RIGHT

Susan Butchko pets

her recently adopted

dog, a retired racing

greyhound named

Remy. She has been

fostering and adopting

greyhounds since 1999.

Before the 1980s,

greyhounds that

retired from racing

often were euthanized

or sold to laboratories.

IT’S 8:30 ON A SATURDAY night in August. A

gibbous moon hangs low in the sky, its glow

no competition for the neon sign proclaiming

GREYHOUND RACING and DERBY LANE.

About 300 people are scattered in the grand-

stands here in St. Petersburg, Florida, that once

held thousands, murmuring as loudspeakers

play big band and rockabilly. They fall silent

when Frederick Davis leads the parade of dogs.

“TNT Sherlock,” says the announcer, calling

for the first of the eight sleek animals as Davis

halts them in front of the stands. Each dog wears

a number attached to a snug vest known as a

blanket. “Tailspin,” the announcer calls, “Char-

lotte York ...”

Next, Davis, 41, and the eight handlers he

supervises put the dogs in the starting box. A

mechanical rabbit named Hare-son Hare zooms

past, squeaking and shooting blue sparks. The

doors fly open, and the greyhounds burst onto

the track in a blur of acceleration. Their paws

toss sand in the air as they gallop around the

oval for 30 seconds, hitting speeds of up to 45

miles an hour.

Derby Lane, which opened in 1925, was once

hailed as the Churchill Downs of greyhound

racing. Back when the dogs were running last

year, you could still get a hint of the glamour

and excitement of the track’s glory days in the

20th century. Back then, the stands would be

packed with fans in suits and hats. Babe Ruth

and entertainer Sophie Tucker were visitors. Joe

PREVIOUS PHOTO

Sleek greyhounds

thunder around the

sandy oval at Derby

Lane in St. Petersburg,

Florida, in August 2020.

Derby Lane, the oldest

continuously operating

dog track in the

U.S., and two other

Florida tracks closed

in December. Voters

effectively ended the

sport when they opted

to ban betting on

dog races because of

concerns about mis-

treatment of the dogs.

I

124 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC