HARLINGEN — It’s been a long time between race dates.
For the first time since 2009, a regular meet of dog racing is scheduled at Valley Race Park beginning the day after Thanksgiving.
So this Black Friday is for shopping — and betting.
The return of dog racing to the Harlingen dog track is the result of a compromise struck by the owners of three dog tracks still operating in the state and the Texas Racing Commission to rotate meets among the tracks each year. The other tracks are Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque and Gulf Coast Racing in Corpus Christi.
Valley Race Park has remained in business thanks to its banquet facilities and its simulcasts of special events like mixed martial arts fights and, most importantly, live simulcasting of racing at horse tracks. Those simulcasts will continue while the dogs race this winter.
Maury Korn, assistant general manager, said more than 100 staffers have been hired for the live race meet and more openings may be filled before opening night.
“The inside jobs really haven’t taken hold yet because we don’t open until next week for live racing,” he said Friday. “We’ve hired a whole lot already but their real first day of work is the first day of racing.”
A hiring frenzy hasn’t been the only preparation the track has made, Korn said.
New track lighting is in place, the track itself has been groomed, and the kennels where the dogs stay all have undergone upgrades.
“There’s a brand-new floor for the grandstand, and that cost around $60,000,” Korn said. “Air-conditioning throughout the whole building has been improved and fixed, and all of the outside buildings have been improved and fixed.”
Opening the race meet on Black Friday is no coincidence. The date has historically been a popular race day for both horse and dog tracks.
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WHAT: Greyhound
racing, 10 races per day
WHERE: Valley Race Park, 2601 S. Ed Carey Drive
WHEN: Meet starts Nov. 25
DATES: Nov. 25 to Feb. 4, 36 live racing days
TIMES: Live racing Friday, Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m.; after Christmas, Wednesday afternoon races will be added with free admission for seniors
ADMISSION: $2
– The young, Texas-bred greyhounds have never raced previously.
– The Texas Racing Commission mandates they must participate in “schooling races.”
– These test races teach young greyhounds how to exit the starting gate.
– They also learn a curtain will drop behind them when the race ends, preventing them from taking off.
– To race for real, a greyhound must finish in the top four in a schooling race.
