RIP Derby Lane

[Jake from State Farm]

It’s the end of an era, which is a good thing but oh, the memories

DiMaggio. The Babe. Brad Pitt. Derby Lane greyhound track hosted them all.

 

[Huggy]

As the son of a degenerate gambler who blew much of our college money on the "dugs", as he called them, whenever we were in Florida, I had to visit Derby Lane, with Huggy Jr., when we were in St. Pete's a couple years ago. It was a sparsely attended matinee but watching the crew that was there was always entertaining. And when I went to get a beer the bartender told me to "come back in 10 minutes, that's when happy hour starts". That's damn good customer service.

RIP to the dug track

 

[HanSenSE]

"He always breaks late."

 

[Gutter]

"He always breaks late."

“You here to give me a physical?”

One of many great scenes in that movie.

 

[maumann]

The last of the Florida greyhound tracks. We drove by the one in Sarasota last winter and was surprised to see how forlorn and delapidated it already looked. I've been to Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hollywood, Flagler and Biscayne at some point in time.

Like jai alai, one of the things that made Florida a unique place for gamblers back in the halcyon days before Texas Hold 'Em and Satellite betting.

 

[Huggy]

Some great names there, I went to Hollywood one night and the old man used to go to Flagler and Biscayne.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

The problem with the dogs is you couldn’t make any $$$ since 8-1 is considered a long shot and you get screwed if your dog gets bumped at the start
Payouts were better in jai alai, especially if you knew which players were taking dives that night

 

[Huggy]

I found the only way to make money on the dugs was betting quinellas. The old man used to go to jai alai even though he was convinced that just like harness racing it was totally rigged. I asked him why he bet **** like that if it was rigged he said, "Who cares if it's ****ing fixed???? There has to be a winner!!!!!!"

 

[ChrisLong]

That's where I met Pete Rose during our one overnight trip in spring training from Vero Beach. It supposedly had the best food in the area and I couldn't argue that. Excellent.
I bet on a dog that fell down. I had never before seen a dog fall down. At least it didn't stop to take a ****.

 

[LanceyHoward]

The last of the Florida greyhound tracks. We drove by the one in Sarasota last winter and was surprised to see how forlorn and delapidated it already looked. I've been to Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hollywood, Flagler and Biscayne at some point in time.

Like jai alai, one of the things that made Florida a unique place for gamblers back in the halcyon days before Texas Hold 'Em and Satellite betting.

How much longer do the Florida horse racing tracks have before they close?

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I live slightly farther than walking distance to Derby Lane. There were decent crowds this year before CoVID and it was nice to see people coming out to place bets on the Triple Crown races, but I don't see simulcast, poker and a decemt Sunday brunch keeping that big building open. Either it'll eventually be the Rays new home or an outlet mall.

This is why Florida can be the ****s. There's opposition to dog racing, which I get, but also they don't want sports betting, because God forbid this state can't use such revenue that's going to the states that allow sports gaming. Derby Lane would be perfect for a sports book and they could expand their poker room, etc.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I live slightly farther than walking distance to Derby Lane. There were decent crowds this year before CoVID and it was nice to see people coming out to place bets on the Triple Crown races, but I don't see simulcast, poker and a decemt Sunday brunch keeping that big building open. Either it'll eventually be the Rays new home or an outlet mall.

This is why Florida can be the ****s. There's opposition to dog racing, which I get, but also they don't want sports betting, because God forbid this state can't use such revenue that's going to the states that allow sports gaming. Derby Lane would be perfect for a sports book and they could expand their poker room, etc.

Florida is a weird state. They refuse to fully legalize casinos because Disney argues doing so would detract from the states family tourist destination image.

One proponent of casino gambling asked why the numerous strip clubs in Florida had not detracted from the state's family friendly image.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I live slightly farther than walking distance to Derby Lane. There were decent crowds this year before CoVID and it was nice to see people coming out to place bets on the Triple Crown races, but I don't see simulcast, poker and a decemt Sunday brunch keeping that big building open. Either it'll eventually be the Rays new home or an outlet mall.

How does Arlington Park in Chicago stay open? The track is on a Chicago mass transit stop, and at the intersection of an expressway and a main arterial. I would have to think it is worth more dead than alive.

 

[playthrough]

Damn, I loved Derby Lane. Went many, many times when I lived and worked in St. Pete. I remember one night was a downpour and the water would pool to the inside, so a parade of dogs from the 8 spot came in over and over again. There was one greyhound, darnit I can't remember his name, that rattled off 40 straight wins or something and became a local sensation -- he'd go off at 1-9 every night but it didn't matter to the big crowds. He was electrifying. A colleague wrote a story for the front page about the dog and his quirky trainer -- and the dogs never made the front page of the big metro. Well, until now I guess.

The prime rib buffet was outstanding, so was sitting in the grandstands with a beer and sandwich. When poker was first legalized it was $10 max pot limits, so I'd sit down with the bluehairs and basically trade 25-cent chips for a few hours, while women with portable tote machines would come by to take bets so you never had to get up.

My wife and I adopted a greyhound who ran at Derby Lane, among other places, and he turned out to be a mess mentally so we had to give him up before starting a family. A lot of those dogs are not treated well at all during their racing lives, so I'm good with the sport being slowly phased out. But I still enjoyed the heck out of the track.

 

[maumann]

We have a family friend who swears the reason why the jai alai players pass the ball back and forth before the serve is because the number of player who is supposed to win the point is written on it.

But like previously said in the thread, SOMEBODY has to win. And yeah, quinielas are the way to bet. Everybody I've ever met who frequents the dogs has a sure-fire "system."

 

[Driftwood]

I've spent days at Derby Lane, Palm Beach Kennel Club, and Sanford Kennel Club, enjoying them all.
I looked into adopting a retired greyhound myself, but as you say, there were too many red flags.
I loved going to the dog track. The atmosphere is awesome. I hate to see Florida shutting it down, but it is best for the dogs. Once they were no longer useful, it was a one-way trip to an orange grove.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Even though it's cold by Florida standards there were some pretty nice crowds at Derby Lane last night and today for the matinee. A lot of people that lived in the area and never been to the tracks before wanted to check it out. And yeah quinellas are the only way to bet dogs.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Loved Derby Lane. Our go to beach vacation spot for years has been going to the Clearwater area, and we always made it to a matinee at Derby Lane at some point during the week. Usually watched by the rail, but the last time we went, ahead of the vote I knew would end up shutting down the dog races, I walked up to the very top row of the grandstand and sat there all by myself for a couple races, sipping a cold one and picturing myself amongst a throng of patrons generations ago.

 

[Vombatus]

@Amy FYI - here’s a thread that might interest you. I would enjoy hearing your opinion on it.

 

[playthrough]

Loved Derby Lane. Our go to beach vacation spot for years has been going to the Clearwater area, and we always made it to a matinee at Derby Lane at some point during the week. Usually watched by the rail, but the last time we went, ahead of the vote I knew would end up shutting down the dog races, I walked up to the very top row of the grandstand and sat there all by myself for a couple races, sipping a cold one and picturing myself amongst a throng of patrons generations ago.

That's what amazed me about Derby Lane and other dog tracks and jai alai frontons -- all those seats. Crazy to think that you once needed an advance ticket.