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Hialeah Park photo album: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Hialeah Park is my heaven on earth. Just being there bring tears to my eyes and I want for nothing more.
Why do I feel such a spiritual connection to this haven of flamingos and palm trees? I don't believe in past lives and, by the time I first visited, in 1991, many would say Hialeah's glory days were already gone. I grew up near Saratoga and 'the Spa' is one of racing's great treasures. But Hialeah...ah...Hialeah....well, it is in a different stratosphere. It is shangri-la.
I don't pretend to understand the nuances of why the track closed in 2001 but, when it did, part of my heart went with it. While articles reflected myriad reasons, this cynic doesn't believe everything I read and I know circumstances often force a hand. My heart lay dormant as the track awaited its fate, until when, in 2009 it became clear that it would reopen - that, once again, racehorses would thunder down the stretch and flamingos would again soar above the infield to 'The Flight of the Flamingos' - my heart leapt.
I know, Hialeah is not what it once was but neither is anything else in racing - or, for that matter, the world. The beloved Ak-sar-ben and Longacres tracks are long since closed, Aqueduct and Hollywood Park seem destined for the wrecking ball, the famed twin spires of Churchill Downs have been dwarfed by expansion, and even Saratoga features 'luxury suites' in the first turn. Hialeah can be forgiven for the fact that society, and racing, have changed. For me, its magic and spirit are as potent as ever....if not more so.
Hialeah has emerged from its slumber. Years worth of overgrowth has been chopped back, buildings and stairwells have been washed and painted, and broken window glass has been replaced. The famous flamingos still fly, the purple bougainvillea still blossoms, the Citation statue still keeps watch. The crowds again wander the grounds - including families, with laughing children who view this racing treasure through children's eyes. The prevailing feeling there is undoubtedly positive. Longtime staff members speak with genuine and deep affection for both for the property and the management.
The track is presently home to Quarter Horse racing, and, wowza, those beautiful animals really rumble (and, just like Thoroughbreds, the payoffs can be impressive!). If you're uncertain how to handicap Quarter Horse racing, ask someone for assistance - ask about the leading trainers, and jockeys, and training angles.
The roast-corn vendor is back in business (yay!), the gift shop does a solid business, and the good-natured shoeshine gent will proudly clean your shoes till they shine like new.
Please do yourself a favor and visit Hialeah. Introduce yourself - or reintroduce yourself - to its incredible, awe-inspiring, historical beauty. See if the spirit moves you as it does me.
This Saturday, January 14, is one of two Ladies' Days (the other is Valentine's Day, February 14). Female racing enthusiasts, try to make it there (and men, there are certainly benefits to Ladies' Days)! You can drive to the track or, if you prefer, the train also stops there.
While enjoying a day trackside, definitely visit that gift shop. I love the variety of T-shirts, the adorable flamingo-motif earrings, the old postcards, hats and other horse-y and flamingo-y gifts. Purchased items are carefully wrapped in crisp pink tissue paper with a gold 'Hialeah' seal..and the order is placed in a reusable bright pink bag.
Those who know me know I am not a shopper...so I'm sure the description above will make them chuckle.
Above: C'mon in!
Above: Flamingos have been synonymous with Hialeah since 1934, when Joseph Widener imported twenty of the rare pink birds from Cuba. In 1947, he added another one hundred.
Above: Construction is underway at the far end of the building. The Flamingo Fountain, built in 1957, monitors the activities.
Above and below: artistic and often historic touches - such as the silks of Fred Hooper/Hooper Farm - are evident everywhere you look.
Above/below: The famous Citation statue unveiled at Hialeah in 1965, and he is magnificent. He's seen many amazing horses since he was placed there, like Buckpasser, Alydar, Forego and Seattle Slew.
Above: Victor Olivo heads back through the tunnel after a winning stakes race.
Above: Braulio Baeza, a living legend and honorable gentleman, is the Clerk of Scales. The soft-spoken Hall of Famer booted home many a winner at Hialeah during his riding years, including Graustark and His Majesty.
Above and below: A large fountain at the clubhouse entrance features four large metal plaques honoring sportsmanship, humanity, the arts and architecture. Touches such as this are seemingly everywhere. Around the grounds you'll find fountains, plaques, stained-glass designs, bas-reliefs, statues, pink-toned walls, vines.... It's as if the property were created entirely for a magical movie set representing the golden age of racing.
Above: Detail work on fountain - the W is in honor of Mr. Widener.
Above: The beautiful staircases winding up into the clubhouse inspire thoughts of those who came before. Who walked up these steps...Bing Crosby, John F. and Jackie Kennedy, Will Rogers, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor?
Above and below: Quarter horse jockeys on December 30, 2011. The jockeys' weights are similar to Thoroughbred racing, and on the date of my visit the weights varied from 122 to 126 pounds. Above, Alex Baldillez, Jr. and, below, Oscar Hernandez.
Above: Troy Crissup smiles on his way postward.
Above: Winners Cartel lost his rider at the break - but, amazingly, he stayed up with most of the blazingly fast field (the winner, not in this photo, ran the 1/4-mile in :21.60). I realize, he wasn't burdened with a jockey's weight, like the others...but still...!
Above: How great is this colorful tram, still in service.
Above: The bougainvillea is one of Hialeah's most famous, and long-lasting, trademarks.
Above and below: The entrance to Sunny Jim Lane, another integral part of Hialeah's history. Countless racetrackers remember the long line of scenic, towering trees, beneath which horses were - and still are - led from the stables to the racetrack.
Above and below: Kenneth Goodman has been shining shoes since he was ten years old in Wilmington, Delaware. "I was the sole supporter for my mother and sisters then," he says with a willing smile. Nowadays, he not only makes Hialeah patrons' shoes glow, but he is very busy in the business district in Miami, too. His nickname is Kenny G, a name a client gave him. Did he get the nickname before or after 'the other' Kenny G., I inquire. "About the same time," he smiles again.
"I've been blessed, I really have, because of my family when I was growing up," Kenny G. says. He points toward his stand. "And I'm blessed to be doing this."
Above: A room near the main entrance features a model of Hialeah-to-be, including the addition of a world-class casino. The main racetrack building is at top right - the long, thin rectangle. Behind it, the black sign with pink writing represents the racetrack's location. The stables will be in the backstretch around the final turn.
