Wonderland holds final night of greyhound racing
(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Revere, Mass.) – It’s the end of the line for greyhound racing at one of the last remaining dog tracks in Massachusetts. Wonderland had its final race before a new law takes effect ending the practice in the Bay State. We were not allowed to go on the Wonderland property for the last night of live racing – and unless the legislature votes to make a change – the greyhounds are done here in Revere. It is Friday night in Revere. The sun is setting on the last night of live dog racing at Wonderland Greyhound Park. Though simulcasting of races will go on for now – after 74 years, it’s the final time dogs will run around the track. “I can’t believe it really. It never should have been on the ballot in the first place,” said Bob Stanton. Stanton is a trainer who cares for greyhounds at a kennel in Saugus – dogs who race at Wonderland, where he cleans their paws after races. “We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, because the track is closed. (The kennel owner) doesn’t know if he’s going to give the dogs back to the owners or go to Florida, what’s he’s going to do, he doesn’t know yet. No idea really, big income too, he’s got 65 dogs,” Stanton said. The track opened in the city of Revere in 1935 on the site of the old Wonderland Amusement Park. And for seven decades, the dog track has become a staple in Revere. But over the years, the popularity faded, with problems with back taxes and threats of foreclosure last summer. Then came last November’s ballot measure when the Massachusetts voters had their say – influenced by the strong anti-racing Grey2K lobby – voters cast their ballots to shut down Wonderland along with Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park by January 2010. Raynham will have live racing through the end of the year. “Tonight is the last night here?” asked Leslie Gouldbourne, of the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Friday and Saturday nights are when Gouldbourne takes the T from Boston up to Wonderland to bet. He grew up watching racing as a boy in Jamaica. “I don’t think it’s cruel. It’s just fun, everybody’s having fun. The dogs have fun,” Gouldbourne said. There are two bills being considered at the state house, one to postpone closing the tracks until 2012 due to economic harships for the more than 1000 workers combined at the two tracks. The other is to extend simulcasting of races from around the country and the world. Both are still in committee. There’s no secret to the state’s budget struggles. The Raynham-Taunton track brings $10 million in annual revenue to the state. And Wonderland is a major employer in Revere. State Sen. Marc Pacheco, Democrat whose district includes the Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park, sponsored the bill to extend racing at both tracks. He is also concerned about the dogs. He expects some greyhounds to be adopted and many to go to tracks in Florida.
