The Woodlands

The Woodlands was a greyhound racing (and later horse racing) track at 9700 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, from 1989 until 2008. History In 1986, Kansas voters permitted parimutuel betting, setting the idea of the track into action. The track officially opened in 1989 with considerable expectations. Kansas claimed it was the home of greyhounds with the National Greyhound Association operating in Abilene, Kansas which is also the location for the National Greyhound Hall of Fame. It was the first legal gambling outlet in the Kansas City metro area since the 1930s. Attendance spiked the second year with 1.7 million in 1990, however it fell to less than 400,000 by 2000 as the track was subject to a series of scandals and competitive pressure. In 1993, Missouri voters approved riverboat casinos and the boat casinos appeared on the Missouri side, competing for the gambling market. Furthermore, in 1995, Jorge Anthony Hughes, operator of Hughes Kennels at the track, was charged with selling illegal steroids at the track. Further revelations showed the track was not adequately testing or monitoring for steroid use. In 1996, the track saw more legal issues when charges were filed that employees were accepting illegal out of state bets from Florida.