Some people collect trading cards, coins, or even dryer lint. I've collected all of those things and more in my day, but the collection I am most proud of is my collection of the different racetracks I have visited in my travels throughout the United States and Canada.
I have visited 54 racetracks in my days, which is certainly more than most but nowhere near the totals logged by a few people I know--the most popular of which being Terry Bjork's McChump tour.
Still, visiting 4 1/2 dozen tracks has made it difficult to add to the list since I've been to most of the ones easily within reach. The reason this is important now is because I have a chance to visit the Sonoma County Fair on August 2. Adding a new track in a whole new region (Northern California) would be a tremendous coup for me.
The easiest tracks for me to add would be those in my region: Kentucky Downs, Thunder Ridge, and BlueGrass Downs in Kentucky; Raceway Park in Ohio; Pinnacle and Mount Pleasant Meadows in Michigan; and Hawthorne Race Course in Illinois.
Tracks I haven't been to that are a priority for me are Oaklawn Park, Fair Grounds Race Course, Hollywood Park, Emerald Downs, and Aqueduct. I'd be just as happy with the chance to see Yavapai or Les Bois, though.
Below is a list of the tracks I've visited. Thoroughbreds are green, Standardbreds are purple, and greyhounds are yellow. In the case of tracks that conduct dual meets (e.g. Meadowlands, Woodlands), I keyed the map based on what I had seen race there live.
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I'm up to 13 and hope to add Ellis and River Downs in about a week and a half.
ReplyDeleteIn order of preference:
1. Saratoga- it's just the most special place in the sport.
2. Happy Valley, Hong Kong. 70,000 people on a Wed night, no stakes race.
3. Belmont Park-- the place where I fell in love with racing, it'll always be my home track.
4. Churchill Downs. I used to have this one ranked much lower, but then I discovered it had a second floor-- for a confirmed railbird, this wasn't easy. One of the things that pushed this one up the list for me was the Twin Spires Club and Twinspires.com-- it's the best rewards program I've seen so far, and it's the most fan friendly track. Willing to take risks, can earn your rebates over time (instead of having to earn them in one calendar month or not at all like NYRA Rewards), affordable handicapping contests that feed into the NHC. Even their twitter feed is the best of any track.
5. Keeneland. Used to be 1A for me, but this year has changed my mind dramatically. Even though I started winning regularly here for the first time since the Polytrack changeover, I find the lack of an online wagering platform or rewards program at odds with the reputation of being so fan friendly. Going to Keeneland isn't as fun as it was when I first got to Lexington, and it's still a handicapping nightmare with the plastic stuff. Still, lots of charm, and big points for the drive through betting windows.
6. Monmouth Park. I think of it as the best track no one's been to-- just an all around great place to watch a race.
7. Delaware Park. It's charm has always been outdoors, so the slots parlor doesn't hurt, and they price the concessions better than anyone.
8. Aqueduct. Maybe doesn't have the best ambience, but it's charm might just be from the hecklers and the crazies. If you know where to look, you can get a good bite to eat here, too.
9. Santa Rosa. OK, the racing include mules and quarter horses, not to mention the wiener dogs. But it has the only turf course on the NorCal fair circuit, the daily handicapping seminar under the trees is a nice touch, and Guy Fieri from the Food Network had 3 restaurants going in the fair alongside it, including the best New York style pizza I've had west of NJ. On the down side, I just discovered a bunch of my photos on their website that were only licensed for one time use, and I want some money.
10. Philadelphia Park. I went before the racino, but it was a pleasant place to watch the races, but the paddock was just not a good place to get a feel for a horse and the food was rotten.
11. Turfway Park. Well, at least they don't charge you to get in. Unfortunately, they should pay you to have to step in to the place, because the cigarette smoke is stifling, the racing is atrocious, and half the self service machines were ancient. I can't believe I went there multiple times.
12. The Meadowlands. I've been there once for t-breds, and once for harness, and it doesn't improve either way. It was frigid, the food in the clubhouse restaurant was woeful, the place is filled with cigarette smoke, and the sightlines sucked in most of the building.
13. Pimlico. Quite simply, when Magna finally decides to torch this place for the insurance money, I volunteer to throw out the first match. Lousy neighborhood, a parking lot designed to test your car's off road capabilities, self service machines so old they weren't electronic, they were electric, horrid sightlines that kept you from seeing the other side of the oval from the second floor, and amazingly enough for a gambling establishment, not a single ATM to be found in the joint. It was so bad an experience, I wouldn't have remembered the cigarette smoke if my wife hadn't brought it up a few minutes ago. Whatever I ate there didn't bear remembrance, either.
I am jealous. My travels have been much less extensive, but I am gaining momentum. Added Keeneland and Calder since we met.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your one day record? I am considering trying to complete a Triple Track Trifecta before the summer ends. Begin at TDN, must stay until I cash a win ticket. Travel to PID; cash a ticket. Buzz to MNR to complete the tri.
This would be easy for you. My lousy handicapping will make it a tremendous accomplishment, if I pull it off.
Enjoy DelMar.
I've never done more than two tracks in a day, but I have done four in two days and nine in seven days before.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not going to Del Mar this year. I'm flying to L.A. then heading north.
Pinnacle and Mount Pleasant would love to have you. You'll have to hurry to catch MPM though. Their meet ends at the end of September.
ReplyDeleteWith our upcoming Saratoga trip, my wife and I will have done the magnificent trifecta of Del Mar, Keeneland and Saratoga within a 12 month span....all great tracks - I disagree about Lexington/Keeneland - I think it makes for a wonderful racing weekend. Of course Keeneland is where we honeymooned - 4 days at the races...we have also been to Indiana Downs, Hoosier Park and Churchill Downs from our Indianapolis base.
ReplyDelete