Magic City Casino Dog Racing

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The gates open and long legs stretch onto a dirt track. The greyhounds sprint at over 40 mph toward the robotic rabbit leading the pack, desperate to be the first to reach it.

After decades of dog racing at tracks across the state, they will stop chasing come Jan. 1.

Nationally-known artists regularly take the stage at the Magic City Casino in front of cheering, sold-out crowds! We consistently present the biggest names in music and comedy, and best of all, we bring them to you at the most reasonable prices in South Florida. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Wednesday granted a request from West Flagler Associates, which operates Magic City Casino in Miami, to replace dog races with jai alai.

That’s when Amendment 13 takes effect in Florida. Passed with 69 percent of the vote in a statewide election in 2018, the amendment to the state constitution prohibits wagering on live dog races held in Florida and will ultimately force the closure of 11 racetracks.

Dog racing is now illegal in 41 states – and the two remaining tracks in Florida will soon have their last live races. The last one at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg is set for Dec. 27, and the Palm Beach Kennel Club will have its final one on New Year’s Eve.

Isadore Havenick, 42, still fondly remembers the Flagler Dog Track in Miami. Like most racetracks in Florida, it was family owned and he basically grew up there. Havenick went often to the track as a child, and years later, he walked the dogs and even announced a few races.

“I’m an animal person,” he said as his mastiff named Kitty snored beside him, and a surprisingly fast tortoise sped around his house.

For 40 years, dog racing was his life.

“It was time,” Havenick said about the track ending its live racing in June 2018, five months before the vote on Amendment 13.

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WUFT · Isadore Havenick speaks about greyhound racing

Magic City Casino Dog Racing Tracks

“Dog racing wasn’t doing as well as other forms of gambling,” he said.

Prior Florida law required businesses to hold dog races in order to also provide other forms of gambling. Havenick said his family’s track held over 400 races a year to meet the requirement.

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In 2017, the state’s business and professional regulation department permitted West Flagler Associates, the group that operates Magic City Casino and the Flagler Dog Track, to replace dog racing with jai alai and keep their machines and poker tables.

The Sarasota Kennel Club, like other tracks, opted for daily simulcasting to keep its poker room running. In simulcasting, greyhound races across the country are streamed for wagering.

After 90 years of live racing, its last dog crossed the finish line on May 4, 2019. Since then, there’s been discussion of the 24-acre track becoming affordable housing.

Magic City Casino Dog Racing Entries

The Orange Park Kennel Club hosted its final live race on Dec. 5.

Grey2K, the international anti-dog racing organization, led the charge for Amendment 13.

Magic City Casino Dog Racing Results

“Let’s not lose sight of the hundreds of thousands of dogs that went through these tracks, that lived in cages, that were given harmful drugs, that suffered injuries and died,” said Carey Theil, Grey2K’s executive director.

“I don’t know that there is another issue that truly united people on the left with people on the right, people from the panhandle with people from South Florida,” Theil said.

Some say an unintended consequence of Amendment 13 has been preventing an influx of dogs going to greyhound adoption agencies and shelters. Each dog track has anywhere from 500 to 1,000 dogs, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

However, tracks and breeders aren’t giving greyhounds to shelters who speak negatively against dog racing, according to one shelter owner who is eager to find new homes for the dogs and re-home them. He asked to remain anonymous so as to not anger the track owners and breeders.

Since 2013, 493 dogs have died on racetracks nationwide, Kitty Block, president and CEO of The Humane Society, said in a blog post. Of those dogs, 94% were three years or younger. The dogs usually spend 20 to 23 hours of their day in crates, Block wrote.

Theil said he was glad to see years of behind-the-scenes work pay off in 2018.

“I think it was a victory for everyone in the state who cares about dogs,” Theil said.

Magic City Casino Dog Racing

This webpage focuses on the fascinating history of Magic City which started as West Flagler Kennel Club and later was referred to as Fabulous Flagler and Flagler as the city of Miami expanded further west. In the early days, West Flagler Kennel Club even had some Hurdle Races for greyhounds which packed the complex when a California couple came into town with their fascinating greyhound racing show which featured small trained monkey jockeys riding on the backs of greyhounds. The crowds were quite entertained by this and came by the thousands to watch these specialized races.

Flagler became known as a Racino (racetrack and casino) when Casino-style gambling was added to the entertainment options, and then in 2018 Flagler converted their greyhound racing license to a Jai-alai fronton within the Magic City Casino and began offering Jai-alai games using Jai-alai players mostly consisting of many former local college athletes including athletes from the University of Miami who were trained by professionals to play the game of Jai-alai. Magic City Jai-alai is an evolving short-court American Jai-alai program conceived by Scott Savin and has rapidly become a highly successful entertainment option at the Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida. A traditional American Jai-alai court is around 180-feet in length while the short-court at Magic City Jai-alai is 120-feet in length to fit an existing footprint at the Magic City Casino. The short-court version of Jai-alai is not new to amateurs and Jai-alai players as North Miami Amateur fronton has a short-court version at that facility. Thanks to Scott Savin for helping to save the sport of Jai-alai from fading away from the American landscape where Jai-alai frontons have been in existence for nearly 100 years. The interesting story behind this concept can be seen by watching the movie “The Magic City Hustle.”

Magic City Casino

Here is a June 13, 2018 press release on the Magic City Jai-alai Casino opening titled “Magic City Casino Jai-Alai Debuts July 1.”

Magic City is the only greyhound racing track that has ever converted from greyhound racing to offering Jai-alai games as an exciting wagering and entertainment experience. Magic City has a very fascinating history indeed as an entertainment complex over the years! SayHiLi.com will be providing more details of the historical timeline and photos of this 120′ short-court Jai-alai fronton with super hard tempered see-through glass panels for the front and back wall of the playing court. It’s quite a magical place and easily understood why it’s called Magic City! Hundreds of slot machines and Vegas-style games, Big Payoffs for Jai-alai and Slots, Big Money Jai-alai Singles and Doubles Tournaments, and lots of promotions along with big names in music and comedy and great food options make Magic City the place to be! Magic City Jai-alai is the site of the 2020 U.S. National Jai-alai Championship (tourney dates to be announced). The Sports Club at Magic City Casino is an excellent place to watch and wager on Jai-alai, greyhounds, harness and thoroughbred horse racing from across the country. No visit to South Florida is complete without stopping at Magic City Casino and Jai-alai in Miami!

Magic City Casino Events

Shown above are photos of greyhound racing programs from the current site of Magic City Casino which cover the span of nearly 60-years of greyhound racing history at this location. The oldest racing program featured above is from the 1937 West Flagler Kennel Club, a near mint condition item of Miami greyhound racing memorabilia from more than 80-years ago.