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Voices from the Backside – a trailer for a documentary length video
Historical Background:
Those who work on the backside of Suffolk Downs, the racetrack in East Boston, are again in a state of expectation and anxiety. This once highly celebrated track has suffered from years from declining purses and shortened meets. The owners, trainers, grooms, hot-walkers, exercise riders, jockeys, horse shoers, vets, feed and grain providers have based their economic and personal decisions on fear that the track will soon close. Currently, the Massachusetts State Lottery garners the bulk of the gaming money that residents spend in state while millions of dollars gambled at casinos in nearby states brings no tax benefit. Recently Governor Patrick has proposed giving licenses for three casinos in Massachusetts. If the owners of Suffolk Downs receive one, there will be stability for those who work everyday with the Thoroughbreds.
Significance:
Though there have been countless documentaries about homeless folks, there’s virtually no information about those who work with on the backsides of small tracks. Some of them, often viewed as migratory workers, have problems similar to those seen in shelters – varying levels of substance abuse, minimal access to good health care and hard living conditions. But they have full-time jobs, working from before dawn every day of the week! This video documentary, Voices from the Backside, represents a major contribution by providing access to the experiences of those who work and often live within this unusual gated community. The people who work there are licensed. Many can’t imagine any other way of life. Their families have worked with horses for generations. Others, for various reasons, wouldn’t succeed in a competitive environment. They’ve found a niche where they’re left pretty much alone as long as they’re good at their work. Some are immigrants from Latin America and Puerto Rico who are able to create a Spanish-speaking work environment.