Above: While the clubhouse has been beautifully restored, there are still wonderful areas to be fixed. I love to think of what came before, and the small traces of aqua and deep red make me wonder: what did this wall look like, years ago? Was the aqua wall paper or paint? Was the whole wall tan, or dark reddish brown? I wish I knew.
Above and below: The construction, underway at the far end of the building, is separated from the main crowd by a fence. It really isn't noticeable during a day at the track.
Above: In one area of the grandstand, several signs representing famous winners from the track's storied past still hang. Here's hoping they'll be preserved.
Above: Famous silks are positioned in various places around the building, stirring memories for older racegoers. How many of us, including myself, loved Mr. Vanderbilt.
Above: Whoopsie! Winners Cartel, #6, leaves his jockey behind at the break.
Above: Even the dumpster reflects pride in its famous home.
Above: Citation is aimed toward the clubhouse and racetrack. He has kept silent watch over the grounds, seeing Seattle Slew and dormant years and Quarter horses, for nearly a half-century now.
Above: Cowboy's Miracle, a sorrel 2-year-old filly by Cowboys Rodeo and out of a Benny Galety mare, gets a reassuring pat during her saddling. She's not quite adjusted to the racehorse routine yet. She has run eighth and ninth in her first two starts.
Above: Color Stone and Victor Olivo power home first in the $95,210 FQHRA Stallion Stakes Futurity. The time for the 350-yard stakes was 17.725 seconds. The Oklahoma-bred Color Stone, born in 2009, has won two of seven starts - the Futurity Trial at Hialeah and this stakes. His other starts have been at Will Rogers Downs, Fair Meadows and Remington Park (another great thing about Equibase is that it lists PPs and important information for both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses).
Above: El Cartel Del Oro, with Oscar Delgado up, breaks his maiden in a 350-yard event in 17.526 seconds. It was only the second start for the 2009 Florida-bred by Count Corona, and he has a second and a win. The chart notes that the wind speed as 5 MPH - with a tail wind.
Above: Royal Snow Problem and Oscar Delgado win the third race - 330 yards in 16.481. Royal Snow Problem, a sorrel Oklahoma-bred gelding by This Snow is Royal, is a racing veteran - nine years old in 2012 with 35 starts under his saddle. He's won or placed in 19 of those efforts - very impressive!
Above: What's My Line? Who can guess what these five men do? This quintet has one of the oddest jobs in racing. They hide out behind bushes in the backstretch, awaiting a phone call to tell them it's time to move. When the fourth race is declared official they bolt out from behind the trees, run across the track and into the infield...all to make the flamingos take flight! After all, even flamingos have to work for their supper.
If the birds see the men ahead of time, they simply shift into the infield pond where it's hard to reach them - so staying hidden is a must. But somehow, year after year, the surprise of the running men running at them makes the birds fly around the infield for a while to the wafting tune of "Flight of the Flamingos." The birds soon settle back down and the men retreat....until another day, when the flamingos will be surprised all over again.
Above: Juan Hernandez, a dearly amiable man who leads the quintet in their run to the flamingos, has worked at Hialeah since 1993 - including during the years the track was closed.
Above: Foxes have resided at Hialeah for many years - at least since the 1970s. While patrons most likely won't see any during the day's races, the beautiful animals may occasionally can be seen scurrying across the track or, in the case above, watching from afar as the horses are being saddled for the last race.
Above: Some silly patron tossed her ear of roasted corn as an offering to a fox in order to take a photo. Might I add, roast corn is one of my favorite foods in the world. As a typical Wonder-Bread girl raised in upstate New York, I never had roast corn while growing up - and my first such ear was at Hialeah in the 1990s. I'm so happy that they're selling it again! The stand is right near the Citation statue. Try it, and be sure to add a brush of butter.
Above/below: The sun sets behind Citation on a picture-perfect day, as it has thousands of times before and, below, a small crescent moon is barely visible through the branches of a tremendous tree - a banyan tree? - near the entranceway. Here's hoping for a brilliant future for the most beautiful racetrack in the country. Long live Hialeah Park.
Do you have memories of Hialeah...a favorite racehorse, day, score? Please comment. I love this track so much that I could read stories at length and still be completely mesmerized. Tell me about the stables, Sunny Jim Lane, the races. Did you gallop there? Train a horse? Do you remember the aviary or tropical fish tanks (I've heard people speak of them but can't find anyone who remembers much detail)? If you do remember them, what kind of birds and fish were there?
Did you ever see a movie star there, or watch a Flamingo Stakes? Does anyone remember when the Citation statue was unveiled? Do you remember Braulio Baeza riding there? Does anyone remember what the stage was for (photos on the 2010 page link, below)? Is the incredible tree that graces the entry drive a banyan? I've seen raccoons and foxes at Hialeah but, when the track first opened in the '20s they hired a snake-catcher! Has anyone seen snakes there?
Tell me more.
Photographs of Hialeah Park taken in 2009, before its reopening: http://www.drf.com/blogs/hialeah-park-cont-2009-during-tracks-renovation-reopening
Photographs of Hialeah Park from early 2010, during the racetrack's first season: http://www.drf.com/blogs/hialeah-park-cont-photo-album-2010
Hialeah Park website, which includes racing dates, news and a great section on the track's history: http://www.hialeahparkracing.com
Historical footage of Hialeah Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFLPA8VZIBI&feature=related
Buckpasser's 1966 Flamingo Stakes win: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Sy-ZyeMa0
Poignant article about Hialeah's final day of racing in 2001, by Dave Joseph of the Sun-Sentinel: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-05-23/news/0105230342_1_hialeah-owner-hialeah-park-flamingos
Excellent blog by Teresa Genaro/Brooklyn Backstretch about her first visit to Hialeah - which includes a video of the flying flamingos: http://www.brooklynbackstretch.com/2010/01/13/hello-hialeah/
Hialeah Park promotional video about the racetrack's expansion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T41dVcUS888
For those who like to get in some simulcast betting during an afternoon (Hialeah now features betting on many of the nation's top tracks), here's the schedule: http://hialeahparkracing.com/pdf/JanSimo.pdf
With special thanks to the management and staff at Hialeah Park for their truly generous assistance and interest. Thanks also to the Hialeah track photographers, Coady Photography, for their help.
