Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 5, 2019 Suffolk Downs to conduct fi nal season of live racing R ecently Suff olk Downs announced that it will run six live dates in 2019 – after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the track’s schedule and its corresponding request for purse funding of $3.8 million for those dates from the state’s Racehorse Development Fund. The three festival weekends are scheduled for May 18-19, June 8-9 and June 29-30 and will be the last days of thoroughbred racing held at the historic East Boston facility. In 2017, Sterling Suff olk Racecourse (SSR), the company that operates racing and simulcasting at Suff olk Downs, sold the property in East Boston and Revere to The HYM Investment Group, a Boston-based real estate developer. In conjunction with the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NEHBPA) and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association (MTBA), SSR announced plans last year to refurbish and return live racing to the Great Barrington Fairgrounds in Great Barrington, Mass., and to continue simulcasting operations in Boston. The track operator has renewed its option on the 55acre Great Barrington property and is pursuing legislation in the current session in Massachusetts that would facilitate its proposal. At Suffolk Downs, the $100,000 James B. Moseley Stakes at fi ve furlongs on the turf for fi llies and mares will highlight the racing program Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament – Sat., June 1 Winner’s Trophy named in memory of a beloved member, Ersilia Matarazzo T he Everett Kiwanis Club once again is proud to announce the Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament to be held Saturday, June 1 at the Italian-American Club on Pearl Street in Malden. Twelve teams will compete for the first-place prize of the Cup and $1,000; as well as a second-place prize of $450. The Winners Trophy will now and forever be known as Ersilia’s Cup, in memory of our beloved member Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo. Your participation supports Everett Kiwanis’ $10,000 in Kiwanis scholarships and charities. Calling all teams, sponsors and raffl e donations for the June 1st Tournament! Four-member teams cost $250 per team, or $75 to enter as an individual. The cost includes food and beverage provided throughout the day. For more information, contact Everett Kiwanis President Rafael Santos at 617-7948182 or email everettkiwanis@gmail.com. You Really Want To Bank at Members Plus. You just don’t know it yet! of June 29. The average daily purse distribution for each festival weekend, including participation incentives to encourage horsemen to ship in from other circuits, will be in excess of $600,000 per day. “We are looking forward to celebrating the rich tradition of Suff olk Downs with racing fans for one fi nal season here as we pursue the plan to preserve thoroughbred racing and its associated agribusiness and economic benefi ts in the Commonwealth by restoring the racing facility at Great Barrington,” said SSR Chief Operating Offi cer Chip Tuttle. “We appreciate the support of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in granting our dates and purse funding requests.” “We appreciate Sterling Suff olk’s addition of and the MGC’s approval of extra days and purse funding for this season and Sterling Suff olk’s dedication to preserving live thoroughbred racing in the Commonwealth and the livelihoods of our members, the small businesses and family farms that depend on it,” said NEHBPA President Anthony Spadea. In order to help off set shipping and travel costs for the festival weekends, Suffolk Downs will off er an incentive program similar to those in the last several years. In addition to customary purse distribution, owners will receive an additional $500 for horses fi nishing fi rst through fi fth (on top of purse money) while owners of horses fi nishing sixth through last will receive a payment of $1,200 for races with a purse up to $30,000 and $1,500 for races with a purse greater than $30,000. Trainers will receive participation awards of $400 per starter. For 2019, first-level allowance/optional claiming races will off er purses of $55,000; maiden special weight races will offer purses of $50,000; $12,500 claiming races will carry a purse of $32,500; $8,000 claiming races will be run for $27,500; and bottom level claiming races will now carry a purse of $20,000. Over the course of each weekend, there will be stakes races restricted to either horses foaled in Massachusetts or sired by a Massachusetts-based stallion. Each off ers a purse of $50,000 and is a showcase for the Massachusetts Thoroughbred breeding industry. In addition to live racing, the State begins work on Tobin Bridge, Chelsea Curves T he Massachusetts Department of Transportation - FREE, No-Minimums Checking - Nearly 30,000 Fee-FREE ATMs - Low-Interest Loans & More! - FAST Online Account Opening & Loan Apps! memberspluscu.org 781-702-5969 Norwood Medford Square Dorchester Everett (MassDOT) recently began work on the Tobin Bridge/ Chelsea Curves Rehabilitation Project, which will have significant traffi c impacts, including 24/7 lane closures. The first lane closure was implemented on April 1 and closed the right lane on the Tobin Bridge northbound. Drivers are reminded to position themselves to use the middle and left lanes as soon as they can safely do so. Traffic modeling conducted for this project has shown that allowing drivers in the right lane to merge will create a smoother overall traffi c fl ow. MassDOT requests that all motorists exercise courtesy and caution when traversing the work zone. By early May, lane closures will be implemented on the Chelsea Curves section of Route 1 north and southbound. Combined, the Tobin Bridge and Chelsea Curves carry more than 63,000 drivers on Route 1 through Chelsea and over the Mystic River into Boston. Though they are safe to drive on, both are in critical need of repair. MassDOT is carrying out work along both sections of Route 1 at the same time so that these projects will be completed in 2020, and without the need for weight restrictions and postings. Completion of this necessary project will ensure that the elevated section of Route 1 can continue to carry passenger and freight traffi c safely and effi ciently and eliminate 15 percent of the structurally defi cient bridge deck in Massachusetts, but construction of this nature has inevitable traffi c impacts. MassDOT encourages you to leave more time for your trip, exercise caution while traversing the work zone, and if possible, divert to an alternate route or mode of travel in and out of downtown Boston. To be added to the project email list for updates, please visit the project website at https://www.mass.gov/tobinbridgechelsea-curves-rehabilitation-project or contact Donny Dailey of MassDOT Government & Public Aff airs at TobinChelsea@dot.state.ma.us.
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