Birmingham (AL) Turf Club

[BigBlue]

Over the past few weeks, I've learned that there are a lot of SEC fans that hang out in the DT Forum. Thought I would start a thread about a SEC topic other than football.

I know of the dog tracks that have operated around the state but not sure of the history horse racing in the state. I know something was going on outside of Birmingham about 20 years ago but don't know much about it. Not before my time but before my interest in the sport.

Does anyone here remember this and/or have any stories to share?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by BigBlue

Over the past few weeks, I've learned that there are a lot of SEC fans that hang out in the DT Forum. Thought I would start a thread about a SEC topic other than football.

I know of the dog tracks that have operated around the state but not sure of the history horse racing in the state. I know something was going on outside of Birmingham about 20 years ago but don't know much about it. Not before my time but before my interest in the sport.

Does anyone here remember this and/or have any stories to share?

Larry Collmus was the track announcer, and Lost Code won the first Alabama Derby. I believe it was 1987. The place didn't last long. You had to be 21 to bet on track so I had to keep sneaking around to get bets in.

[BigBlue]

I heard somewhere that there were "opportunities abundant" for the informed horseplayer during the first few weeks after the opening. Would make sense but didn't know whether or not it was true.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Larry Collmus was the track announcer, and Lost Code won the first Alabama Derby. I believe it was 1987. The place didn't last long. You had to be 21 to bet on track so I had to keep sneaking around to get bets in.

You had to be 6' 2" by about age 11. Who was asking you for ID?

I've heard nice things about Birmingham's racing days. I suppose as many people recall it as do the Birmingham Bulls!

[Kasept]

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-08-...8_1_race-track

Beyer from 1987..

Interesting sidebar inside the piece:

In a speech he recently gave in Lexington, Ky., about expansion of racing into new states, Killingsworth said that wagering has been increasing at Birmingham, but he conceded that he had made a mistake--"and nobody forgets your mistakes." Killingsworth evidently overlooked a crucial point that author Eugene Christiansen made before the American Horse Council's convention in Washington last month.

"It is impossible for a new track in a virgin market to perform as well as comparable tracks in mature markets right out of the gate," Christiansen said. "No form of gambling is as difficult to learn as horse racing. It takes time to make new horseplayers. It takes years."

That point can't be reiterated enough...

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Kasept

You had to be 6' 2" by about age 11. Who was asking you for ID?

I've heard nice things about Birmingham's racing days. I suppose as many people recall it as do the Birmingham Bulls!

I was 19 at the time, but they did a lot of carding, especially when you cashed. It was pretty crazy. They'd let you bet, then card you if you won. I always got paid eventually. I spent two weeks there visiting. I remember meeting Dave Johnson and Chris Lincoln who were there for ESPN. Hard to believe they covered a race like the Alabama Derby back then.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Hard to believe they covered a race like the Alabama Derby back then.

The Alabama Derby was worth $350k, so that was a nice chunk of change. ESPN also covered races like the St. Paul Derby, so they weren't ignoring the second-tier 3yo stakes back then.

Birmingham attracted some pretty nice horses for its first meet. Up The Appalachee, Queen Alexandra, and Weekend Delight all ran in stakes there.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

The Alabama Derby was worth $350k, so that was a nice chunk of change. ESPN also covered races like the St. Paul Derby, so they weren't ignoring the second-tier 3yo stakes back then.

Yes, I should have said it more like "it is hard to imagine ESPN covering a race like that now". I still have painful memories of my favorite all-time horse Broad Brush losing to Cheapskate in Minnesota!