A crowd of 11,372 gathered as Suffolk Downs opened its 2011 racing season on Saturday, May 21.
Suffolk Downs opened its 2011 racing season Saturday, May 21 with a nine-race program before an enthusiastic crowd of 11,372, who also came out to watch and wager on the Preakness Stakes.
The stars of the day were jockeys Hector Ramos and Jacqueline Davis, who each posted multiple wins.
In the third race, Ramos teamed up with trainer John Pimental for a neck-decision aboard One Chin Again ($7.20). Those two made another trip to the winner’s circle in the sixth race with the favored Sunshine Nikki ($6.20). Ramos finished second in the jockey standings last season with 81 victories.
In the seventh race, Jacqueline Davis guided Mopleasant ($7.40) to a 9 1/4 maiden victory through dense fog. She capped off the day in the ninth race with a win aboard Get Ready Go ($5.00). Davis, a 24-year-old graduate of Dorchester-native Chris McCarron’s North American Riding Academy, finished sixth in the standings with 72 victories in her first season at Suffolk Downs.
On Opening Day, Suffolk Downs honored three “Community Winner’s Circle” recipients for their positive contributions to their local communities. The honorees were the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) of East Boston, the 2010-11 Revere Girls High School Basketball team that posted a perfect 20-0 regular season, and the Winthrop Parks and Recreation Department.
The “Community Winner’s Circle” program was established in 2008 as a continuation of the track’s long-standing community outreach program. Each honoree is recognized by the track in a winner’s circle ceremony and with a contribution.
Members of the East Boston High School Jr. ROTC presented the colors for the national anthem, which was performed by Jason Rambler of the All-Star Buglers.
The track will conduct a Monday-Wednesday-Saturday racing schedule until the conclusion of the meet on Saturday, November 5. Usual first race post time is 12:45 p.m.