Omaha brothers who experienced Ak-Sar-Ben’s glory would welcome racing revival

The brothers tell tales of its glory days, the good and the bad. They would welcome a revival of statewide horse racing. They are split, however, on the likelihood of that happening.

Joe, 64, put up a website honoring the racetrack with facts, trivia and photos. A retired UPS driver, he worked concessions at the track on weekends while attending Omaha Central High School.

Frank, 71, worked in the racing business for five years in the 1980s, when Ak-Sar-Ben was at its peak. He groomed racehorses for two years, assistant-trained for two years and then trained for one year on his own.

Joe’s website, www.Ak-Sar-Ben.com, highlights how big racing was at the Omaha track. In 1982, a track-record crowd of 31,696 attended the races. In 1983, Ak-sar-ben was ranked #9 in the country with an average daily attendance of 13,655. The daily mutuel handle averaged $1,792,547 in 1985.

The stable, track and parking lot stretched from Center Street to Pacific Street, between 63rd Street and the Little Papillion Creek. It’s been replaced by a mix of retail stores, restaurants and office buildings, as well as a grassy park with a stage for concerts.

The brothers know exactly where the track once sat: the stables, grandstand, walking rings. They remember when buses lined up at the track dropping off bettors from Kansas City. Some days, bettors stood 40-deep at 15 windows. On Memorial Day, Ak-Sar-Ben’s attendance rivaled the prestigious Belmont and Santa Anita tracks.

Joe recalls watching races with a buddy from a hill near 63rd and Woolworth overlooking the track.

“You could hear the jockeys talking, you were so close to the track on Woolworth,” he said.

The brothers know stories of the dark side, too, like a jockey who hid an electric buzzer in his glove to zap his horse to run faster.

Joe is optimistic about the future of Nebraska horse racing. Frank is skeptical.

Joe feels Nebraska’s voter-approved plan to pair casinos with licensed racetracks was smart. Having casino revenue support racing is key, he said.

“You’re going to be able to go to the casino, get a nice buffet and bet the horses,” Joe said.

Frank doesn’t expect Nebraska’s new tracks to attract big crowds.

“I don’t think they’ll ever bring it back because horses don’t make money,” he said.

Many tracks have gone the way of Ak-Sar-Ben. Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California, was demolished a decade ago to make way for SoFi Stadium. Last year, Golden Gate Fields Racetrack in the San Francisco Bay area closed. In 2021, the storied Arlington Park in Chicago closed; the Chicago Bears bought the site.

According to Frank, the rise of simulcasting offered a convenient alternative to live racing.

“You can walk into any one of these casinos and bet any racetrack in the country,” he said.

Omaha’s entertainment scene also has grown up since the Ak-Sar-Ben days, providing alternatives to a day at the races. And young people today may not have the same connection to Nebraska’s agricultural heritage.

“I think these kids now, they don’t know the difference between a horse and a dog,” Frank said.