Last season of horse races at Northville Downs draws longtime fans, some protestors

NORTHVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Horses will run the track at Northville Downs one last season before it closes for good.

Friday marked the start of the season. Once it's over, the races will move to a new track in Plymouth.

"It’s bittersweet for me because we'll be going to a new place and start new memories. I’m upstairs with so much history in the booth," race announcer Kenneth Terpenning said.

Heading to the nearly 80-year-old track to catch the races is something many people at Friday's races have done for decades.

"We’ve been coming up here, I have since the 80s," one attendee said.

"We were here last year a couple times, and it was fun, so we want to be here for the last year, and we're gonna go to the new place when it opens, too," another person said.

Fans weren't the only ones at the racetrack on opening night, though. A handful of protestors were also there to share their thoughts on horse racing.

"They’re being forced to race. No animals should be forced to race - animals are not used for entertainment, and people are gambling on the backs of these poor animals. That’s just what we’re trying to vocalize," protestor April Lawson said.

Horses race every Friday and Saturday through Sept. 30.