Hialeah Park photo album: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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on that famous horsepath is a tree with a grown-in halter. some 40 years ago somebody left a halter hanging there and it grew into the tree. love your work! i used to ride on the track in the morning, but now moved to wyoming and am a stockman trailing livestock to new pasture, very very slowly. still miss the speed of the thoroughbreds. best horses in the world. you capture their magnificence perfectly. thanks!
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WOW! Great pictures that bring back so many memories. I graduated from Hialeh High School in 1962 and was lucky enough to later on be a horse owner that was stabled at Hialeh Park. The photo of the dirt path with the tree canopy was the way I walked to the track from the owners parking lot. The flight of the Flamingos, the celebrities in the Clubhouse every Saturday for the "big" race, etc. How can I purchase a few of these photos?
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Thank you for the work you put in to produce these memories. I am grateful.
Ed Cain
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The Hialeah photo album is great! I miss going there and it made me feel like I was there. So many beautiful memories.
Thanks
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Barbara, great photos...I feel the same way you do about Hialeah. It was not my "home" track, I grew up on the other coast and started as a groom at Hollywood Park in the 1970s, but when I finally saw Hialeah for the first time In the 1980s I was mesmerized. Not by what was present, but what was in the past. The place just echoed with history like no other place I've been.
OK, here's a Hialeah story:
It was 1991, give or take, and I was walking around Hialeah taking photos of the grandstand and everything else. I was by the paddock and noticed Woody Stephens sitting by himself at a table near the Citation statue. I had never met him, so I mustered up the courage to introduce myself to him, not knowing what I was going to say or what he was going to say. He was extremely friendly and immediately proceeded to show me the wristwatch the NYRA had given him in honor of his five straight Belmont Stakes wins. I'm pretty sure he showed it to everybody...but there I was talking to Woody Stephens and he was proudly showing me his historic watch!
After talking to him for a few minutes, I asked if I could take his photo and of course he said yes. I had him hold his race program up as if he was looking at it, then I took his photo. That was the only time I was ever around him as I did not frequent New York. My only regret was that I did not get someone to take a photo of me sitting with him. But talking to Woody Stephens at Hialeah....for this California kid, that was pretty cool.
Thank you so much for commenting and I hope you're doing well.... - Barbara >>
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I didn't know the answer to Vic's question but found this:
Back in the mid ’60′s and early ’70′s Aqueduct was the only NY Racetrack that was open other than Saratoga which had a 4 week meet.
Belmont was closed and under renovation for almost a decade.
There was a racetrack phenomenon at the time. They called it Ussery’s Alley.
Bobby Ussery was an exceptionally good rider on front-running speed horses. Aqueduct had a long backstretch that was slightly banked going into the far turn. Bobby was quick out of the gate and got his horses to the lead. He would then open them up on the far turn and build up an insurmountable lead so it was almost impossible to catch him. He was successful with these tactics in races from
claiming to stakes.
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Hi Barbara,
Let's set the record straight - just a tad.
It is most interesting that Belmont did close for renovation for a number of years. But given that Carry Back won the Man O' War at Belmont in 1962 and that Kentucky Derby winner Chateaugay won the Belmont @ AQU in 1963 ( Braulio Baeza up)- Belmont closed in 1963.
Damascus - apparently - won the last Belmont at AQU in 1967 as Stage Door Johnny won the Belmont @ Bel in 1968 (Heliodoro Gustines up). I find it further interesting that Damascus lost the Woodward of 1968 by a nose to Mr. Right - at Belmont.
So Belmont was closed for 1963-4-5-6-7 - or 5 years.
But "Ussery Alley" did exist and I remember seeing Bobby Ussery, Jr. at Hialeah in the early 80's.
Love the blog!
Chateaugay and Stage Door Johnny were 3YO Champs. Damascus was 3 YO Champ and HOY with Bill Shoemaker up for all but 2 of his 16 starts - (12 wins).
Thanks!
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Here's one for you Hialeah fans.
What is meant by and what's the story behind the term " Ussery's Alley" ?
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I must have looked at this photo gallery ten times already. Such a visual treat.
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After reading most of the comments and names mention for your readers, memories came to my mind of great times at a great race track, keep adding up names will take for ever I just want to mention two horses who break his maiden at Hialeah, Forego winning by nine whit P Anderson and Sheckye Green a very fast horse trained by L Goldfine we all know of the track record of both but at that time they were maidens. Make a litlle mention to the row of chairs across the secretary office
and jockeys room sitting there you will see all the jockeys agents and me been a rookie agent been next to Lenny Goodman, Fat Wisseman, Angelo Zacadoolas was the time of my life, in a way.
Mauricio.
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Barbara : My first visit to Hialeah was in the early 70's. I rember Jorge Velasquez was the pre-races Paddock guest. One of my visits was during their 50th Anniversary season and they had a big plywood cake in the backyard. I climbed up on it and havea photo of me up there in my straw hat. Also one of my best friends drove the Tram, and I just e-mailed that pic to him. And did you know that the Citation statue is in The Godfather Part II?
Now it's amazingly 40 years later, and I'm a bartender at Saratoga Race Course! It's a wonderful life! Thanks so much!
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Thank you so very much for these beautiful photos!!!
I have not been to Hialeah since before Hurricane Andrew...but planning to go this year if possible.
FWIW...
I will NEVER forget my first visit...it was like taking a step back in time...and when the entire colony of Flamingos residing in the infield suddenly got up and took flight before the feature race...well...nothing else like it in the world!!!
:-)
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Wow! What a three part collection. Some of the personal recollections even rival the pictures. I've so enjoyed reading and viewing this blog. I sit at my desk with a photo of my favorite horse, Seattle Slew, right above my computer. He's standing in front of the tote board at Hialeah, Jean Cruguet patting his left neck, a big black #5 on a pink saddlecloth after his scintillating performance in the Flamingo of 1977.
Sadly I've never had the privilege of being to Hialeah. I sincerely hope to some day. The rotten story of the Florida power politics that lead to it's closure would only detract from such a beautiful set of photos and memories.
