Corpus Christi greyhound race park to close

The track's owners decided to go dark for 2008 after the Texas Racing Commission denied a request for a reduced racing schedule. The track had hoped to institute a racing circuit with a track in Harlingen.

Filings with the Texas Racing Commission show the Corpus track was losing about $3.5 million a year and owed investors $35.5 million. It sustained losses for years hoping the state would legalize slot machines or live poker.

General manager Rick Pimentel said about 115 people will lose their jobs, but the track hopes to reopen in 2009.

Construction of the Corpus track began in 1989 after Texas approved greyhound licenses in Galveston, Cameron and Nueces counties in a 1987 referendum. It opened in 1991.

The track was a resounding success in its early years. Attendance in the first year was 949,399. Last year it was 139,117. Track operators blamed the advent of the Texas lottery and the arrival of the casino boat Texas Treasure for some of the decline.

Pimentel said the track has found homes for about 100 dogs. Several have gone or will go to other tracks, but about 70 still need homes. The track will board the dogs until all are adopted.

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The struggling race track wanted to end year-round dog racing to cut down on its operating costs. Instead officials there asked the Texas Racing Commission to allow them to operate a 60-day season that would run from April to July instead of running over 400 racing events as it does currently.

But the Racing Commission thought that was too short and would leave dog owners without a place to race for most of the year. The commission denied the request.