Suffolk Downs

I liked the trip out to the racetrack. This was a fun Saturday afternoon activity. And there were families + adults. When we went there was a food truck festival – the options were ok, some familiar, some not. It was pretty easy to get a good view of the track.
Checked this activity off the list now :)
Best on a sunny day with a nice breeze.

I’m not really sure on what kind of a scale to rate this place on. Someone else called it a beautiful disaster and I think I am going to stick with that.
My boyfriends birthday was a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to to go the track, so to the track we went. I have never been to a horse race in my life, never been to an off track betting place and I am guessing this is the best of both worlds?
So many people screaming in one place. It was kind of hard not to get caught up in it. The building is falling apart but you can tell it must have been something amazing once. The grounds are actually very nice.
It may have been the most public swearing I have ever experienced. So man F bombs, so many old men. The people watching earned it the four stars.
Money was lost money was won, the BF had a good time.
Successful Saturday afternoon.

I’m strictly a turf club guy and its a membership only place. food is solid, service is great… too bad I stink at handicapping.

What a lovely throwback. This place is old, dirty, dusty, majestic and all together wonderful. It’s rather large and fairly quiet these days but they hold good events like the Hot Dog Festival.
I’ve been here a number of times throughout the years and it’s always like a time warp. Everyone’s so into the horse racing too, it’s a lot of fun to watch and the horses are beautiful creatures.
I love it the way it is, there was once even a barber shop in there! I’d love to see them revamp it, but it truly is a beautiful disaster the way it is.

I have been going to Suffolk since I was about 4. My dad owns race horses and we have great trainers. (I was the hotwalker– bottom of the barrell but one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Ask me more about this later.) At this stage in the game, Suffolk is not one of the greatest tracks anymore, but it is still fun.
I would like to see more people in their 20’s and 30’s come out and learn and enjoy the great sport of horse racing. But I think people are either too scared, don’t know what to expect, or think it’s an awful place and that gambling is a sin. To those last type of people: Either experience it with an open mind, learn about it, or go f yourself because we don’t need you and your uptightiness anyway, hee hee hee.
If you are new to Suffolk and racing, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) It’s great people watching.
2) You aren’t going to see Secretariat or Big Brown or any big stars but races are fun and enjoyable no matter who is running.
3) It’s a good place to host your event or birthday party.
4) Admission is $ 2. Like they used to say, «The best action you can get for $ 2» But if you go after the 7^th race or if no one is even at the admission gate (and let’s face it, there usually isn’t) admission is FREE. So now it’s the best action you can get for Free! Woo hoo!
5) The best day to go is Saturday because that’s when most people come. If you don’t like crowds then a weekday is more suited for you.
6) The majority of the people are good, hardworking, decent people who dedicate their lives to the well being of their horses. Trainers and their staff at Suffolk work 7 days a week, from about 4:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. They stay longer if they have a horse in a race and also come back to feed the horses at 4 p.m. It’s hard and sometimes totally heartbreaking work. If someone wins, and they don’t seem like an obnoxious jerk, congratulate them.
7) It is ok to bring your kids. Let them pick a horse and bet two bucks and see what happens. You might be surprised. Or, your kid will learn a valuable lesson about disappointment and it will make them a better person because of it.
DO’s and DONT’s of Suffolk Downs:
DO’s:
–Bring plenty of cash because there are no ATMs.
— Pick and bet who you think will win, not what the track analyzer or the crowds think. The point is to make money, but it is also to have fun.
–Learn about how paramutual wagering works and how the odds work.
–Learn the different types of betting (trifecta, superfecta, daily doubles, win, place, show, «I’ll have 6 all» or «The 6 to win back-​wheeled with. .. .) Remember probability, permutations and combinations from high school math class? Well here’s where you will actually use them in the real world! And you thought the track was only a sketchy hang out. Math lovers-​this is your paradise!
–Cheer on your horse and rider
–HAVE FUN and visit often and bring your friends!
DONT’s:
–Do NOT count your cash in the open. It’s just bad gambling etiquette.
–DON’T Dress like you are going to the Derby or an aristocratic function. You will be stared at and everyone will know that you’ve never been here before and idiots will judge you and you will look like a poser and you probably don’t want that.
–DON’T eat the fast food. It sucks and probably has been sitting there since last Easter. But the soda and beer and ice cream is fine. Check out the Terrace Restaurant upstairs
–DON’T Hold up the betting window lines with stupid questions and indecision. People behind you will get pissed.
–DON’T get a gambling disease
Ask me any questions and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!

