The clock is ticking. The greyhounds at Palm Beach Kennel Club must stop racing Dec. 31 because of a 2018 voter referendum.
What does that mean for the future of the dog track that’s been around since 1932?
In the near future, there will still be live greyhound racing. Lots of it.
PBKC has added night racing on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the next two weeks – in addition to the matinees – to give fans as many chances as possible to bet on the dogs. There will be no live racing the night of Dec. 24and Christmas Day, before a more ambitious schedule during 2020's final week.
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On Dec. 31, the track will start live racing at noon and run until midnight with the last race going off at 11:59 p.m.
“We are going to do our best to make sure these next couple of weeks will be entertaining, and you’re going to have some great memories,” said track president Pat Rooney Jr.
The track’s long-term future? That’s not as easy to predict.
Let’s start with the name. Will it still be called Palm Beach Kennel Club without the dogs?
“We may do what Kentucky Fried Chicken did and just rename ourselves ‘PBKC,’ ” Rooney said. “We are still an entertainment center."
PBKC will continue to offer poker and simulcasts ofother pari-mutuels, looking for ways to enhance those products while making up for the loss of live racing.
Rooney said the poker room on the first floor of the grandstand will be expanded, with the tournament area on the second floor likely consolidated downstairs.
To lure simulcast bettors, Rooney said, the track is considering segregating the terrace on the west end of the second floor into a separate room. PBKC offers betting on horse racing, harness racing, greyhound racing in other states, along withjai-alai.
“We want to make it into a sports-book type feel with a bunch of TVs,” Rooney said. “If we’re lucky enough to get sports betting in some fashion, that would be the ideal area to do it.”
For years, PBKC has been trying to get slot machines — called video lottery terminals — but has yet to gain approval from the Florida Legislature because of opposition from the Seminole Tribe and Disney.
In 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 3, which leaves the decision to expand gambling with the voters instead of the Legislature. Rooney, a former state representative, said Florida will have to do something to offset the estimated $3 million in taxes and fees the dog tracks provided to the state.
“Maybe that will give the Legislature some impetus,” Rooney said. “But every year we seem to get close without getting over the goal line.
“Sports betting was approved by the Supreme Court and we still haven’t done anything with that," he said. "That’s insane to me because a lot of people come to Florida from states that have all the gambling you want. It’s not like gambling is the taboo it once was.”
Rooney said track officials “had discussions” about buying a closed horse and dog track near Montgomery, Ala., —it still has its license —and remaining in the dog racing business.
“We had this crazy idea of making that track virtually look like this one and call it ‘Palm Beach Kennel Club North,’ ” Rooney said. “It would cost us a couple of million to buy the track and make it up to speed. I don’t know it’s that’s viable, but I never take anything off the table.”
Rooney said he hopes the Paddock, a fine-dining restauranton the first turn of the track, can continue as a stand-alone restaurant while still offering simulcastbetting.
What about the track itself? The tote board, the starting boxes? It’s not like they can sell them to other tracks.
Among the possibilities: Keep the track for activities such as mini-bike racing, drone racing, concerts and parties. A decision likely won’t be made for a year.
“I’d rather make it something nice, so if the Paddock is still open, people are looking out at something pleasant,” Rooney said.
The track will continue to keep a presence of the greyhounds. PBKC may move the Walk of Fame indoors and keep other mementos from the sport.
“I never want to forget who we were for almost 90 years,” Rooney said. “The dogs will always have a spot here.”
And what about the future of the greyhounds? Some will be shipped to tracks in other states that are still operating. The rest will adjust to their new lives as pets, thanks to the work of four local adoption agencies.
“We will continue to take care of the greyhounds until the last one is adopted out,” said Theresa Hume, PBKC’s director of publicity.
Remaining live greyhound schedule
Sunday, Dec. 20 – 1 p.m. matinee
Monday, Dec. 21 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 22 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 23 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 24 – 1 p.m. matinee.
Saturday Dec. 26 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Sunday Dec. 27 – 1 p.m. matinee.
Monday, Dec. 28 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 29 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 30 – 1 p.m. matinee and 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 31 – Racing starts at noon and runs through midnight.
