Gulfstream’s Transformation: Heavenly or Hellish

By: GREG MELIKOV, Contributing Writer

I’ve been receiving not so glowing reports about the transformation of Gulfstream from a fan-friendly track to a megaplex where horse racing finishes out of the money.

The complaints come from national racing writers and close friends who recently observed the rebuilt South Florida facility.

“I hate the new Gulfstream,” said Joe Modzelewski, racing fan, longtime friend and a colleague at The Miami Herald until I retired nearly a decade ago. “Very bettor unfriendly.”

“For decades, Gulfstream has been one of the most pleasant racetracks on earth,” wrote Andy Beyer, racing guru and Washington Post columnist.

Owners and their friends would gather in the center of the walking ring and socialize. Outside the perimeter, horseplayers sat in lawn chairs, studying their Racing Forms as they enjoyed the sunshine. When the call to post was sounded, they would migrate to the betting windows and watch the races on TV or from a grandstand seat — then they would return to their seats in the sunshine.

Although (magna chairman Frank) Stronach has plenty of idiosyncratic ideas, few people worried about what he might do to Gulfstream. How could anybody spoil the sunshine, the blue skies, the palm trees and the matchless ambience of this place?

“He destroyed the old Gulfstream - not only its infrastructure but its atmosphere. He has replaced it with what is being described as an entertainment center with overtones of Las Vegas. I’d call it bizarre and perverse. ”

The new paddock is a travesty. Instead of being the center of attention, thoroughbreds are saddled in a narrow tunnel, outside of public view. They make a three-minute appearance in a walking ring so cramped that there is barely enough room for the owners.

The middle of the ring is inexplicably occupied by a fountain. There are no lawn chairs and no lawn — not a single blade of grass. The ring is surrounded by some 900 stadium-style seats, but it’s not a place to spend the day, because most of the time the only thing to watch is the spewing fountain.

“Like all the restaurants, it (is) enclosed and air conditioned. In a place where tourists come to enjoy the matchless climate, Gulfstream has not a single comfortable, functional place to watch races out of doors.”

Kevin Conway, former sports editor of The Stuart News, which carried my columns for several years when I resided in Florida, observed:

“The new Gulfstream is really ornate, but it seems almost small in comparison to the old grandstand, clubhouse, etc. There were 8,400 people there (on Florida Millions Day) and no place to sit unless you wanted to spend another $20 or more.

The new paddock area is nice and they have people coming around taking bets and printing out tickets right on the spot. But again, it”s on the small side.

The first floor “clubhouses,” or whatever they call them, are large and elaborate, but there aren’t any windows so you’d have to watch the races on one of the TV monitors.

I guess people playing the slot machines doing the simulcasts don’t care that much about the horse races where they are.”

That’s in reference to Vegas-type video terminals that will be installed this summer after Broward County voters approved a referendum. “The track has to be ready to reinvent itself as a racino,” Beyer said.

Close friend Brad Yazell, a racing buddy, said, I would like to think a little more care would have gone into thinking about the traditional folks who are there to watch racing when all of these grand plans were laid out in front of Frankie.

“Since there are only approximately 900 seats available outside that face the track, you’ll have to pay a premium if you are stupid enough to come to this racetrack to watch live racing. Hell, I can just plop down on the couch, secure a remote control and watch racing on (satellite) TV without hassles and it won’t cost a dime.

I’m no longer wanted there. They want people who are coming out to go shopping, drink lattes (when the whole project is completed) and or do whatever else you can do there besides watching horses live and in person. No sale.”

Bill Finley, a columnist for ESPN.com, agreed:

“Stronach believes that by making Gulfstream an entertainment destination, non-racing fans will flock to the place. By then being exposed to horse racing, they will inevitably become fans of the sport, or will at least start betting on it.

Personally, I don’t think it will work. Most of his patrons will spend the day at Gulfstream and never see a horse.

I understand that the new Gulfstream is not supposed to be about people like me, 40-somethings who have been going to the racetrack for decades and are decidedly unhip.
Magna is after the kids hanging out at South Beach and the 22-year-olds who like to bet on football games. Who knows? Maybe it will get them. Perhaps this place will appeal to a lot of people. It’s just that I will never be one of them”

Greg Melikov has been handicapping and writing about horses for decades. His articles and columns appear in print and on the Internet around the world. Greg is a retired newspaperman who became a racing fan at 13 when he saw 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, his favorite horse, whip 20 older horses at old Arlington Park.

Road to the Roses Features $1 Million Saturday » Kentucky Derby 2006