Vermont Track Up for Grabs on eBay

Live racing could return to Vermont if a buyer is found for Green Mountain Park, located near Pownal, Vt. The track, which hasn't conducted live racing since 1992 and currently does not have a racing license, is listed for $2.5 million on the Internet auction company site, eBay.

Partners Dr. Jeremy Sullivan and Dr. Kenneth Bol privately acquired the 144-acre property under the name Ohana Investments from Sullivan's grandfather Green Mountain owner John Tietgens. Tietgens purchased the property at public auction in the early 1990s for $250,000.

Bol said he and Sullivan have no intentions of developing the track themselves but would like to aid Tietgens in his search for a new owner of the property.

"We're not commercial developers, but obviously we'd like to see it become a track again with some kind of development attached to it. The track is a portal to bring jobs to Pownal due to its location," Bol said. "This family has a deep history in the horse business and we would like to see that history continue."

Since being listed on eBay, on May 2, Bol said he personally has received more than 200 inquires into the property with the listing being hit more than 600 times.

"We decided to list the property on eBay because exposure is exposure," Bol said. "This is drawing nation wide and international contacts."

Bol said interest has come from those wanting to develop the property for uses other than a racetrack and from parties interested in bringing racing back to Vermont.

Bol said contacts have been made with representatives from Churchill Downs Incorporated and Magna Entertainment.

Located in the southwest corner of the state near the Massachusetts and New York borders, Green Mountain opened in May 1963 with spring and summer Thoroughbred meets. The track was part of the New England circuit. The track also offered Standardbred racing before a switch to Greyhound racing. Dog racing outlawed in Vermont, so the track closed. Previous attempts to reopen Green Mountain have failed.