Michigan Mourns The Loss Of Beloved Thoroughbred Horsemen, Larry Uelmen.

A lot of stunned friends right now at racetracks from Michigan and beyond who knew Larry.

A genuine good natured personality with a smile that will be missed forever.

A man so knowledgeable he helped create the Michigan Racing Law of 1995, which legalized full-card simulcasting for the states tracks. Elected President of the MIHBPA in the late 90s he would hold that position through the early 2000’s.

I will never forget watching Pongo Boy’s races at the Detroit Race Course in the mid 90’s. He would bring trainer Larry Uelmen 12 stake wins.

On Hazel Park’s opening night he would be one of the first faces I’d see, great big smile and welcoming handshake and hug. In 1996 the trainer I worked for was across from his barn. In all the years I worked on the backside I never ever heard one unkind word said about this man because it was never warranted.

Larry had a great sense of humor and always offered a helping hand to anybody who needed it. You never had to ask, he’d just was there for people. When Pinnacle Race Course opened, for me it had been ten long years since I had seen anybody since I didn’t travel to GLD. So many us shared a story or two from DRC that brought laughter.

More problems for Pinnacle Race Course. Governor Granholm should be happy.

After all the Governor wants to kill us off anyway.

DETROIT’S THOROUGHBRED RACING HISTORY

1948 at Detroit Fairgrounds.

0312_1

ZOOM IN

Too much heritage to let go of in the State of Michigan. Don’t you agree?

http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1970s;cc=drf1970s;rgn=full%20text;idno=drf1978050404;didno=drf1978050404;view=pdf;seq=48_1;node=drf1978050404%3A48.1

http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1970s;cc=drf1970s;rgn=full%20text;idno=drf1977051402;didno=drf1977051402;view=pdf;seq=27_1;node=drf1977051402%3A27.1

http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1980s;cc=drf1980s;rgn=full%20text;idno=drf1982050602;didno=drf1982050602;view=pdf;seq=26_1;node=drf1982050602%3A26.1

http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1980s;cc=drf1980s;rgn=full%20text;idno=drf1980050502;didno=drf1980050502;view=pdf;seq=15_1;node=drf1980050502%3A15.1

The Start of a Race at The Detroit Fairgrounds, Dated July 13, 1948. ( Original Press Photo )

To be continued……

Reminiscing/ Detroit Race Course

 

 

Believe me the MAIN picture had a 100 people jammed into that Winner Circle. This was just an after picture. And this one above may disappear.

The Detroit Race Course (DRC) opens in 1950 and Livonia Township becomes the city of Livonia to qualify for revenue from the new track.

In 1998 Livonia voted to Destroy DRC. The track that made them a city.

And in 1998 the Distribution of Pari-Mutual Wagering Revenues to Livonia received from DRC was:

Rebate: $694,969.92

Expenditures: $482,103.68

Page 13

I wonder what they made off Meijers in 1999?