A day at the races

We enjoy horse racing but don't get to the track very often, so it's nice having an excuse to drive down to Emerald Downs. My good riding buddy Dolly is a partial owner of a 4-year old racehorse named Dr. Bruce, and we went to watch him race this weekend.

Brucie had a tough season last year, but he thrilled his owners several weeks ago by winning his first race. He was entered in a $5000 claiming race, and this time the trainer bumped him up into a $7500 race.  (If you know something about Thoroughbred racing you'll understand that, but it doesn't really matter.) Suffice to say that the competition was a notch higher for Dr. Bruce this time around.

The day before we go to the track, John stops at 7-11 and buys the Daily Racing Forum, an incredibly dense "newspaper" packed with statistics, records and tips on every horse running at just about every track in the country.

Here's our winning team strategy at the track:  While John sits drinking a beer looking at Forum statistics, I run over to the paddock viewing area where the horses are saddled and paraded before the next race starts. My incredibly astute equine instincts :-) and gut reaction tells me which horses look especially good that day.

They must be alert and frisky, but not goofing off and wasting energy.  They should be spirited but not acting stupid.  Their feet should look like they are dancing on air and have big springs attached to their hind legs.  They are looking ahead instead of gawking around. Above all, they have that fire in their eye that says they can't wait to RUN.

So, I pick my winning hunches, then dash back to the stands and ask John, "What do you think of that number 3 or 7?"  Depending on the horse's past record and "insider" tips he has gleaned from the Forum, he will say, "I'd go with 3."

Then I rush up to the betting window and stand in line with all sorts of unsavory characters. I place a wimpy, poor-odds bet. Which is usually something like:  Put $5 on number 3 horse to show. 

Then number 3 horse comes in first (he really did!) and I start kicking myself because I didn't bet $100 to win.  So the afternoon passes quickly in this entertaining way.

And then the big moment arrived. Dr. Bruce on his way to the paddock for the 6th race of the day.

And the call, "Riders up!"  I was excited being in the paddock for the first time-- it's great to have an insider friend at the track. Thanks, Dolly.

And now you're wondering, how did Dr. Bruce do?

He finished dead last.  Oh well.  You can't win them all.  There's always that next time. And nothing can beat an afternoon at the track, just horsing around with good friends.

Friends Joe, Dolly, Rene and Carol