Suffolk Downs is a magical place!
Entrance is free, it’s on the Blue Line and is probably one of Boston’s most over looked landmarks. Most people don’t even know there’s horse track in Boston and boy, are they missing out!
The track is huge and could contain tens of thousands of people but most days there are probably only a few hundred to around a thousand. The Track was built in 1935 and parts of it are freshly renovated, others look like they haven’t been touched since ’35 and some are right out of 1977! Architecturally it’s a awesome place with some cool art deco touches and epic empty spaces. Its amazing that it’s only about a 15 minute subway ride from downtown.
If you’ve only been to Saratoga or other more esteemed tracks you are in for a treat!
As mentioned in other reviews there are usually plenty of somewhat sketchy old men (maybe about 20% of the attendees are female) gambling away on both on the races at the track and televised races from other tracks (even dog racing if that is your thing). People watching is great and everybody is always nice and if you are a beginner at parimutuel betting people will be more than happy to give you tips.
The racing is great! Most races at Suffolk are for less successful horses, but are still plenty fun to watch as the races are a bit slower at Suffolk than bigger tracks. there tends to be about 6 – 9 live races a day and you can bet anywhere from $ 1 to whatever (or not all), I tend to bet about $ 30 in a day and sometimes come out ahead. There are all sorts of bets you can do but I won’t get into that. One thing to remember with betting at Suffolk is that it is parimutuel, meaning that you are not betting against the house but rather fellow patrons, so odds are constantly changing!
Beer is reasonably priced for Boston, the only «good» beer they have that I am aware of is Sam Adams which is too bad, but I’ll take that over Bud Lite. What is deadly though is that Gin & Tonics (stiff ones too) tend to be cheaper than Sam!
Food at the upstairs restaurant is pretty OK, and there is some vegetarian stuff for people like me. Also, the restaurant is great place to be if its raining (which are my favorite days) as its warm and dry.
To recap go to Suffolk Downs if you want some «authentic» Boston culture, it’s amazing place, a great time, and worth checking out now before it gets all classy when they put a casino in (which I think will be a good thing too even though horse racing is the only gambling I do).
Also, here are some handy tips:
Bring cash as there is no ATM on site.
Binoculars are handy to bring.
Explore!
Be aware of the restaurant on the 2^nd floor if you are weary of the food options downstairs.
The calendar on the Suffolk Down’s website has the info for when live racing is going on.
Shouting at your horse always makes it run faster.
Opening day is June 1^st!

My biggest gripe was the $ 6 beers, but in hindsight that seems pretty decent considering this is a ‘sporting event’ They had out free programs that have all the horse info/​odds in them for free and you can make bets as little as $ 1, which makes every single race exciting. It’s free to get in/​park and you can sit in the grandstand or stand outside (they have picnic tables as well) right next to the track. It’s definitely a fun little Saturday afternoon activity.

Too much time between races. Please give them slots. I do not want to be a simulcast Zombie to pass the 45 minutes between races. The grounds are beautiful. I know they sold off alot of land that used to be stables, but for Gawd’s sake get some more horses for Saturdays, run more races per hour.

Suffolk is a great track and a good place to spend an afternoon making a few bets and have a few beers. The early afternoon is the best with the sun out and a seat in the grandstand. Bring a sweater because in the later afternoon, the sun goes behind the building and it can get a little chilly.
My most recent trip was with my girlfriend and some frinds for opening day and the Preakness. It was great because the Suffolk races were over before the Preakness and they had lots of TVs to watch the big race.
I noticed a younger crowd there than in years past and, if you grab a nice seat outdoors and go with a group of friends, it make for a great afternoon of fun. I think horse racing and «the track» get a bad rep. Belmont Stakes is June 5^th, give Suffolk a try. You’ll love it.

Woohoo! Won $ 20 on a 2 cent superfecta!
We really enjoy going to the track, so we wanted to check out Suffolk Downs on our recent trip to Boston. It was «Celebrate East Boston Day» at the track, and Kool and the Gang were slated to perform later. We didn’t stay for the concert.
This is an amazing place for people watching. We were surrounded by crazy Boston accents and men who look like they stepped straight out of Goodfellas. We sat in the Terrace Restaurant section. It didn’t cost any extra and they didn’t seem to be enforcing any minimum food/​beverage purchase for a table. We had chicken strips and onion rings, which were better than I expected. It got really busy towards the end and nearly impossible to close the tab, but that didn’t ruin it for us. We had a nice breeze from the outside, as they had the windows open to the track.
Ladies, I would not recommend coming here by yourselves. Most of the patrons are male, and some look pretty rough. We went down to the outside viewing area for the last race, and it felt halfway like a prison yard. I was feeling lots of eyes on me and a little uncomfortable. Also this very large man had his shirt pulled all the way up to expose his naked gut. EW!
Still a fun time overall. Just sit on the Terrace and make sure you have a male companion.