Thanks so much Barbara, and also so many thanks to all the commenters who shared their great memories.
Many great shots, my favorite is the bougainvillea petals on the marble staircase.
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P.S. Yes, that is a banyan tree and they do feed the flamingos red food coloring to maintain their color....but it doesn't look like that's been done for a while as they are very pale.
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I worked as a groom for four years before going to college. I was lucky enough to travel from the wicked temperatures of Hawthorne to Gulfstream Park with Lou Goldfine's stable for the winter meet of 83/84. A filly under my care, Iwannatalktopappa, owned by Arthur Appleton, was entered in the Orange Blossom Stakes on January 16, 1984. She had reeled off five straight wins in Chicago before throwing in a clunker right before we shipped. (She bled when we got back to the barn.)
On race day, one of my co-workers, another groom named Big Al, came over to me and said, "Sandy, I've been watching you rub that filly and I want you to put five dollars to win on her for me." He gave me a five dollar bill. I rode the shipping van with Pappa from Gulfstream to Hialeah. I had to stay with the filly in the barn area all afternoon since she was in a stake and was on Lasix. (The DRF did not note FTL back then.) I vividly remember making that glorious walk down Sunny Jim Lane, (although I didn't know it had a name!) Standing in the paddock, I couldn't believe I was at a racetrack; such a beautiful place! And who was this apprentice jockey named to ride Pappa....Alex Solis....hhhmmm...never heard of him. The track was packed and I pondered whether to place Big Al's bet or just pocket it...after all Pappa was 70-1! I decided to place the bet for him and barely had time to do so considering the crowd.
I stood near the finish line so I wouldn't have to navigate through the crowd to pick the filly up after the race. It was difficult to see the race from where I was standing and it was difficult to hear the announcer. The starting gate for the six furlong race was mostly obscured by the tote board. Pappa was wearing white blinkers and after the break, I saw white blinkers go right to the back of the pack. I stood on tiptoe and the small glimpses I caught up to the 3/8 pole were not promising. I started to gather my equipment when the noisy crowd went silent. I felt like I was in a movie. It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. The announcer's voice rang loudly now,"On the outside...Iwannatalktopappa!" What! I was able to catch the last 50-70 yards before the wire between two people's heads. I wannatalktopappa on the outside and the 4-5 favorite, Made Glorious, on the inside headbobbing. Pappa won by a short nose! OMG! I am lucky enough to have a win picture in a stakes race at Hialeah Park. In the spring of 2010, I caught up with Alex Solis at a wine tasting at Santa Anita and I had him autograph my picture. I asked him if he remembered it and if it was his first stakes win. He said it was his second stakes win and he did remember it .
Mike Smith was at the wine tasting, too, and he got a big kick out of seeing this old picture.
I made several trips back to Hialeah on my own just to tour the grounds (and to cash Big Al's ticket since he didn't have a car). I remember an aquarium that looked like a shipwrecked boat from the outside. You walked in on a plank and the fish tanks had beautiful salt water fish. They may also have had snakes and alligators, I'm not sure. I remember the Citation statue and the fountain. I also drove to Hialeah to see Devil's Bag in the Flamingo Stakes but had a flat tire and didn't make it. (I did see Swale win the Florida Derby that year but that was at Gulfstream.) The entire facility has a gentile quality about it reminiscent of days gone by. I am glad they are restoring it and hope that they will one day run thoroughbreds there again. Thanks for the memories, Barbara!
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Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for this wonderful article and beautiful pictures of Hialeah, its environs, history, horses and people. I never had the opportunity to travel and visit it in its heyday, but I'm seriously going to make a trip down. While I have only seen these pictures you took, I would agree - it is the most beautiful track in this country. It is a shame that it was ever closed. Bless the man and his effort for bringing it back. It is wonderful that he has restored and displayed the memorabilia and what a wonderful statute of the great Citation. I also like the plaster(?) sculpture of a horses head in the walls. In fact, let me just plainly say - I love it all.
I loved the pictures of the winning horses without their respective jockey. It is still an accomplishment, even though it can endanger others, that they stayed on course and ran their race. You just gotta love them! Are any of the above pictures available for purchase? I especially liked the one with the groom walking down the tree lined lane with a lovely chestnut.
To the above bloggers - thank you for sharing your memories with us!
Nancy
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The Year was 1959, It was on my Birthday September 10th and my Dad said how would you like to see the Horses race today? I was excited and really wanted to go. So Mom filled up a picnic basket, and we packed the Car up and headed to Hialeah Park for a Day at the Races. I remember as we drove into the Track I was amazed at the Iron Sign with the letters of the track on the gate. The water fountains, the Pink Birds, the Spanish Design of the building. My Dad got a program and we watched the Parade of the Horses as they came onto the track for the first race of the afternoon. My Dad read the names as the Track Announcer did too, I laughed and said Dad the man is telling me their names as you read them to me. I looked at a big Grey, and he was the only one in the race, and I told my Dad that that was the Horse that would win the race. I think he put $200.00 on it and sure enough it Won the race easy. I remember him telling Mom the Kid is good he just paid for the entire Day with some extra money to bet the whole card. Now I don't remember what the Horse paid for the Win but for an 8 year old it seemed like a million buck's. I love that track and that day was the first of many for me, and now that I am 60 + I am still in awe of this Historic Track. Thank You for sharing the pictures it awoke some fantastic memories.
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This is such a wonderful and lovely view of a great old Thoroughbred Track in America.
And the ease in which the #15 won the last at GP today brings a memory to mind. In the early 80’s, I was working on Brickell Bay at a 30 story condo with an exclusive disco – it wasn’t quite dead yet – in the basement. On back-to-back nights I stood next to Franco Harris and “Mean Joe” Green of the Champion Pittsburgh Steelers (a bunch of Dolphins always showed up) and then Heavyweight Champ Ken Norton who had defeated the Greatest of ALL TIME – Muhammad Ali. One evening, the “over-night” help didn’t show and I agreed to work thru to 7AM. At 6:45 a girl in the condo from Costa Rica showed up and asked, “What are you doing still here.” I explained and said, “I’m out in 15, want to get some breakfast?” and she said “OK” and I remembered that they had started something called “Breakfast at Hialeah”. So I watched her car as she went quickly upstairs and came back down at 7:02 and we were off in her Beemer to Hialeah. And breakfast was being served as the horses went ‘clip-clop-ity” around the terrace turn during training and I do believe I had the best breakfast of my life.
