Hialeah Park Could Open Later This Year or Early 2010
HIALEAH, Fla. (AP)–Hialeah Park, a historic Florida racetrack known for its flock of flamingos built in the 1920s and had its last live race in 2001, will begin quarter horse racing in December if possible or in early 2010, said the son of the park’s owner John Brunetti Jr. Monday.
Hialeah Park’s planned reopening is a result of a gambling bill Florida’s governor signed Monday and a change from 2 years ago when the park’s owner said horse racing would likely never return.
“Looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” said Brunetti, Hialeah Park’s vice president.
Spectators may be watching the first races from under tents when the park reopens. A series of hurricanes and years of neglect have left Hialeah Park far from ready for spectators. Grass covers the oval racetrack. Pink and white striped awnings have holes. And a pond surrounding a statue of 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation stands dry. Just restoring the existing structures could cost $60 to $100 million, according to some estimates, though Brunetti said the park was “still gathering estimates.”
Even in disrepair, however, Hialeah Park retains many of its grand elements. Chandeliers in an entranceway to the stands have spokes hanging at awkward angles like broken bones, but a circular stained glass window of 3 flamingos looks untouched. And the flamingos themselves, which flew over the track, still live at the park. On Monday, the view of them was obscured by overgrown hedges.
“They’ll become more visible once we cut the brush,” Brunetti said.
Eventually the Brunetti family hopes to convert a part of the grandstands to a gambling area as well as build an addition for the games. A drawing shows an area for a hotel, though how big it would be is still in discussion, Brunetti said.
The plans are possible because of a gambling bill Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed Monday before visiting the track, where he stood by the statue of Citation.
“Now it’s on to racing, and it’s a great thing,” Crist said.
Owners said they needed gambling at the track to revive it. Under the bill, the track can install lucrative slot machines 2 years after they begin quarter horse racing. In the first year, the track would need to run just 20 races.
If Hialeah Park begins racing in December, however, its races could overlap with those at nearby Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Horse racing at Calder is going on now and runs through Jan. 2, starting again in April. Gulfstream picks up where Calder leaves off, opening Jan. 3 and running through April 23, 2010.
Both Gulfstream and Calder, however, race thoroughbreds not quarter horses.
In fact, quarter horse racing will be new for Hialeah Park. The track previously only raced thoroughbreds, not quarter horses, which are bred for sprinting, not long distances. The track had its thoroughbred racing permit revoked by the state in 2004 because it didn’t run races it had asked for in 2002 and 2003. In March, however, the park got a quarter horse racing permit, which is easier to get.
To accommodate quarter horses the park will have to move striped poles marking distances because quarter horses run shorter races. But thoroughbreds could someday use the same track. Other parks like Los Alamitos Race Course in California and Lone Star Park in Texas already run both types of horses on the same track.
On Monday, a maintenance worker drove a grass cutter across the park’s track. But Brunetti didn’t offer any guess on an opening day or give the park’s success any odds.
"Hialeah Park Could Open Later This Year or Early 2010" was posted on 16 June 2009 8:12 AM under Horse Racing News, Race Tracks, Special Features
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