Welcome Back Mass Cap!
Suffolk officials planning to bring back MassCap
by Steve Myrick
Suffolk Downs executives are trying to revive the Massachusetts Handicap and could announce their plans in the near future.
Shortly after developer Richard Fields acquired the largest ownership interest in Suffolk Downs, he signaled that he wanted to bring the MassCap back. The track’s signature race was cancelled three out of the past four years as the track struggled to pay purses for its standard overnight schedule.
Fields confirmed in a statement that the MassCap is part of his plan.
“Bringing back the historic MassCap is just one component of our extensive plan, just one of the steps we are taking to rejuvenate racing in Boston,” Fields said.
Details, including the date of the race and the purse money to be offered, still are being reviewed. Because it has not been staged for two consecutive years, the American Graded Stakes Committee declared the race ineligible for grading in 2007. It was a Grade 2 event when last run in 2004.
Before canceling the race in 2006, track officials announced a purse of $300,000 and revealed plans to move the race from its traditional mid-summer date to late September, where it would be positioned as a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup.
Steve Myrick is a Massachusetts-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
