When I last visited Pat and his family in Kansas City, I learned of the loss of an “old friend.” The old friend was the Woodlands Greyhound Track, which has been a regular stop for 10 years when I visit K.C.
    The Woodlands has been one of the leading greyhound venues in the country since it opened in the 1980s. It thrived until the late 1990s when Missouri passed a law approving casino gambling. The track is located in Kansas where casinos were not permitted until last year. When the state approved casinos, the Woodlands felt the lean years were over and they made elaborate plans to add a casino with 800 slot machines to the present dog track and eventually relocate the dog track inside the horse track next door. An adjoining casino would then be built housing 1600 slots.
    Now the whole plan is in limbo because the state of Kansas has imposed taxes and regulations making it impossible to complete the expansion or even continue the present operation. Kansas should have followed the plan used in Iowa at the Dubuque Greyhound Park and Prairie Meadows Thoroughbred Track in Des Moines. They have both been cash cows for the state, county and city where they are located. The two tracks have top purses for kennels and stables who run at the two tracks. At Prairie Meadows, the race purses are subsidized by tens of millions of dollars every year. The Meadows also make substantial charitable contributions in Des Moines and around the state.
    My good friend, Randy Birch, who is the track announcer at the Woodlands told me of his personal disappointment about the track closing. He said about 300 people would be put out of work, many of whom went to work a the track when it opened.
    Randy’s hopes are somewhat raised by a statement issued in recent racing programs. The track owners announced the closing date of Aug. 23, but also said they were still negotiating with the state of Kansas to make changes in the proposed regulations.
    I personally will miss my visits to the Woodlands. Live racing is far superior to betting simulcasts and hopefully Kansas officials will consult with Iowa to see how to run a race track-casino.