I am actually surprised about Suffolk Downs. I had this image of some mediocre race track and surrounded by degenerate gamblers. Well, the track itself is beautiful and I was only partially surrounded by degenerate gamblers. The facility itself is a tad aged but still good enough for me.
This place is alright for kids, though not the best. I got to relax here and watch two or three races. The grandstand area was nice, but by the main betting area that leads out door was completely packed with rude and scummy people. That’s to be expect at a race track though. I pretty much had to elbow a few people in order to make way since they walked directly at me and didn’t attempt to try and slide by at the same time.
Suffolk Downs is pretty nice, it’s not expensive which is surprising. Typical betting structure, polite employees at the betting windows, and a decent way to spend some time.
Free parking, $ 2 admission on saturdays/​major events and free admission during the week. There were plenty of families here, there seemed to be having a decent time. There were a few kids running around without supervision… parents were probably getting drunk and pissing away their future funds.
All and all, I will be returning this summer. It’s nice, peaceful and actually cheap compared to other activities in the East Boston/​North Shore area. I didn’t make any money on my first visit, but fortune favors the bold.

And they are off… more like stuck in the mud…
The Phantom Gourmet was holding an event here this past weekend. I am not a huge horse race fan but I have caught a few PG shows and thought this would be a way to spend some quality time drinking beer and eating food. So this is a review for both the event and establishment. The track itself was in good shape and the races seemed very cool to see in person. The PG event was a bit uneven and disappointing. The food selection was minimal. I do not consider Fuddruckers gourmet! My biggest grip was the beer line. I thought MA had laws prohibiting beer lines that long. What is happening to our civilization when you have to wait in a super long line to get a cold one? It is madness I say madness! See what happens when Democrats control things. (this is a joke… btw ;))

I did not expected this.
My friends and I were there for other reason (Phantom Gourmet Food& Beer Phest). After we stuffed ourselves with humongous quality of food (1lbs burger, 1lbs hot dog, 12 bones of rib). Because of that, we finished our objective in a matter of 30min. Now what?
Then we decided to step outside and check out horse racing outside.
We didn’t know crap about horse racing. Out of boredom, we just randomly picked the horse and predicted which horse to win. Then after one of my friends predicted winning horse consecutively, we could resist the urge of betting.
So we did. Some loss, some win. Regardless it was fun. Funner than I expected. Because I hate gambling (casinos to be exact). The pamphlet was very descriptive. For each race, it has reviews of horses and tells you which horse is likely to win. So if you want to go for probable victory, you can follow those reviews. Otherwise, just pick the name you like. You can enjoy only from reading horse’s name. They all got very funny names — Miss Glitter Girl, I Testify, She’s on fire, etc.
Now there are only a few weeks left for racing. I probably go back in a few weeks to enjoy this.

Having never been to a racetrack I was super curious and since this is so close to my place and so cheap, we decided to head over one Saturday afternoon last month.
Fun! I can’t say I’ll be back every weekend, but it was super interesting and low risk since you can bet as low as $ 2.

Wow, this place is in Reveah? Okay, technically Eastie, but I still think I’m in Revere when going to the track. Who would have thought, you can take a lovely blue line ride on the T and exit at Suffolk Downs. But wouldn’t you rather get off at Wonderland? It sounds magical, mystical, and downright like Utopia. Is Suffolk Downs all of these things? Sure, if you get a drink, and if you get several, you my friend, will have a lot of fun. I don’t gamble, but I was at a horse track for an event and decided, what they hay (no pun intended, okay, maybe a little pun). I made 18 bux! 18 big ones! I could buy more drinks!!! Seriously, though, there is ample parking, the people are friendly, and it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon. PS bathrooms were beyond clean too, a nice surprise!

We went on Derby/​opening day. Having grown up near Monmouth Park, NJ, I kinda felt at home. Suffolk is like Monmouth’s tough kid brother, smaller and not as nice but it has potential.
The Bet/​Cash folks were very nice. The bathrooms were clean as stated in earlier views. The one thing that would make the place really nice is if they offered better food by the grandstand seats.
But you can’t beat the price of parking (free) and gen admission will set you back $ 2.
Plus they had the Thoroughbred Retirement folks there to help out the wonderful horses that make this sport so great.