Hialeah is really beautiful and I hope the racing operation is successful.
You document it's essence through your photos better than any words can tell and I find that to be something which is so great.
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Barbara,
Thank you so much for allowing all of us to again see one of the planet's most wonderful places. It was my honor and privledge to be the voice of Hialeah from 1989 through 1994.
I'l never forget the day that Bob Savage called and asked if I'd like to call the races. I was working my first weekend at a small track in Washington called Yakima Meadows. There was no way I could possibly say no to coming to South Florida. After three days at Yakima it was off to paradise. 3712 miles later I pulled into the parking lot at Hialeah.
I can remember to this day the awe I felt when I began to look around. No one was there. I couldn't believe I was being given the opportunity to call races like The Flamingo and the Widener and so many others. Actually at the time I didn't know that I wouldn't "exactly" be calling "those" particular Stakes.
You see the first year I worked there was 1989. That's the year that Mr. Brunetti attempted to compete and run simultaneously against Calder. The plan was to run 189 days. We made it 22. Before I ever stepped into the booth it was made clear to me that I would be calling the beginning and end of the meet. However, during the prime "Winter Dates" with all the great Graded Stakes Tom Durkin would return from New York to man the booth. I couldn't have cared less. I just wanted to part of Hialeah. After any day of racing I wouldn't want to leave. I'd sit in my booth, put my feet on the desk, pop open a cold one and let the warm Miami winter air waif in. When I'd walk out in the twilight I would almost always stop and see something new and magnificent each and every day.
As it turned out Tom would never return and after a seemingly endless time of closure, I returned in 1991 as the permanent voice. I can't remember too many of the greats that I was honored to call but two come to mind. Forever Whirl and Pistols and Roses.
The worst professional decision I ever made was to leave Hialeah in 1994 and take the job at Golden Gate Fields. I never imagined I'd miss the Grand Dame as much as I did.
I treasure every day I spent at Hialeah. I thank the Brunetti family for putting me on the race calling map.
Great job Barbara.
Thank you so very much.
VJS
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Really nice pics and I'll definitely make Hialeah a must-see on an East Coast trip one of these days.
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Thank you so much to everyone who is leaving comments, both on this page and the next two pages. I can't tell you how I appreciate them, and how fun it is to learn about the experiences of others. I think of Hialeah as such a magical haven, and it's so good to know so many others have similar feelings....
I'm really enjoying comments so I hope there'll be more...and to everyone, thanks again!
Barbara
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Joseph E. Widener passed away in 1942, not 1947.
One of two horses pictured as a bas relief was "Azucar" who won the first "Hundred Grander", among others was his personal favorite "Brevity" who won the 1936 Florida Derby/Flamingo Derby, if you will. Mr. Widener made other bas reliefs such as Tourist II, Duetisste, Hurry Off( won '33 Belmont Stakes)...etc
Which are throughout the area as reminders of Mr. Widener.
Architecturally....Maurice Fatio & Addison Mizner...for their Morrocan motif/spanish style adobe classics...truly mosaic & classy. A style which never goes way. To this day.
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My first visit to Hialeah Park was preceded by an ole fashioned New England snow storm, a flight to Miami that left Boston at 5:00am and a late morning hotel arrival where my room was not available.
I recall taking a short nap in my rental vehicle somewhere near Ft. Lauderdale before heading to Hialeah for the first time.
In the past, I had visited some great racetracks such as Belmont, Saratoga and Santa Anita - all beautiful and rich with their own unique history. But I must say that when I reached the gates of Hialeah I was completely stunned by its beauty and grandeur.
I recall thinking - do they really race here? Well, yes they do and on that Saturday afternoon (a warm and beautiful day) I witnessed Alydar win the Flamingo Stakes before going on to face Affirmed in the Triple Crown that year.
What a great day I thought, despite nature's effort to keep me away.
Thanks Barbara for the great Pic's and memories. I can attest to your perception of this great race place as one who has been there. It is truly the "Grande Dame" of racing venues.
And, as you have wisely advised, if there is any racing fan out there who has yet to visit Hialeah, be sure to put it on your bucket list before it morphs into a modern day casino and disappears forever.
Bon Voyage Hialeah!
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Spectacular, Barbara! I'm beginning to believe your excellence as a writer is rapidly approaching that of your photography...and that is saying a lot! Thank you for a wonderful post. You've done it. Hialeah has now moved to the top of my bucket list!
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos and memories of Hiahleah. I am enjoying coming back to your blog and reading all the comments to be able to share in the memories of others. Thanks so much!!
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FYI - according to Wikipedia: Joseph Early Widener (August 19, 1871 – October 26, 1943)
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Can't tell you how much I enjoy your column and photos. This really hit home for me.
Back in 1961 I was fresh out of college and went to work for Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud. He was the trainer of Dr. Fager, Gallant Man, Ta Wee and Intentionally among many other fine horses.
We were stabled at Hialeah when it was the jewel of american racing. I was fortunate to have worked at Hialeah before a tour in the army and my own venture as an owner and trainer in the southwest.
I remember well talking with "Mr. Fitz" (Sunny Jim) sitting in a chair in the sun on the grounds.
I knew quite a few other great trainers who were racing at Hialeah..............Hirsch, Sid and Eugene Jacobs; Buddy Jacobson;
It was a great time. So many celebrities attended the races......................Frank Sinatra among others.
Seeing the pictures brings back memories of that golden age. Thanks a bunc.
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great photos. please let everyone know that Hialeah is TRYING to get a permit to have the Breeders Cup races there. the bill is in the law makers hands right now. If it passes then the Breeders Cup Committee would have to approve it but I can't think of any race fan who wouldn't want to see the Breeders Cup at Hialeah.
I would sneak into Hialeah alot after they closed thinking that it would be torn down and I wanted to take photos. there's some of them on this site. horse-races.net if you go there just type in "Crumbling Hialeah" to see my photos and some of hers from when she went there years ago. Hialeah is the most magnificent place on earth!!!!!
