There was much promise for a revitalized Suffolk Downs and that was taken from the controversial and heated vote involving the Gaming Commission... what five years ago? The regional flavor from the fair tracks to Rockingham in New Hampshire eventually eroded but Suffolk despite its warts was once a regional treasure. The death knell to the sport was the loss of the casino application; otherwise, it would have been a boon for many aspects of the industry.
A legendary trainer in John Rigattieri holds his own at Tampa Bay and Delaware and the younger Jay Bernardini is a solid trainer in West Virginia and to a lesser degree in Ohio. Good trainers came out of Suffolk. Good horse people abound. There are plenty still active but elsewhere.
As far as going to Fort Erie, I know in the past Finger Lakes in New York held Mass bred races. I am not sure if that has been discontinued. Oddly, same ownership of the Bruins. It doesn't appear any law has been broken but it doesn't look good to have Mass-bred running in Canada; however, no track exists in the state to continue the sport. Suffolk's former owners have stated they want to build/find land for a smaller track and continue the profitable simulcast operation. Whether language gets rewritten if sports betting was to ever get approved in the state is another possibility but the Senate recently nixed a House piece from what I saw through research. Other states have done it, plenty of other states.
Illinois, like Massachusetts, isn't exactly smooth when it comes to such issues but look at what happened there recently. Hopefully that can propel the industry. If industry types and others get on the same page, then maybe this situation can be rectified but I sense it will happen only through sports betting legislation with horse racing somehow tied in. Plainridge (harness) gets 75% of money earned through casinos that goes to boost racing, if I am correct.
All that said, horse racing is booming in many areas and 2020 has seen record handles across North America. There is room to join.
The Mass Gaming Commission has made some curious calls.
They elected to give Plainridge a slot license to save racing there but only after the former president of the track was booted for looting the track's money room.
Plainridge Park Casino - Wikipedia
Plainridge was not the best option for the slots as it was only 15 miles from Twin River in Rhode Island ( former Lincoln Downs)
Suffolk got blindsided by Steve Wynn's casino application and the commission didn't care that flat racing could not survive.
Suffolk Downs - Wikipedia