It’s gone, isn’t it?
It was such a lovely track in its heyday. Woke up this morning thinking of flamingos and wondering what happened to them.
Didn’t something about racing dates kill Hialeah off? Is it now a subdivision?
I could behind in the news, but I don’t think the track is entirely dead yet as a physical structure. Racing wise its been closed for years (dark since mid 2001) and its racing dates have been stripped since 2003. John Brunetti who owns the place has tried but you could say he’s fighting the world to keep it a race course.
The stables are gone - razed in January 2007.
Miami Herald Mar 9, 2007 - “Race is on to save Hialeah track”
Meanwhile, the park’s past was fading fast. In November, the Hialeah City Council swiftly approved a measure declassifying the historic designation of the horse stables. In January, a bulldozer tore them down.
Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina called the stables, which had suffered damage from Hurricane Wilma, an eyesore that was causing a rodent problem for neighboring businesses.
The final clincher for Fuentes’ group in came in February when the City Council approved a measure calling for the creation of five ‘‘new business development districts’’ throughout the city. Two of the proposed development areas, with buildings of three to seven stories, would be located on Palm Avenue and East 4th Avenue – land that runs parallel to the park.
Robaina assured the more than 200 residents who crammed into every seat of the council chambers for the Feb. 13 vote that the development districts ``had nothing to do with Hialeah Park.’’
The Miami Herald did a great multimedia presentation on the facility in December (although the URL is no longer active) with a walk though of what was left - the pink flamingoes were still there.
From the MH article in December:
[quote]Hialeah Park opened in 1925, attracting such luminaries as Winston Churchill and presidents Truman and Kennedy with its lush landscaping, Mediterranean-style architecture, and the island of frolicking flamingos. Many of the legendary horses – including Spectacular Bid, Alydar and Seattle Slew – ran there.
Now? The track once dubbed The World’s Most Beautiful Racecourse has been reduced to hosting two or three weddings a week in the only hall that’s still operational. However, even that will end after Dec. 31 because the hall’s condition has deteriorated.
‘‘I’ve been here 13 years, and it is sad for me to see a place with so much history and that brought so much excitement sitting dormant,’’ said Hialeah city councilman Steve Bovo, who serves as Hialeah Park’s asset manager.
The track closed for racing after the Florida Legislature refused to continue regulating racing dates so Hialeah could operate competition-free. Brunetti, who purchased Hialeah Park in 1977, saw no point in engaging Gulfstream Park and Calder Race Course in a battle for customers and horses.
May 22, 2001, Cheeky Mist would be the final horse to win a race at the park.
Images of the course then and now - from Cindy Pierson Dulay’s site
Thanks, Glimmerglass.
Guess I was thinking about Hialeah because it’s getting to be Flamingo Stakes time. That race is such a huge loss. The Flamingo winner was the automatic Derby favorite.
It must be Hialeah time!
I post a comment about it on the Gulfstream thread and then continue down and it has it’s own thread!
I saw Seattle Slew break the track record in his first race as a three year old (a race they wrote for him-the Flamingo Hopeful) there.
So sad, to me it is the most beautiful grandstand around and the track was a wonderful surface for the horses. I really miss it and the gorgeous backside too. Just in too rough of an area… I sure hope it doesn’t get torn down.
False hope? Maybe but damn it would be great to see this fallen treasure rise again like Lazarus!
Miami Today May 3, 2007 “Hialeah track could reopen for racing, slots”
excerpt
The [Florida] House of Representatives this week formed a committee to consider allowing 10 parimutuel facilities in the state to have Class II slot machines, currently used in Indian casinos in the state.
The Hialeah track, which stopped conducting races in 2001, would join Flagler Dog Track, Miami Jai-alai and Calder Race Track as Miami-Dade County sites authorized for slots. Track officials would need to apply for a new license from the state’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which revoked the track’s racing permits in 2003.
Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and City Councilwoman Cindy Miel have said their top choice is to bring racing back to the park.
National Historic Landmarks Program: Hialeah
The racetrack was purchased in 1930 by Joseph E. Widener, who undertook a major renovation, hiring architect Lester W. Geisler to design a master plan for the sporting facility.
