“One Eyed Ray,” riden by Dyn Panell, heads to the track for race number five on Sunday. Photo by Paula Muller.
By Steve Krause
EAST BOSTON — Fans who may have missed the three live horse racing weekends at Suffolk Downs this summer can take heart. They’ll be running in 2017.
“Beyond that,” said Jessica Paquette, a media representative at the track, “we’re not really sure.”
Sunday was the last day of a six-session “food truck festival” at the track, where patrons could watch the races and sample the offerings from any one of a number of food trucks parked just to the side of the paddock area. A crowd of 6,333 showed up, and coupled with Saturday’s 8,212, 14,545 fans attended.
“That was the most encouraging thing,” said Paquette. “The fans. It was great to see so many old fans and so many new faces. It was a terrific response. And there were so many young people too. I think the racing weekends were terrific.”
Suffolk was forced to curtail its annual racing sessions in 2014 after the state awarded the license for a Boston-area casino to Everett rather than the track. However, in both the summers of 2015 and 2016, the track has brought live racing back for specific weekends, with much success, Paquette said. Chip Tuttle, chief operating officer at the track, agreed.
“We are very happy with the three festival weekends” he said. “(there was) strong attendance and excellent participation from longtime New England horsemen and top national stables.
“We are looking forward to next year,” he said “While we work through the development options for the property, it is great that we can keep people working, heop the local racing industry and provide a safe, professional venue for local horsemen and breeders to earn purse money.”
Sunday’s card featured a pair of $75,000 stakes races restricted to horses bred in Massachusetts – the $75,000 Massachusetts Stallion Stakes and the $75,000 Thomas F. Moran Stakes.
Tania, a three-year-old, defeated male rivals in the Stallion Stakes. Under jockey Dyn Panell, she contested the early lead and dug in to win by a head, completing six furlongs in 1:11 3/5 for trainer Maureen Myers. She returned $10.60, 4.60 and 3.80.
In the Moran Stakes, jockey David Amiss and trainer Jay Bernardini teamed up to earn their fourth victory of the weekend with Danly’s Dream. The seven-year-old earned the fifth victory of his career and won the 7½-furlong turf race by 8¼ lengths as the favorite.
“It has been a great weekend,” said Amiss. “It is great to be home and see all the fans that came out to support racing.”
Jockey Pedro Cotto, Jr. won three races. He won the third race with Mr. Lightning Boy ($6.80) for Anthony Pecoraro and took the fourth race for trainer Bobby Dibona with Disco Bill ($7.20). He capped off his triple with Maggiesfreuddnslip ($5.80) in the finale for trainer John Pimental.
Saturday, Sea Coast (IRE), the second choice in a field of eight fillies and mares, earned her first black-type victory in the $75,000 Steve Pini Memorial Stakes. Trained by Christophe Clement and owned by Jump Sucker Stable, the five-year-old was forwardly placed under jockey Dylan Davis and drew off confidently to win by two-lengths.
Also on the 11-race card, Massachusetts-bred Dr. Blarney earned his fifth consecutive victory with a 11¼ length romp in the $75,000 John Kirby Stakes under jockey Tammi Piermarini. The three-year-old son is a homebred for Joseph Dirico and is trained by Tom McCooey, Jr. He has now won six of his eight starts and is a four-time stakes winner.
Bernardini and Amiss teamed up for three winners. They began their hat trick with Mr. Watanabe Too ($5.20) in the sixth race and followed that up with Imnaha ($19.20) in the eighth race. They closed out the day with Smarter Still ($17.80) in the nightcap.
The track remains open year-round for simulcasting.