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love this blog and your photos. PLEASE tell everyone to tell the Breeders Cup Committee that they would LOVE for the Breeders Cup to be run here at Hialeah in the future. Hialeah is asking for a permit to hold it down here and it's now in the law makers hands right now here in Florida. IF they get the permit they could then ask the Breeders Cup to consider them for a site. I know that any race fan would LOVE to come to beautiful Hialeah for those races.
I would sneak into Hialeah alot after they closed to take photos because I was afraid it was going to be torn down. If anyone wants to see some of those photos go to horse-races.net and type in "Crumbling Hialeah" and her story and my photos are there. She also has photos of Hialeah when it was still open. Hialeah is my favorite place on earth, it is magic!!!!
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thank you for the photos -- i long for the day when the thoroughbreds return and we get to see the Falmingo Stakes run again, the Hibiscus, Everglades, Palm Beach and Widener at the track where they belong
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Hi Barbara,
I think Phoebe got it right as I found this headline from The Baltimore Sun (10-27-1943): J. E. WIDENER, TURFMAN, DIES.
So 10-26-1943 would seem to the day of his demise and I re-read your piece and the comments and don't see any original reference either.
Thanks for this great blog.
One other thing - in 1978 they tethered a balloon resembling the Goodyear blimp (only it read: HIALEAH) in the NE parking lot as a sort of ad/guide to the track. Someone blew it out of the sky with a 30R6 - twice!!
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my dad rode there in the 50's 60's trained horses at fort st lucie for sonny fitzsimmons and the phipps. there is a book coming out in 2012 with my dad and 30 other jockeys in it from oklahoma
called boys from the bushes by lou dean go to loudean.com its going to be a great book
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Barbara, This is why I make time for your blog! It never fails, after reading it, pouring over every photo my heart rate returns to normal and I feel so much better! I can forget the tough day I was having. For that alone, I thank-you. ....... I hope you don't mind the same words over and over again - beautiful, incredible and extraordinary! More often then not your talent and work leaves me speechless but I have managed a come up with a few good words this time! Nobody comes close to you! Take care.
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sat out college in 76 to walk hots and live in barn t-paradise
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Barbara,
Wow. Just wow. Your colleague Sarah K. Andrew linked to this on FB. I'm go glad she did. I need to come see this place soon, even though I'm 3,000 miles away in Northern California!
I was at Hollywood Park for Zenyatta's goodbye party, and knew that would be the last time I saw the place. Bay Meadows is already closed and will be scraped from the earth as soon as the economy improves.
So sad, but so good to see this iconic track again.
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"When the fourth race is declared official they bolt out from behind the trees, run across the track and into the infield...all to make the flamingos take flight!"
My recollection is that one or two guys used to paddle over to the right island in canoes to scare the birds into flight.
< Ah, very interesting! The visual of the men in canoes chasing the flamingos is even funnier than them just running! I wonder if they didn't used to hide in the bushes first...or maybe it was a good way to have men at both ends of the infield - which might make the birds fly longer.
Juan did mention that, once or twice, they have had to wade out into the water. Several staff members said that, the colder the temperatures, the less the birds are inclined to fly. The whole thing is just so darned amusing to me.
Thanks so much for your comment! - Barbara >>
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Too bad you show no photos of Hialeah in its heyday! Large crowds of ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines. These photos of an empty race track (virtually) and people in shorts and T shirts do not do it justice.
< The links to historic Hialeah show photos of the track's 'heyday.' I never photographed it that way and, as such, my photos cannot reflect that.
To think an American track will ever have such pageantry nowadays isn't realistic. Even the Kentucky Oaks, with women in flowery dresses and lovely hats, has at least as many T-shirted patrons (and if the Oaks were in 80+-degree temperatures, shorts would also be common).
I love Hialeah and am happy to share its racing days with people in shorts and T-shirts. I can't live in the past or I'll always be disappointed - but I understand people who prefer to simply remember 'the good old days' and I appreciate how incredible Hialeah was in the days of Kennedy and Crosby.
Thanks for your comment. - Barbara
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Hopefully greed won't keep Thoroughbreds out of this beautiful Track much longer.
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This is one of my favorite blogs you've ever done. I hope some day the track can return to a shade of its former glory, but for now I'm content to know it's in this state. I missed out on her best days, but I did get to go while it was in ruins. Had to, out of fear if I didn't, I'd never get to otherwise. That's my favorite memory of Hialeah - my first time seeing the Grand Dame herself and being floored by beauty, even when in shambles.
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Oh how I enjoyed the photos of Hiaheah I am so glad to see racing come back there! Even Quarter horses who are just as beautiful and full of guts and heart just like any TB
I have limited memories of Hialeah since I never really went there in person. But for me it was all about the Flamingo How exciting that race was even from afar over a small,at first,then larger B&W tv Races on TV were few and far between and then they started showing the Flamingo Being a kid from Md and only personally familiar with Bowie racetrack, Hialeah's beauty,even in B&W took my breath away Then there came the time when the parents got our first color TV and I saw the palm trees and the lush grounds and beautiful clubhouse and most of all the flamingos in color Oh, happy,happy day!
Again,how happy I am that Hialeah is open again and your wonderful pictures show that the beauty remains and if I ever get to Florida it will be a stop for sure
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I SO can't wait to get back and see it again for myself. It's probably been 20 years or more for me, but I only have a few more weeks to go. There's some fear as I still remember Hialeah as perhaps the most beautiful man-made place I've ever been to; and I'm not sure what I'll find. But it's reports like this that give me hope.
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So many memories of my favorite track (close competition with Saratoga). Spent the late 70's-early 80's working the Florida circuit & Hialeah was always the highlight. Best paddock to run a horse, and the tree lined path to the backstretch. Chasing Alydar around during his pre-Derby campaign. Watching the filming of "The Champ". Hanging out at the aquarium between races. The flamingos. If I could time-travel, I'd take a trip to Hialeah in the 1940s and park myself in the clubhouse. Thanks Barb for the wonderful photos AND the wonderful words!
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Thank you Barbara for the beautiful pictures of Hialeah today..I became a mutual clerk in NJ at
beautiful Monmouth Park back in the early 1990's because I had such wonderful times at Hialeah when I attended during the winter season back in the 60's with countless others and I remember the mutual clerks were always dressed to the hilt with sport jackets AND ties and it made a lasting impression on me.