Ironically if you are Philadelphia architecture buff you’ll know that Widener’s brother (Geroge D.)'s grand mansion Lynnewood Hall has been looted from the inside out in a true rape of architecture.
Now, wouldn’t that be something!! Lets hope racing will return to Hialeah. :yes:
Hialeah was such a beautiful track compared to Calder and Gulfstream. I loved the Flamingo stakes and I will miss the Flamingo Ball!!!
Some great racing legends have raced there. The drive to get there was a little funky as I would not like to break down on my way to that track. However I will never forget the many beautiful memories I had there. I loved looking at the racing silks everywhere and the lovely pink flamingos. It will be greatly missed!!!
Does anyone know what happend to the statue of Citation or any of the plaques that were there?
savehialeahpark.com i think is their site soooo sad one of the most beautiful tracks in the country of not the world !!!
i meant to say “if not the world”
My boss had a horse, Sensitive Prince, a wicked fast colt who set a track record at Hialeah. Ran in the derby but faded badly due to using up all his energy on the front end.
[QUOTE=mintano;2901083]
My boss had a horse, Sensitive Prince, a wicked fast colt who set a track record at Hialeah. Ran in the derby but faded badly due to using up all his energy on the front end.[/QUOTE]
I had a lovely mare by Sensitive Prince… she was AWESOME! He was a beautiful stallion.
The last time I galloped around that track was in 96 or 97… such a grand old place…
When I was very young my grandfather had a news stand not far from the stable gate that sold racing forms…he frequented the races there often… my hubby was stabled there in the early 90’s…
It would be wonderful to see the place saved from complete ruin.
When I was little I lived in South Fla…Dana, Ft Laud, Hollywood, Davie, Biscane Bay Trips to Hialeah happened every now and then. Got to see Slew start his 3 yr old season in fine fashion but was too young to know why he was so special. For petesake my idea of racing back then was running the snot out of my pony through the orange groves! (look out for them trees)
I do remember how majestic Hialeah was though…with the Flamingos in the infield.
I certainly hope they can save it.
[QUOTE=horsepowerco;2902086]
I had a lovely mare by Sensitive Prince… she was AWESOME! He was a beautiful stallion.[/QUOTE]
That’s so neat. He was gorgeous and fast…my boss told me when she galloped him he was nothing but a dead runaway…granted a talented runaway.
[QUOTE=horsepowerco;2903170]
Got to see Slew start his 3 yr old season in fine fashion.[/QUOTE]
How cool that we were both there that day. …
Liza…you know what else is cool…the lady who broke and started Slew now breaks Mine. LOVE HER! Fate maybe? who knows. 
Another very well done article on what has effectively and will almost certainly be lost forever …
Palm Beach Post May 23, 2008 “Hialeah Park remains a horse racing tragedy”
excerpt
Various plans have been on the drawing board for so long, it’s pointless to dwell on what will be.
All everybody knows is what Hialeah is today - off-limits - isn’t what it should be. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, whose horses hold two Hialeah records: “Oh, you talk about history - I would call it the queen mother. Hialeah is as good as any track in America.”
“Hialeah was built for Palm Beach,” Brunetti says. “You had so many of those great families, particularly in racing, that were up in Palm Beach and you had the train that brought them all down here. It became a social event, an hour ride on the train.”
Some came for the racing, some for the rice pudding, but everyone came to feel special. This was an age when uniformed policemen saluted as each car rolled down the famous tree-lined driveway. A time when if you stood up, ushers tapped you on the shoulder, a quiet reminder there were ladies and gentlemen behind you.
“If you had diamonds,” Joe Hirsch, famed columnist for the Daily Racing Form once said, “you wore them at Hialeah.”
Nothing shined like the horses: War Admiral. Whirlaway. Assault. Citation. Seattle Slew.
Triple Crown winners, all. And Nashua, the 1955 Horse of the Year who was expected to draw perhaps 35,000 when he ran in the '56 Widener Handicap. He didn’t. A record 42,366 attended. Then again, 33 photographers captured him receiving the key to the city upon arrival.
“The most-publicized equine journey since Paul Revere,” The New York Times reported
