April 19, 2008 - Bloodhorse Magazine
It was an early summer afternoon in 2006 when Richard Fields was introduced to Suffolk Downs for the first time. Although a former student at Boston University, Fields had never stepped foot onto the grounds of the racetrack until a friend took him that day.
After touring the facilities, and then being told about its dire financial situation and the very real possibility that the struggling racetrack could soon be sold to real estate developers who had plans to tear it down, Fields came to a realization.
"I decided I had to save New England's last remaining Thoroughbred racetrack," Fields recalled. "It is such a beautiful place and has such history and tradition. The thought of losing it was disturbing. There were all these real estate developers circling around it, so I decided to figure out a program to save it."
Fortunately for New England horsemen and racing fans, Fields was the perfect man to rescue their 70-plus-year-old racetrack. An avid horseman, and more importantly, someone with the means to make it happen, Fields struck a deal in April 2007 to acquire a majority interest in Suffolk Downs.
Immediately, Fields assured the Boston racing community that things would get better. Unlike previous ownership, he would pump money into the racetrack. Within days, he began improvements to the facility, developed an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign to promote racing, and started pursuing one of three gambling licenses the state is considering, which could eventually lead to a resort-style casino at Suffolk Downs--and in turn, create the much-needed purse money the racetrack needs to survive.
"After talking with people in the community, I realized that there is a great connection with the people of greater Boston and Suffolk Downs," Fields said. "People talk about it very fondly, like Fenway Park. But Suffolk Downs has suffered from a lost generation of customers. Our goal is to come up with a program that will reintroduce the magic of horse racing.
"Because Boston is one of the great sports cities in this country, I think we have a great shot at turning this around."
Fields' involvement could not have come any sooner for horsemen in New England. Over the past decade, they have watched attendance dip more than 50% and handle decrease by close to 20%. What was once a thriving facility that saw legendary horses like Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Whirlaway, John Henry, and Cigar, and even played host to The Beatles' final Boston concert, had plummeted into a bottom-tier race-track. What's worse, the poor financial situation forced the cancelation of Suffolk's signature event, the Massachusetts Handicap, three of the previous four years until Fields brought it back in 2007.
Read the full article Fields Day about Richard Fields published at Suffolk Down, originally published by Bloodhorse Magazine.