I have wonderful memories of Hialeah and I look forward to going there again now that I live in Florida most of the year.
Your photographs are sooo beautiful and I loved looking at them.
Susan Heller
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Barbara, this is Your Greatest Blog Ever! How did you ever seem to outdo the Laurel Park and Man O' War One?
You said it dead on with the feel of the place, and how it's heaven on earth. It's my and many others "Heaven on Earth" as well. It brought tears to my eyes as I displayed in a video I did when I went there for the re-opening of the track back in 2009, because after myself going through cancer and beating it at a young age, and my parents succumbing to the disease in my hands years after; I have always said my main goal after those experiences was to see this track when it ever re-opened. When I got word that they finally were, I was determined to be there and drove all the way from near Cleveland, Ohio to be there Opening Day, and did the same the next year.
My favorite memory comes from old timers who were there for the first flight of the flamingos. I was told that Mr. Widener bought them from Cuba for $100,000+ in 1934, and brought them to Hialeah for Opening Day. When it was time for the flight of the flamingos, they started and flew around the grandstand and flew right back south to Cuba! I guess the guy he bought them from which I believe was the dictator at that time sure had them trained. Mr. Widener had to buy them all over again, clip their wings, and now we have The American Flamingo.
There is so much I can share here, but I will let others speak, and joyfully read what they have to read as you will too.
Thanks Again Barbara for this. It is Awesome. :)
-Ryan
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Thanks to Phoebe for that great link to SI.
Nobody writes like William Nack.
And nobody shoots photos like Barbara Livingston.
Thanks YOU so much for bringing Hialeah Park to light as life resumes.
What a comeback!
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Barbara,
Wonderful photos bring back great memories. I haven't been to Hialeah since 1978-79. My son and step-son are there now working on the starting gate. I hope they are enjoying the history and beauty of such a great place.
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Hi Barbara,
You'll get no argument from me,
it's just a beautiful track.
Woody Stephens always thought it was the best place to get a horse ready.
Thanks so much for this work:)
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Barbara, I really enjoyed to hear about your love for Hialeah Park. My first experience at the racetrack was when I was a kid in the early 80's and having breakfast at Hialeah with my dad while he read the form. We lived within walking distance at that time until we moved back to Indiana in the mid 80's and what an introduction to this sport that was. The entrance lined with palm trees is what I remember most, and while my memories are vague my dad's are not. He says there was no other track on earth like Hialeah. I remember him saying driving between those palm trees approaching the track gave him goosebumps every time. Closest think to it for me may be Keeneland, but it is still a totally different experience. I have never been to Del Mar, but just from watching it on TV it could make a case for a distant 2nd to Hialeah in it's heyday. Think we'll ever see thoroughbreds run there again? If so, I will see you there opening day. The corn is on me!
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Barbara, thank you for this exquisite collection of photos and prose. You have provoked some amazing memories. (You must have visited Hialeah just before stopping in Maryland to photograph Rapid Redux' 22nd win-in-a-row!)
I was in Hialeah for the winter-spring of 1984, galloping 2 year-olds for Tom & Betty Lavery. We had a small consignment at the Hialeah Sales. What a glorious place to be riding. I remember the track surface to be very dark sand, almost black, and very kind to the young horses' legs. Mrs. Lavery was great; she made sure that we could get part of the afternoon off to see the Flamingo Stakes. The crowds were huge (the giveaway was a pink and black duffle bag - which I still have thank you) and I didn't make a bet which would have meant giving up my great spot on the rail, close to where the horses came on to the track from the paddock, but I did "fall in love" with Time for a Change! It was an incredibly exciting race, partly because of the enormous anticipation, but nobody could improve on Bill Nack's account in Sports Illustrated: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121829/1/index.htm.
My happy memories of Hialeah include the bougainvillea, of course the flamingos, riding down the exact same path between the trees that you photographed in this blog, the exotic bird cages (I remember Macaws and peach-colored Cockatoos), and lots of marble stonework.
It was lovely to read that the current workers are friendly and happy to be there, and we hope that Thoroughbred racing will return now that the ownership/management is making such excellent restoration efforts.
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I grew up in Hialeah (1949 to 1972) about 10 blocks from Hialeah Park. At the age of 7 i would sneak down to the track and watch the horses through the fence. (then the police would pick me up and take me home) At the age of 15 i would sneak through a hole in the fence and walk around asking for work. Then one day at barn x trainer Jack Wiper gave me a job filling hay rack's and water bucket's...after i told him i would work for free. I would walk out to the track and watch the horse's work out, That's all it took for me..I wanted to be a Jockey.
After a year i was exerciseing horse's. When i thought i was ready to ride in a race i told Mr.Wiper i would pay him to let me ride just one race...He thought that was funny but he put me on a horse he was going to give a race to. i finished 5th. Not long after that a trainer by the name of George Julian asked me if i wanted to go to work with him. I did and that's when i started rideing at Hialeah Park. i got to ride with Bill Hartack...Jorge Velasquez..Steve Brooks...Bill Shoemaker...Bobby Ussery.. Braulio Baeza. That's why "I LOVE HIALEAH Park"
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Thank you SO very much for this. Hialeah (a place I've never been) has tugged at my heart and imagination since I was a child. Now, I know why. MUST SEE!
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The pictures bring many memories back to me. I spend many winter months at Hialeah with my father. It really bring tears to my eyes. Great job capturing the great scenes at this great old racetrack.
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Hi Barbara,
I found an article that states the Citation Statue was unveiled on 1-10-65, with jockey Eddie Arcaro, trainer Jimmy Jones, and sculptor Thomas Farmiglietti in attendance. The statue came in from Florence, Italy – if that was any help. And you asked for stories, so…
In January of 1978 I had driven away from New England and the first of two Blizzards that winter with three other friends. On the very first Wednesday, I saw that jockey Stevie Cauthen was coming to Hialeah Park to ride Noble Dancer in a prep race. Steve Cauthen was the hottest commodity in horse racing having been on the cover of Time and SI. I talked we four into all going to the track. We went for the last four races as admission fees were lifted – a selling point – and were all struck by the beauty of the place. And the characters jumped out as well. After our first race the announcement was made “Intercontinent just tied the Track Record of 1:08 3/5 for 6 furlongs.” We were off and running.
