Sam's wardrobe courtesy of Hialeah Racetrack
Hialeah Park Race Track is a race track in Hialeah, Florida which at its height was one of the most famous race courses in the country. Established in 1922 with greyhound racing, horse racing began in 1925. The track attracted tourists, but also became associated particularly with gambling.
Damon Runyon, who visited the track himself, used it in his stories whenever his more typically New York City guys went South for the winter. Hialeah became a pop culture touchstone for betting on the horses, from a Dudley Do-Right cartoon to the musical Bells Are Ringing (in the bookmakers' song "A Simple Little System," it is sung to the tune of "The Hallelujah Chorus.")
References[]
- Sam's wardrobe, in his performance of "That Old Black Magic" on Sam and Friends, is said to be "courtesy of Hialeah Racetrack." This references the fact that racetrack characters, such as touts and horse players who stayed for the season, typically wore loud clothing with wide shoulders and bold patterns.