Calder racecourse closure revives memories of $16 million Monkey business

The near-50 year racing venue of Calder in south Florida became the latest regrettable addition to the list of former racecourses on Saturday.

The track, which was renamed Gulfstream Park West after being leased by Calder’s owner, Churchill Downs Inc, to Gulfstream Park’s owners the Stronach Group in 2014, staged its last meeting, with Diligent going into the record and quiz books as the last horse to win a race there.

For bloodstock aficionados, the venue will forever be associated with The Green Monkey, who 14 years ago sold there for a record public auction price of $16 million.

The colt was the talk of the bloodstock world when in January 2006 at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds, he was bought by Demi O'Byrne, acting for the Coolmore partners.

The colt, by Grade I winner Forestry and out of the Unbridled mare Magical Masquerade, received his memorable name due to his owners' links to The Green Monkey golf course in Barbados, which itself is named after the island's green monkeys.

All eyes were inevitably on The Green Monkey when he made his debut as a three-year-old for Todd Pletcher, however his third place on his first start at Belmont Park was to prove his best effort, as he raced only twice more, also at three, finishing fourth both times, his final outing coming at the also sadly-defunct Hollywood Park.

The Green Monkey: famous for his price tag but sadly not his career on the track or at studCredit: Nancy Sexton @nancygsexton

Still, with his pedigree hopes would have been high that he could still prove his worth at stud.

A slice of ownership was acquired by the same pinhookers, Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo, who has sold him at the Calder auction in 2006, and The Green Monkey entered stud at their Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds in Ocala in 2009. His initial fee was $5,000.

The first reported foal by The Green Monkey was a filly born in January 2010. Named Your Lovely, she was a winner, but her sire was ultimately to prove as disappointing in his second career as his first.

His best progeny include 2015 Panama Triple Crown winner Monkey Business, and North American black-type winners Kinz Funky Munky and Green Doctor, while Stoney's Monkey was a winner for him in June this year at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Green Monkey had to be put down aged 14 in 2018 due to laminitis. Hartley said at the time: “He was doing excellent, and then probably a year and a half ago, he foundered. We just struggled with him ever since, trying to do everything we could to get him right. It just got to the point where it wasn't the right thing to do.

“Nobody will have his stall or anything, it's a special place. There will never be another horse like him for us. I thank the Lord for him.”

The Green Monkey was laid to rest on the farm.

Calder racecourse was laid to rest at the weekend, having opened its gates on May 6, 1971 with 16,263 fans in attendance.

The New York Times reported the venue “got off to a flying start”, and that there were so many people looking to get into the track they had to close the gates and turn people away.

The final fixture, in sad and stark contrast, was attended only by racing professionals, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The beginning of the end came in 2015, when Churchill Downs Inc tore down the grandstand, leaving pretty much only the track, while the final nail in the coffin was the imminent ending of the lease from CDI to the Stronach Group, with the owners wanting to switch from racing to jai alai.

After a number of legal battles with Florida’s racing community, CDI prevailed. Changing the Calder pari-mutuel licence from racing to jai alai enables CDI to operate the lucrative slot machines at the casino. A Florida appellate court in September of 2019 agreed with CDI that jai alai satisfies the pari-mutuel requirements for its casino gaming, and is of course a considerably cheaper option than racing.

Folkestone: track closed by Arc in 2012 had its share of famous horses grace the venue, as did CalderCredit: Lee Mottershead

Similar to Folkestone, which was sadly closed by Arena Racing Company in 2012, Calder had its moment in the annals of racing history, in terms of famous two- and four-legged participants, with Princess Rooney, Spend A Buck and Cherokee Run among its Hall of Fame horses, while, fittingly, Hall of Fame trainer Eddie Plesa Jr was the man to saddle the track's final winner, Diligent.

Around 450 horses are currently stabled at Calder, and they can remain until April 1, when it is expected an expansion project will have been completed at Palm Meadows to house the horses and backstretch workers.

Gulfstream Park's winter meeting begins this Wednesday.

My report on Gulfstream Park keeping the show on the road

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