepared for the pups, who have built up an appetite after running and playing throughout the day. Once the future racers have finished eating, their individual bowls are collected, washed, and neatly stacked, ready for the next meal—a ritual that takes place twice a day, every day, whether it be an average Monday or Christmas Day.

Full of curiosity, energy, and life, pups of different ages and bloodlines spend a sunny afternoon playing and acting downright silly. Fenced 250-foot-long sprint paths give the youngsters enough room to stretch their growing legs when the mood strikes. Their New England way of life is a good one.

Aiding first-time patrons and professional handicappers alike, the tote board at a racetrack displays pertinent information, such as time to post, odds, pools, results, and payoffs for each race.

Running for the sheer joy of running, an eleven-month-old pup—bred from sire Craigie Whistler and dam Mohican Topaz—kicks up a cloud of dust in his sprint path during an early morning romp. While Greyhounds are trained to refine their innate athletic aptitudes just like any other athlete is, they are not trained to run or be competitive—that comes naturally from eight thousand years of instinct.

Three-year-oldFlying Kulwicke (number 5) is slowly losing her slim lead to Erupter (number 7), a slightly younger pup who crossed the wire just ahead of the steely-eyed black beauty. After a successful racing career, Flying Kulwicke eventually became a brood matron.

With a matinee scheduled for 12:20 in the afternoon, a great deal of work needs to be done, starting at sunrise. The sounds of heavy machinery will beckon and the smell of diesel exhaust will begin to hang low in the New England morning air. A few minutes after sunrise, Tony Blinkhorn—a starter/maintenance manager for Lincoln Park—goes to work on the racetrack by first scraping up the top 6 inches of the sand-and-clay composite using a motor grader. This process allows the composite to absorb the water needed to create a safe running surface. After several passes around the racetrack, the upturned composite is broken up and redistributed. On the curves, the composite is graded toward the outside edge to keep the degree of banking within proper standards.

Once the racetrack surface has been upturned, Tony trades in the motor grader for a tractor that pulls a heavy dragging apparatus, which levels the surface. After several times around the track, the dragging apparatus is removed. The tractor, however, continues to circle the racetrack to tamp down the surface. After numerous passes, the racetrack is ready to absorb the predetermined and specific amount of water. Before the first race begins, the chute area and escape turn will be raked by hand. Because of this careful preparation of the racetrack, racing injuries are kept to an incredible minimum.

In hot pursuit of Rhody, Lincoln Park’s mechanical lure, BF Elli (number 2) leads the way of grade-BB racers. At this point in the race, the three-year-old speedster is pulling away from the pack and preparing to round the first turn in perfect form. While BF Elli took the win in 37.36 seconds, JJ’s Slick (number 5) and PS Wise Choice (number 6) both made solid efforts and finished in second and third place, respectively.

Trainers and handlers from the D.Q. Williams kennel unload their fleet-footed racers one by one as other kennel operators arrive at the paddock building for the weigh-in procedure. Faith Keeper and Storm Mist, the two white and fawn Greyhounds, along with Time Warp Lily and Showtime, the two black Greyhounds, are all solid AA to B racers.

While holding onto a half-dozen leashes with one hand, kennel operators must attach brass tags onto each Greyhound’s collar with the other. Each brass tag has the number of a race and post position to identify what race and position each dog runs. Because trainers are used to the routine, the procedure is completed in a surprisingly short time.

Leadouts walk CTW About Sissy (number 5), Kiowa Salvo Cade (number 3), CJ Big Brother (number 2), and Flying Hunter (number 6) during a post parade. The platform in the foreground is used as a stage to photograph the winners of championship stake races, such as the American Derby, Lincoln Inaugural, and All-Age Sprint Stake.

Running a step and a breath behind Radiant Mantle* (number 8), Flying Hunter (number 6) holds behind the leader just feet from the first turn. At the far turn, the yellow-jacketed pup muscled his way into the lead, winning the grade-C race by two lengths. (The asterisk behind a Greyhound’s name means that the dog was whelped overseas.)

Two-year-old Pa’s Brethren (number 5) holds off Just Believe (number 7) to take another grade-AA win for the Regall Sports kennel. By the end of 2004, Pa’s Brethren had raced in a half-dozen stake races at Lincoln Park and the Hollywood Greyhound Track in Hollywood, Florida.

A field of grade-M racers, some of whom only have one or two starts to their credit, break from the starting box and race down the chute. Atisa (number 1) took the win by powering herself past the leaders on the backstretch. A few months later, Atisa was racing in grade J at the Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque, Texas.

Leadouts move into position to leash up their assigned Greyhounds as the canine athletes enter the escape turn after a grade-A race. The curtain, hanging by chains at the right and out of view, serves as an important safety measure in case a Greyhound falls while negotiating the first turn. Quickly pulled across the racetrack in such a situation, the curtain will prevent a disoriented dog from running in the opposite direction and head-on into speeding traffic.

Blink An Miss, a rare blue-colored Greyhound, is walked off the racetrack and into the cool-off area for a quick spray of water, a drink, and the inevitable urine test to check the dog’s system for illegal stimulants after winning a grade-A race. After a seventeen-month stay at Lincoln Park, Blink An Miss will return to his home racetrack, the Wichita Greyhound Park in Wichita, Kansas.

Blasting through the first turn, Clair Has Flair (number 7), Spinning Spell* (number 3), and French Follie (number 8) battle for the lead position. A second later, French Follie was bumped, taking her out of contention for the lead. Spinning Spell* went on to take the grade-A win with Storm Mist (number 5), barely visible, holding on for second place. The Irish import Spinning Spell* had previously raced at Dublin’s Shelbourne Park as well as at the Limerick Greyhound Track.

The post-race routine might first appear to be a strange mess of people and dogs, but it is a remarkably fast and smooth operation. As leadouts remove the stretchvest-type racing jackets from each Greyhound, trainers are standing by, ready to take their respective racers for a cool-down with chilled water.

The Twin River Adoption Program’s kennel houses retired racers just the same as any given racing kennel—a practice commonly seen at adoption kennels throughout the country. To help maintain a sense of security for the retired racers while in their new surroundings, feeding and turnout times are the same as those in the racing kennels. Likewise, males and females are turned out in separate pens to prevent clandestine romances from taking place. Because of the strong working relationship between the RIGOA and the adoption organization, Lincoln Park (Twin River) enjoyed a 100 percent adoption rate.

Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association vice president Dan Ryan and Lincoln Greyhound Adoption Program director June Bazar, along with June’s nine-year-old retired racer China (China Bay–LI), take in the sunshine at Lincoln’s Saylesville Park as children enjoy playground equipment purchased using a $26,000 grant from the RIGOA.

The biggest recipient of the RIGOA’s benefaction was the Lincoln (Twin River) Greyhound Adoption Program, founded in late 1994. June Bazar, a Greyhound Pets of America volunteer who had started in Greyhound adoption some fifteen years prior, was asked to serve as director for the upstart organization. The RIGOA footed the bill for the construction of a new adoption kennel next to the kennel compound at Lincoln Park. Once the kennel building was finished, the RIGOA purchased stylish black leather furniture for the lobby.

Tailwind Force (number 6) challenges Roar Phantom (number 1, in red) for the lead position in a stunning display of athletic fortitude as the field of Greyhounds races down the front stretch during a grade-B performance. Tailwind Force powered her way to take the win, with Roar Phantom holding on for second place.