Balmoral Park End of Era

[KEVS]

Great memories out there over the years. I remember in 1979
walking into my high school math class and Mags hands me the program from the night before and says who do you like in this race. I pick the 8 Penny Lee Foster.  Mags says he won, I say what did he pay $10.00? Mags says I had $2.00 to win on him he paid $210.00 with John Rhody driving.  We were hooked! I recall  parking in the street on Sunday afternoon the place was so packed. April Skipper went 157.4 to break the track record. Made money on the T-breds betting the shippers. John Shoes paid big and he won the race by 33 lengths with nobody falling down. Good Times!    To Balmoral
or as Mags and "The Lumper"like to call it "THE POPSTAND!

[careless hal]

Dec 2, 1968, my first time at Balmoral.  Dec 26, 2015. My last time at Balmoral.
That's a lot of water under the bridge.  Sad to see it go.  I will miss it. 

[Yeah Baby]

Sorry to hear..

I for one, not to upset, I was like 0 for 50 on our outings there...         

Maybe Hawthorne will be better....

RIP sorry guys..

[RocknRoll]

Sorry to hear..

I for one, not to upset, I was like 0 for 50 on our outings there...         

Maybe Hawthorne will be better....

RIP sorry guys..

You've got to bet Pacitti!!!!

[Yeah Baby]

You've got to bet Pacitti!!!!

 

[LVGaryD]

Balmoral is one track I have always hated. f**k that place. 

[Mags]

Great memories out there over the years. I remember in 1979
walking into my high school math class and Mags hands me the program from the night before and says who do you like in this race. I pick the 8 Penny Lee Foster.  Mags says he won, I say what did he pay $10.00? Mags says I had $2.00 to win on him he paid $210.00 with John Rhody driving.  We were hooked! I recall  parking in the street on Sunday afternoon the place was so packed. April Skipper went 157.4 to break the track record. Made money on the T-breds betting the shippers. John Shoes paid big and he won the race by 33 lengths with nobody falling down. Good Times!    To Balmoral
or as Mags and "The Lumper"like to call it "THE POPSTAND!

As Kevs pointed out, too many memories to recall from our many trips to Balmoral over the years// a few highlights

1) Trying to take down the Balmoral park sign off the roadway on 394..yes alcohol was involved
2) Kevs trying to break a losing streak by tossing the shoes he was wearing onto 394 on the way home and being able to see them next week
on our return trip in the same spot
3) On the thoroughbred side of Balmoral wagering, having a horse named Sharitz Baritz ship into town and win at first asking and then 2 weeks later he is entered again but the racing form does not have his Balmoral race in it..it was only announced over the loud speaker 20 minutes before the race..if you werent there, you didnt know he had a win already at Balmoral..of course he won again the exact same way paying 6 0r 7 bucks to win because of the drf snafoo.
4) The young guy we dubbed "The Sock Salesman" as he brought his huge bag of white socks to sell to attempt to make his DD wagers.

Many more memories and able to meet  many great people and have a blast doing it..The owners wont be missed but Balmoral Park will be !!

[The Skipper]

I feel ya Mags ! I won't miss it as I was never a regular there and to see that management get their just due makes me happy. I can relate because as I was watching them turn Sportsmans into a car track my eyes started leaking water, I knew it was the beginning of the end, but life will go on. It's a shame what has happened to harness racing in general, and we can blame it on a multitude of reasons but the fact is it is dying a slow death and there isn't much we can do about it.   

[Mags]

very true Skipper but its been a blast anyway 

[careless hal]

I was happy when the Johnstons had to close Sportsmens   Was a dump anyway  Other tracks I'd like to see shuttered are The Meadows, Northfield, Scioto, the "new" big M.  What a stinker that turned out to be.  I don't care how many other people suffer, I just like to see the Johnstons suffer.  I will be thrilled when tricky dicky d  closes Arlington.  I only want the tracks to stay open that care only about the bettors and the horsemen and not their filthy profits.

[mo doc n]

I was happy when the Johnstons had to close Sportsmens   Was a dump anyway  Other tracks I'd like to see shuttered are The Meadows, Northfield, Scioto, the "new" big M.  What a stinker that turned out to be.  I don't care how many other people suffer, I just like to see the Johnstons suffer.  I will be thrilled when tricky dicky d  closes Arlington.  I only want the tracks to stay open that care only about the bettors and the horsemen and not their filthy profits.

I think the brain storm that thought up open wheeled racing closed Sportmans Park
Second biggest bust in Illinois Harness racings demise

The new Big M would be better if the normal Big M drivers and horses were there but unfortunately the money is no longer there.......... too bad

The Johnstons will always have their golden parachute and live on with their miserable lives while the horsemen and fans starve.
Too bad they didn't accept Barnards offer of a Million to buy the track.
All I know it's very disappointing to see what has happened, especially since everyone saw it coming 20 years ago and did NOTHING to stop it!!

Good Luck to all that are staying behind and gods speed

Rick

[Mags]

crowd for the last night of racing was unbelievable..busier than supernight and the beer line was out the door for practically the whole night. I was surprised that the early races went on time as many people got shut out due to the crowd size and somewhat "novice" approach to using the betting machines. Handle was 1.34 million and could of been bigger. Was happy to get in the winners circle one last time for Boys Round Here's win.. Fingers crossed for 2017