When Steve Cauthen came out to ride Noble Dancer it was really stunning. We all bet him and when they came roaring down the grassy stretch he nailed Qui Native by a short neck. Everyone won and we all left happy. The next Saturday there was a 100k race made for TV – sound familiar – that was supposed to be for Seattle Slew’s comeback. Only he was sick – later learned that he almost died – but ABC was still there with Jim McKay and Billy Hartack doing the honors. Run Dusty Run beat Silver Series a neck in a thrilling race. Three weeks later he would do the same in the Seminole for 50k and pay 6.60 and I made my first real score on “Flamingo Lane”.
So many greats rolled out that spring, not the least of which was the beloved Alydar. He won on Flamingo Day and everyone had been asked to dress up as they filmed the exterior shots for “The Champ” that Saturday. They said the crowd was 30k and anyone there on Flamingo Day, 1978 can lay claim to being in the movies. Jorge Velasquez also won the last five races and I had another very good day.
Alas, we followed Alydar to Kentucky and it was not to be as Stevie Cauthen and Affirmed were too much. After The Big One, and the exodus had begun, and having mainly used Alydar to place – not that it paid much - I suggested we get a seat around the 1/8 pole and watch a race from the Grandstand. I looked at the form and noticed a horse named Police Dust by Dust Commander. Dust Commander!!! The 1970 Kentucky Derby winner!!! I then saw Hia in the past performances. He had run 5th by 13 to, err, Intercontinent who had tied the TR on my first day at Hialeah. Doing rough math I calculated that Police Dust could run 1:11 1/5 and that time could win the race. Police Dust thundered down the stretch minutes later by 3 in the time of 1:11 1/5. Most importantly he paid 18.00 to win and I got to declare, “Who’s gonna win the race after the Kentucky Derby, but the son of a Kentucky Derby winner?”
Well, it worked that year and I would be back in 1979 with Spectacular Bid who also won the Flamingo at Hialeah. But that’s another story.
Thx
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Barbara, great article and wonderful photos. A truly grand venue. I will always remember a Sunday afternoon I spent there with my young daughter in the late 1980's. Watching the races and listening to Nestor Torres in the infield between races was a wonderful afternoon ! I also hit 5 straight exactas that day ! Thank you for bringing back the memories!
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A chance to relive my memories of Hialeah !! So long ago...but your photos make it seem like yesterday. Thank you for a wonderful memory.
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Awesome article and pictures Barbara! I still can't believe that Hialeah Park was never chosen to host a Breeders' Cup, especially back in the 80's. Just think, the Easy Goer/Sunday Silence Breeders' Cup at Hialeah, a larger 9 furlong oval.
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Barbara
Thoroughly enjoyed your photo's ! I have meaning to visit and now its a definete mission [although I'm not much into Quarter horse racing] I have respect for Mr. Brunetti for restoring some of the past beauty and hope what ever happen that he doesn't wreck it like Stronach did Gulfstream
I first drove through the backside gates to visit friends in the Industry in 1978. I couldn't believe how in this big metropolitan area of Miami everything slowed down and took on a luxurious Nebraska kind of feel. The canopied horse path leading to the paddock entrance felt so comforting, then turning into the saddling caves with the gigantic jeweled grandstand in the background, my jaw dropped. > I have a few treasured pictures from that day !!!
Then my friends took me over to the aviary, then down the little steps into a dungeon like REPTILE HOUSE [various snakes, lizards, etc.]. I thought nothing could be this good for the price of admission.
Years later [around 1992]; after having moved to South Florida, I had the opportunity to tend bar for the last winter meet ever at Hialeah [Nov-Mar. - Calder was being resurfaced]. Opening day, 25,000 racing fans showed and Brunetti eventually had to just open the gates and forget about admissions. I was mainly stationed in the MEDITERRANEAN room, second floor clubhouse, french doors to the balcony on the right of the bar, the other set of french doors ahead overlooking the track and its FLAMINGOS. I was working in heaven enjoying the panorama on a beautiful day, when a large Monterrey butterfly came fluttering through the french doors and circled the room. It was a moment that time stood still. How lucky I was, it was a gift of a lifetime, never to be forgotten! Memories / Oh Memories.
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Barbara,
I love the pictures!! We were stabled there for a couple years before its closing. I loved it there!! Could ride my pony on the beautiful bridle path... stroll around the grounds because they were just that beautiful! Have you walked the main drive with all the gardenias in full bloom? Just incredible! There was a really good Cuban restaurant just out and to the right of the stable gate. So many wonderful memories! I would love to be down there again! Thank you for using your incredible talent to share the beauty that is Hialeah!
Samm
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You are right - you can feel the presence of all that past even when just looking at the photos, which are beautiful, by the way. Here's hoping someone decides to make a movie there - something sentimental, nostalgic & elegant.
Also, any of the animal activists who talk about horses being forced to run only has to watch a horse that's lost it's jockey. I've seen many that have done that really show that competitive spirit and the joy they get in running fast. I know it's not safe, but I love seeing a riderless horse beat the field just because they want to.
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Definitely one of the best blogs ever! Thanks so much Barbara for sharing these with us. I've always admired Hialeah from afar and hoped one day to get there. At one point it seemed I was destined to miss out on Hialeah when it closed some years ago. Now that Hialeah is having a rebirth, hopefully it won't be long before I'll get a chance to walk its hallowed grounds. For now though I'll be happy to walk Hialeah through your eyes! :-) Can't wait to see you trackside and share in the joy that you have from this visit. Thanks again for posting, as always, world class pictures!
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could not agree more hialeah is it
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Best Bets
A creditable third last out stamps SMART HOMBRE as a possible standout in this maiden-20. He dueled on fast fractions, shook off his pace foes (they finished seventh and ninth), and missed by only a half-length. Now he shortens from six and one-half furlongs to six, and meets a field with less speed. He he can lead gate to wire as the most probable winner on the card. LINCECUM is 0-for-10, but has ability. He had a tough trip Jan. 13, and returned with a decent third last time while racing behind runners. One of these days he will get a clear trip and win a race such as this.
