Spectator numbers now reach just a few thousand per race. That has led to financial troubles and CEO Chip Tuttle looking to close. He has fought against shutdowns, ownership changes, and even a bid from a casino throughout the years. Tuttle said:
We fought really hard for a long time to try to preserve racing here at the property and it didn’t work out. So now it’s on to what’s next. There there have been times in the past where we thought racing was was going to end, that it was over, and we were able to find ways to continue. But I can’t see a way for us to continue racing here.– Chip Tuttle, Suffolk Downs CEO
There is a possibility that a new location in Great Barrington could be found, but that seems unlikely.
There will be three final weekends of races across June, with the last taking place on the weekend of the 29-30 June. Developer HYM Investment Group will then begin to take over and demolish the stables at the start of July. The plans are for the site to turn into apartments and retail outlets.
Hometown jockey Tammi Piermarini is one of the racetrack’s most famous faces. She took part in the first of the three closing events on Sunday, and first rode at the track in 1985. Piermarini was awarded the third-leading jockey of all time after 2,000 wins at the track. Speaking about the closing, she said:
It really is sad. I’m going to miss this place. At one time, every one of these boxes were filled with girls. And we would have days where we’d win nine out of 10 races, and we’d be like, ‘Yes! Girl power! It was a close-knit family.– Tammi Piermarini, Jockey
