Free-Legged: A bright shining night at Northfield
August 29, 2007,by Dean A. Hoffman
Dean Hoffman Columbus, OH —
When it comes to special events, I don’t know of any track that does a better job than Northfield of pulling out all the stops. It’s no secret that a shroud of gloom has covered Ohio racing since the slots measure was trounced by the voters 10 months ago. No one at Northfield on Saturday, however, could have possibly sensed that.
Even intermittent rains didn’t deter a sizeable crowd from turning out for the special event. Oh, it helped to have some Ohio Sires Stakes on the card, of course, but racing wasn’t the only draw for the Golden Anniversary.
Most notably, Northfield paid homage to the “pioneers” who participated in racing when the track opened in 1957. Races were named in honor of drivers Gerry Bookmyer, Don McKirgan, R.J. “Skeeter” Brown, Earl Bowman, George Ursitti, Jim Mace, Ross Talcott, Walter Young, and George Young, Jr.
Popular TV and video guru Jack Elliott of Colorigination was saluted as was Ross San Filippo, who’s worked the parking lot at the track for a half-century.
A special insert in the track program recognized Bill Popfinger, who won the first race ever at Northfield, a trotting event for a $700 purse.
The track was decorated for the occasion and balloons adorned the clubhouse and there were displays of photos showing the stars from Northfield’s past — both equine and human.
Track officials Tom Aldrich, Dave Bianconi, and Keith Gisser moved throughout the crowd, easily identifiable by their tuxedos.
A contingent of state and municipal officials were on hand for the big night and Northfield made sure that the politicians were feted and got their face time. Northfield’s honchos know all too well how important elected officials can be to the success of any business, particularly a gambling enterprise that is so heavily regulated.
It was simply a great night at the races. And this coming Saturday is sure to be another great night as the Route 8 oval hosts Ohio Super Night, with eight Ohio Sires Stakes finals going for $100,000 and a quartet of Scarlet & Gray events bringing the total purses to $1 million.
I remember years ago when the Breeders Crown was a traveling show that went to different tracks each week. I asked which track did the best job of showcasing the big night of racing and I was told that Northfield and The Meadows stood out then.
That’s one of the many things I admire about Northfield. I was once at a New York track for a major race and the track apparently didn’t care that it was hosting the top horses of that season. There was no fanfare, no show biz. The only way a patron could tell the difference between the track’s major stake and the previous race was to note that the purse was twenty times larger.
I felt deflated. I had made a special effort to attend this race. I thought it was special, but the track apparently didn’t feel that way.
That doesn’t happen at Northfield. As one regular patron said to me, “The track tries to do things right. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not for the lack of effort.”
Yes, a shroud of gloom has covered Ohio racing recently, but for one bright shining night, the 50-year-old oval tossed off the shroud and celebrated its birthday like a teenager.