For Immediate Release Contact:
May 15, 2010 Christian Teja
(857) 231-6788
cteja@suffolkdowns.com
OPENING DAY AT SUFFOLK DOWNS TURNS INTO LADIES DAY
EAST BOSTON, MA – Suffolk Downs opened its 75th anniversary racing season Saturday with a 10-race program in which female jockeys combined for five wins. A crowd of 11,212 attended.
“Our 75th anniversary season is off to a great start and it’s nice to see so many people having such a good time,” said Chip Tuttle, Suffolk Downs’ Chief Operating Officer.
In the first race, Tammi Piermarini guided I Testify ($10.80) to victory. She was back in the winner's circle in the third race with Tropical Trip ($7.80). Piermarini, the leading rider at Suffolk Downs in 2007, was back in the saddle just one month after giving birth to her third child.
In the second race, Suffolk Downs veteran Jill Jellison rode Nudara ($4.80) to a maiden win for trainer Bobby Raymond. She and Raymond teamed up again in the fourth race with Chillin Dylan ($7.20).
In the eighth race, Jacqueline Davis, a 23-year-old newcomer to Suffolk Downs, was aboard Nicoletti ($15.20) for a 4-½ victory. Davis, whose father Robbie had a successful riding career, is a graduate of Dorchester-native Chris McCarron's North American Riding Academy.
Suffolk Downs will celebrate its 75th anniversary throughout the season. Built by 3,000 workers in just 62 days, the historic track opened on July 10, 1935 and has been a showcase for some of the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing history, including Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar and Skip Away.
Opening Day began with a national anthem presentation featuring the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department Mounted Unit and honor guard. Last November, Suffolk Downs, the Fields Family Foundation and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) established a home for retired racehorses at the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Farm, where inmates from the Plymouth County Correctional Facility care for the horses as part of the facility’s extensive vocational program. Suffolk Downs patrons contributed nearly $4,000 to the TRF on Opening Day through the sale of season passes.
The racing schedule for the next two weeks will consist of two race days each. These dates are Wednesday, May 19; Sunday, May 23 (Phantom Gourmet Safari); Wednesday, May 26; and Saturday, May 29. Starting Memorial Day, May 31, the track will conduct a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Saturday racing schedule until the conclusion of the meet on Saturday, November 13. Usual first race post time is 12:45 p.m.
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