Churchill Downs Inc., which operates the eponymous track which hosts the famous Kentucky Derby, will reportedly continue to remove more of the vestiges of horse racing from its South-Florida Calder Race Course.
The latest plans call for the demolition of the track’s grandstand. The news came from cross-town rival Gulfstream Park, which now operates racing at Calder after a 2014 deal that ended a protracted head-to-head racing battle between the tracks.
According to Gulfstream, Calder will not make the grandstand available to fans for the meet scheduled from Oct. 7 to Nov. 28. The grandstand would come down in December. Calder has neither confirmed nor denied the report.
In April, Calder tore down the 1,400 stalls it had on the property and has changed its name to simply Calder Casino. It can not get rid of the track because there must be at least 40 days of thoroughbred racing at the property in order to continue operating the card room and Las-Vegas style slot machines.
Gulfstream, which is owned by major Marion County landowner Frank Stronach, will bring in tents to house patrons. The meet is now referred to as the Gulfstream Park West meet.
Calder opened in 1971 with William McKnight as one of the major investors. McKnight owned the legendary Ocala thoroughbred facility Tartan Farm which produced Dr. Fager. The colt was the only horse to win four champion titles in one year when in 1968 he was named the horse of year, champion handicap horse, champion sprinter and co-champion turf horse.
Dr. Fager was buried on the farm, which is now Winding Oaks Farm on State Road 200.