State-of-the-art racetracks being constructed or renovated in the 21st century will bear little resemblance to traditional old tracks with their massive grandstands and enormous parking lots. The new tracks will better utilize the valuable real estate they occupy and have multi-level parking garages and more compact grandstands to accommodate the typically smaller crowds. Most will incorporate casinos or at the very least, rooms for gaming machines, as well as updated seating and restaurant options.
This Canadian Thoroughbred article looks at some modern tracks such as Gulfstream in Florida where a “village” of shops, restaurants and bars was incorporated. Residential properties may also be in the future plans for this and other facilities such as Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Some tracks such as Laurel Park in Maryland, Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields in California, and Belmont Park in New York are even considering smaller barns on the backstretch for fewer equine residents and more ship-ins to free up excess property that is no longer needed to support the racing business.
Read the full story on Canadian Thoroughbred.
