Fight Continues in Mass: Plymouth Residents Vote 88% Against Proposed Track

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Last fall, we helped beat back an attempt to bring Thoroughbred racing to Sturbridge, Mass. It was the fifth such try by the racing people since Suffolk Downs shuttered in 2019. As we said at the time, though, this will continue as long as the state maintains the casino-funded “Race Horse Development Fund.” Currently, there is over $20 million just sitting there waiting for the first successful track development, with, of course, a promise of more free money – subsidies, that is – going forward.

The latest town to be targeted is Plymouth. But the good people there, with support from HW, have let their voices be heard – in a resounding fashion. The vote, as you’ll see below, was 88% against. Still, it must be noted, the fight is not yet won there or, obviously, elsewhere in the commonwealth. So we remain vigilant and diligent.

4 Comments

  1. So the fight will continue as long as that $20-MILLION is there and WHERE is it going to go? What are they ever going to do with this $20-MILLION???? Unless it can be redesignated for a humane purpose that would benefit the majority of the citizens of the State of Massachusetts, this will take a long while. This will be a long fight.
    ANIMAL CRUELTY should be punished, not rewarded and horseracing is definitely CRUEL & INHUMANE TREATMENT OF HORSES and should be recognized by the laws as such and not exempt from punishment!!!!!!
    BAN HORSERACING FOREVER!!!
    PUNISH THE ABUSERS!!!!!

  3. I’m pretty sure the reported 88% figure is an UNDERCOUNT of the folks who voted NO (WAY!) on having a horse track in their neighborhood.
    Nobody — and I do mean nobody — wants a seedy, smarmy, drug-infested, animal abusing, degenerate-gambler hangout near their homes, schools, communities. They’d have similar success asking citizens if they’d welcome a dog fighting ring/community meth lab nearby.

    • Kelly, my thought was that of the 12% of voters that DID NOT vote AGAINST having a horse racetrack in their community, they were most likely the ones who DO WANT the RACETRACK in their community along with all of the things you mentioned that INHERENTLY go with having an operational racetrack in any community, not to mention the people who want to make money off of the BREEDING DISPOSABLE HORSES (in Massachusetts) part of the horseracing industry.

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