Suffolk Downs
	Title:"A bird's-eye-view of Suffolk Downs Race Track on Opening Day, Boston, Mass." Date: circa 1940's Creator:Tichnor Postcard Co., Boston, Mass. Original Media: post card
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	Suffolk Downs was constructed on the mud flats of East Boston and opened its gates in 1935 as Boston’s and the Commonwealth’s first major racetrack. An estimated 35,000 people attended the opening races and it was not unusual for that many fans to turn out for opening days and major racing events. Horse racing was a hugely popular sport in those days, as can be attested by the 52,726 fans - the largest official crowd ever at Suffolk Downs - who attended the race track on August 10, 1935. The facility was known for its fast racing strip. It had the only concrete grandstand in America at the time. Over its seven decades, many fans have bet on races and enjoyed the thrill of the home stretch. Many great thoroughbreds have raced at Suffolk Downs including the renowned Seabiscuit who on August 7, 1937, as the odds-on favorite, bested the field in the running of the Massachusetts Handicap. Suffolk Downs has been used for a host of other events; one of the most memorable was the Beatles concert on August 8, 1966 with 25,000 fans attending.  Other unusual events in the 1960s included chariot races and mock Indian battles in the infield. Although thoroughbred horse racing is not as popular as in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Suffolk Downs serves as the only horse track in Boston.
	Source: “History of Suffolk Downs”, see the Suffolk Downs official website
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