I grew up 4 miles from Belmont Park, so I had my doubts about Suffolk Downs. But it has won me over.
Sure, you’re not going to get the world class talent that runs at Belmont and Saratoga every Saturday all summer long, but what Suffolk lacks in competition it makes up in accessibility. There are no luxury boxes for the bigwigs to hide in, the owners, trainers, and jockeys can all be found walking around the track. The smaller crowds make it easy to get a spot right up against the rail at the finish marker, or a comfy box seat in the shade if that’s more your style. And you can almost reach out and touch the horses in the paddock.
The new management that took over in late 2006 has made great strides at improving the track. They added the picnic area and brought back the MassCap in ’07, and they’ve managed to get the MassCap added to the Breeder’s Cup Challenge in ’08, a huge win for horseracing fans in MA. They’ve also begun having more promotions, as well as handicapping competitions. I’m looking forward to seeing what other improvements they’ve added to the track in the past offseason.
Of course, the focus here is on the gambling, and what’s not to like? It’s cheaper ($ 2 minimum) and a better bet to play the horses than it is playing Keno, and it’s a lot more exciting. The track handle is surprisingly decent, especially on Saturdays. You can win money here. My best advice is to learn the local favorites among the jockeys, trainers and horses. The regulars are loyal to a fault, and this will help you recognize when certain horses are being over or underbet.
My number one area for improvement is the atmosphere. It would be great for Suffolk Downs to have the picnic scene that they have at Belmont and Saratoga. I also think the concessions need improvement, they’re almost always out of one thing or another. I see other people here making fun of the «degenerates.» There are definitely a lot of colorful characters, especially in the simulcast rooms, but they are harmless (unlike, say, Aqueduct Racetrack). Don’t worry about them.
Come out to Suffolk Downs this year. If you show up for Derby Day, you get a pass for free admission the rest of the year.

I was last at Suffolk Downs for the 2007 MassCap, happily brought back after a couple of years on hiatus. It had been maybe three years since my last visit, and I am very impressed with the work they have done to clean the place up. The food and drink options have improved considerably; there was a John Harvard beer stand and a Blue Ribbon BBQ shack. Bathrooms were much cleaner (the women’s room, anyway, can’t speak to the men’s). Cashiers were polite, occasionally chatty and happy to assist newbie bettors. The crowd represents the widest cross section of Boston you could ever hope to see, people of all colors and ethnicities and walks of life, so the people watching is fantastic.
If you are genuinely interested in horses, you can have any number of fascinating spontaneous conversations with the people around you, especially on a big race day. Everybody has their opinions and theories, and occasionally one of them is right. A great thing about Suffolk Downs is that you can stand right up along the saddling ring and watch the horses begin their warmups, then have time to go place your bet based on what you just saw before they go out onto the track. And if you choose to be outside, you can be right up close to the backstretch and finish line, feel the ground shake as thousands of pounds of horse thunder toward the finish line, your horse out in front – you really can’t beat the thrill!

Uh. I saw the review below me that said it was a great place to bring a date.
Uh, no.
This place is a mix of degenerates, elderly, gambling addicts and people like ME who are bored and like to try to make some dough every once in while!
Come here to see a horse race, play keno. …. uh, that’s it.
If there is a huge race going on FORGET about getting a drink. I waited 45 minutes one time and I was practically YELLING at the bartenders. I stood there way too long and than young drunk men would go up, and you know those over the hill women. All over them like bees on honey.
Hold onto you drink, bag and betting tickets tight. It isn’t a 2^nd thought to ambush any unattended items on the aforementioned list. It’s just how they do here.
It does look updated and but still has seen its better days. I remember coming here with my dad and it was the cool thing to do… you know all the «betting guys» bringing their children. Sundays were kinda of like «bring your children to work day.»
Oh don’t mess with any of the regulars. Like, don’t touch their pencils, papers or take their seats. Don’t get in front of them in line, if you are clueless how to place a bet. If you are a girl, DO NOT go to the lady cashiers. Trust me…
I go every once in a while for a change in pace. I have no clue about the odds or how to place a bet. I usually like how a name of the horse sounds or read the jockey’s bio… I tell the guy my vision and my limit and he makes it happen. I won big twice and that is most of the fun…
I always feel a little dirty leaving here. Don’t use the bathrooms if you can avoid it. Oh and DO NOT eat the food… Just come here if you want to spend a few hours in the land of addicts and try to make some money…
P. S. Please, please. Don’t bring a date here… please.
Three stars because I won big.

Mix one part «Seabiscuit» with two parts liver disease and add a lethargic janitorial staff… bake in the oven of vice for 15 minutes and you have Suffolk Downs. Along with being a cheap form of entertainment ($ 2 admission, $ 5 16 oz drafts and a low $ 1 minimum bet), Suffolk Downs is a human fishbowl with some very rare and almost extinct species that make it great for people watching. This art deco, thoroughbred race track used to be a big deal on the racing circuit and offered some very big prize money. It has seen better days but was recently purchased by some wealthy investors hoping to reclaim the track and bring in big names.
Even if you know nothing about horse racing its a great way to do something different outdoors that is cheap and fun. Admission is $ 2 and the horse races start at 12:45. They typically run 9 races a day every half hour to 45 minutes. Betting is «PariMutuel» which means everyone best against each other as opposed to the house. The whole «odds» things seems complicated but it isnt after a while. If you don’t get it just pick the horse with the coolest name or your favorite color and scream like you just bet your kids college fund on it to win.