Darren Flahive has been involved in greyhound racing at The Woodlands since it opened in 1989, and he isn&#8217;t sure what to make of the news that the track will close next month.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve spent nearly half of my life here,&#8221; said Flahive, who owns the Full House Racing Kennel at the track. &#8220;To have it pulled out from under us was extremely disappointing. We don&#8217;t know what to make of all this.&#8221;</p><p>The track informed greyhound kennel operators during a meeting Tuesday that it plans to close Aug. 24. That would bring an end to the greyhound-racing season, and a track official said Wednesday there is no chance that the track will have its horse-racing season as planned for Thoroughbreds and quarter horses from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25.</p><p>Larry Seckington, secretary of Kansas Racing LLC, the track&#8217;s ownership group, said several persons at the meeting asked if they could return if the track is able to get slot machines and reopens.</p><p>&#8220;I think with the purse structure we would be able to offer with slots, the kennels and horsemen would want to come back,&#8221; Seckington said.</p><p>Officials at The Woodlands don&#8217;t have to look to far to see how slots can save a track.</p><p>The Prairie Meadows horse track in Altoona, Iowa, filed for bankruptcy in 1991, two years after opening, but was saved by adding slot machines in 1995. It now offers table casino games as well. The track had a daily purse distribution of about $220,000 during its meet for Thoroughbreds only earlier this year, and it currently is holding a meet for Thoroughbreds and quarter horses.</p><p>Even if The Woodlands gets slot machines, Flahive isn&#8217;t sure he will be around to see if they help. If he finds another job he likes after the track closes, Flahive may get out of the sport for good.</p><p>And the machines likely would come late for many greyhounds at the track to continue their careers.</p><p>Flahive said he expects The Woodlands&#8217; best greyhounds to continue racing at other tracks, but as many as 400 could be put up for adoption. Not all of those greyhounds will be able to find homes in Kansas City, but a group called Greyhound Support in Kansas City will work with adoption groups in areas of the United States and Canada that don&#8217;t have tracks to find homes for them.</p><p>While the outlook for pari-mutuel racing is bleak, Flahive believes it can be successful.</p><p>&#8220;I think the product is still very marketable,&#8221; Flahive said. &#8220;Look at events like the Kentucky Derby. You can&#8217;t move in here on Derby day. But you have to go out and get the fans and let them know you are here.&#8221;