NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� New York City鈥檚 last horse racing track, where Seabiscuit, Man O鈥� War, Secretariat and other legendary thoroughbreds graced the winner鈥檚 circle during the sport鈥檚 heyday, is on its final stretch.
After more than 130 years, the once grand Aqueduct track is set to run its last live races this weekend. The final race, appropriately titled, 鈥淚t Was a Good Run,鈥� is posted for Sunday at 5:44 p.m.
The track, located next to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, will remain open for betting on televised races 鈥� known as simulcasting 鈥� through Sept. 7.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of history here. Just so many good horses,鈥� said David Donk, a veteran horse trainer, in between afternoon races at Aqueduct earlier this month. 鈥淚t鈥檚 had its use. But, you know, times change. Everything changes in life.鈥�
Racing is a contracting industry
The end of the 鈥淏ig A鈥� comes amid increased competition for gambling dollars. Slot parlors, casinos, state lotteries and, more recently, legalized online and sports betting have all steadily eroded the allure of what once was dubbed the 鈥渟port of kings.鈥�
There are roughly 75 thoroughbred tracks nationwide, compared to the more than 300 facilities offering some form of horse racing during the sport鈥檚 Gilded Age peak in the late 1800s, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, an industry trade group.
Among the other major tracks that have closed in recent years are in Illinois, which was purchased by NFL鈥檚 Chicago Bears for a , and in the San Francisco Bay Area.
鈥淔or over 100 years, thoroughbred racing was one of very few sports outlets you could legally bet on,鈥� said Tom Rooney, the association鈥檚 president. 鈥淲ith the expansion of sports gambling, our sport will naturally condense and coalesce around a more pragmatic number of marquee tracks and locations, similar to other sports.鈥�
Indeed, a large chunk of Aqueduct鈥檚 hulking site, where a celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II in 1995, has for years been home to a Resorts World casino. The gambling hall live table games like blackjack, poker and craps earlier this year after winning a lucrative state license to operate a Las Vegas-style resort, and has plans for a glitzy, multibillion dollar expansion.
Some 9 miles (14 kilometers) east, just over the city line on suburban Long Island, the famed Belmont Park racetrack 鈥� home to the third leg of horse racing鈥檚 Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes 鈥� is set to reopen in September after a roughly . State funding for that project was contingent on the New York Racing Association, which operates the tracks, returning Aqueduct鈥檚 more than 100 acres (40 hectares) to the state for future redevelopment and consolidating thoroughbred races at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course upstate.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 have gotten the money to rebuild Belmont and continue to race at Aqueduct. You have to make these choices,鈥� said Andy Serling, the track’s longtime television analyst and race handicapper. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you鈥檒l find anybody here that鈥檚 not gonna tell you they鈥檙e gonna miss Aqueduct, but we鈥檙e also incredibly excited to be opening this beautiful new building at Belmont.鈥�
Aqueduct had humble beginnings
Originally opened in 1894, Aqueduct took its name from an old aqueduct running through the property that brought fresh water from Long Island to New York City.
It was a relatively modest operation until a dramatic reinvestment in 1959, which brought a dedicated subway stop, air-conditioned restaurants and lounges along with a roughly 35,000-seat grandstand complete with escalators, elevators and other amenities. The Associated Press, at the time, declared the transformed track 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most modern and luxurious horse plant.鈥�
Legendary Triple Crown winner Secretariat won the first race of his storied career at the track in 1972, then trotted out for a final farewell the following year.
Seattle Slew鈥檚 big win at Aqueduct in 1977 served as the final tuneup en route to sweeping the Triple Crown later that year. And in 1994, Cigar launched his historic, 16-race winning streak at Aqueduct.
Top jockey remembers track fondly
Taking a break between races on a recent Friday afternoon, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez recalled how his decorated career began at Aqueduct.
The 54-year-old native of Puerto Rico said it took weeks going up against some of the top horse riders of the time for him to win his first career race. Velazquez has since notched more than 6,700 victories and holds the of any jockey in North America.
鈥淭his is where I developed my craft, where I learned everything that I know,鈥� Velazquez said after winning his first race of the day. 鈥淭he years that I spent here made me the jockey that I am today.鈥�
Inside the cavernous grandstand, longtime gambler Roy Brown reminisced how he tried getting into the business himself after one big win at the track.
The 68-year-old retiree from Queens said he hauled in around $60,000 on a 鈥減ick-six鈥� in the late 1980s 鈥� a difficult bet in which a gambler has to pick the winning horse for six straight races.
The native of Jamaica, who had no experience in the industry outside of gambling, used some of his profits to buy two horses. But he and the thoroughbreds ended up having brief racing careers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 best to bet on them, not own them,鈥� Brown said with a laugh. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e really passionate about it, it鈥檚 your best two minutes. Nothing’s sweeter than seeing your horse coming down the stretch or coming from behind and at the wire, knowing you got it.鈥�
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