Suffolk Downs - History

History

The track was founded in 1935 after pari-mutuel wagering was legalized in Massachusetts. The first MassCap was held that year. The track raced through World War II. On 18 August 1966, The Beatles played a concert before approximately 24,000 music fans in the infield of Suffolk Downs. Between 1990 and 1991 there was no racing at Suffolk. In 1992, this was resolved when a deal was brokered between Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park. In 1995 the Massachusetts Handicap returned from a six-year hiatus with a victory by Cigar. The track is conveniently accessed by public transportation via the Suffolk Downs MBTA subway station on the Blue Line. In 2007, the track had an influx of new ownership, vowing to improve the success and future of Suffolk Downs.

In 2008, Suffolk Downs became the first race track in the country to implement a zero-tolerance policy toward those who slaughter horses. The policy states that if a horse from Suffolk Downs is sold for slaughter, the trainer and owner of that horse will be barred from the grounds for life.

On August 22nd 2012, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the racecourse must pay a civil penalty of $1.25 million resulting from Clean Water Act violations. The Racecourse will also allocate more than $3 million to prevent future violations of polluted water runoff. Because 500 or more horses are stabled at the facility for at least 45 days of the year, Suffolk Downs was classified as a large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) according to EPA standards.