Fun times at the race track...
First off, I don't pretend to be an expert in this matter. What little I do know is simply a result of trial and error. It's my opinion that there's no rhyme nor reason to the outcome, but some might argue differently. To them, I tip my hat and say 'bravo'. To me, picking the winning horse seems more like throwing everything up in the air and watching the chips fall where they may. One thing is clear though, everyone seems to have their own system.
Secondly, I want to say that I had the wrong idea about the whole horse racing environment. I guess it comes from watching a little too much TV as a kid growing up. I had this vision of the race track as a place for murky deals, shady horse drugging, big money exchanging hands, unsavory practices, and men from the 1950's wearing dress hats and smoking fat cigars. Well...not quite.
In reality, you see everything from babies in strollers, to little kids, to the elderly and/or infirm. Typical families, friends, and buddies. No obvious business suits, drunkards, cheats, or urchins among them. Only couples, moms and dads, extended families and neighbours. I expect all those include owners and trainers milling around, but it's hard to tell who's who. It's quite heartwarming to find such a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment for the whole family. At Marquis Downs, the parking is free and there's lots of it. Admission is negligible at only $2.00 or $5.00 with the purchase of a program. You never have to spend another cent, unless you want to eat or bet. I would recommend getting a program because it's chalk full of great information about each horse and its racing history.
You can walk around, or lean on the fence awhile and watch the horses as they move about the paddock. In that same area, which is off to the side of the track there's a set of covered, open-air stables with horses, and people who work with them like trainers, owners, jockeys etc. coming and going as they prepare for the next race. Beside this there's also an ambulance on stand-by...a rather stark reminder that the sport isn't entirely fun and games. In fact, the whole crowd lends a sober moment to the event as it stands at attention right around 6:00 p.m. for the singing of 'O Canada'.
Outside comes the fresh air and the elements where you can remain for quite some time. As it gets past supper and into early evening, often a chill hits the air and people tend to move indoors. Outside has it's advantages with the birds-eye-view vantage point from either the bleachers or the picnic tables down closer to the track's fence. Your sense of smell will be stimulated by the animals as you hear, see and smell the horses parade by, snorting and blowing, trotting alongside their outriders...You can get an idea of how well they might perform right there. They are either throwing their heads and raising their tails or prancing along peacefully. Mostly, each horse and jockey is paired with another horse and rider holding the racing horse's head, presumably to keep it calm and possibly giving it some self-confidence if that's an issue.
If you prefer, you can stay inside the building the whole time. seated at a table watching everything through the glass. You really don't miss a thing inside or out with the announcer giving you his minute-by-minute report. There's also a large digital screen directly within your view and across from the seating area. It's set up on the inside of the track and squarely behind the finish line. This board keeps track of a multitude of things, especially how much money was bet so far on each horse, for each race (one race at a time)...which horse came in first, second, third, etc. and whether it's considered a photo finish. A variety of other things show up on the screen that I haven't really deciphered yet.
Now, for the average joe trying to navigate the whole process, it becomes like a puzzle, but so satisfying as you unravel it! First off, the doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race is at 6:35 p.m. on the dot. If you're late, you will miss it, since from what I can see everything is done precisely on the clock (as much as possible). One race was later because while the horses assembled in the starting gate, the announcement was made that "one horse was on its knees."...Needless to say, that horse was a 'scratch' and money was returned to anybody who had bet on him/her.
There is wheelchair accessible parking very close to the entrance, so remember your tag if you have one. If you can get dropped off at the door, that's good too. If you're someone who has a harder time getting around, be comforted to know there is an elevator just around the corner inside the entry. Send yourself to the 3rd floor, but be sure to obey the elevator sign which says something to the effect of, "No horsing around in the elevator or you'll be asked to leave". Apt, I thought.
If you want a hamburger, you have to go outside where they're being bbq'd. Good idea because of all the smoke. There are several concession booths inside too. For example, on the 3rd floor you could get beef or pulled pork on a bun with potato salad or marinated vegetables. There is a small assortment of booze...beer and wine (served in a plastic glass)....two drinks cost $13.50...so cheaper than the usual $7.00 for one at other places. On the main floor I saw a menu for things like chicken fingers, fries, and onion rings along with the usual potato chips, chocolate bars, and pop. There is also an actual restaurant on the third floor where you can sit by the window and apparently be served a meal. I can't say for sure because I didn't venture inside.
Lining the counters inside on each of the three floors are ticket machines with salespeople waiting for you to place your bet. They are delightful, positive people with big smiles and encouraging comments. The people who line up in front of and behind you tend to be jovial about their savvy guessing and potential winnings...For instance, most people I know will bet the minimum $2.00 per race. If you 'bet to win', the horse you pick has to win first place or there will be no pay out. On the other hand, if you 'bet to show', you get a prize if your horse makes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Once I learned this, I knew enough to 'bet to show'. You can also try the Exactor, Triactor, or Quinella for instance, which are all bets that require exact precision, but, of course, all well beyond my level of knowledge and expertise.
Of eight races last night, I won on four which is 50% odds (if only I knew what that really meant when it comes to racing....). The amount you will win depends on how much money was collected from betters like you on that particular horse. So, prior to each race, the board outside will be showing different amounts - #1 may have people who have collectively bet $14 whereas your horse #7 may only have $4 - because fewer people were confident in its abilities. If you can wait until the last minute to place your bet, you will see which horses people are favouriting. For instance, maybe #9 is now showing $46. How that plays out, for instance is, I won $2.10 for 3rd place. So because I was betting $2.00 on the next race, I was up ten cents! I joked about not getting rich, but was reminded it was all in fun. I thought I would do better if I won 1st place, but even when I did, I was surprised to still win $2.10 again...because it's all based on the size of the pot. For one win, I got $3.30, but my uncle won over $5.00. All for $2.00 bets. You just never know. Oh my goodness, this is starting to sound rather pro-ish....boorish...which I am NOT trying to be.
OK, you've got your spot to sit. You've got your food, drink, program and pen....Now, find the list of races inside the program....(they start about page 14 in a roughly 35 page document). The page looks to be a schmozz of information...It's worth your while to find the instructions on how to interpret what you see (found early on in the book). If you take the time to really examine the information closely, you may discover some tell-tale patterns. Believe me, you will have time, with the eight races happening approximately one every half hour. You may need reading glasses or a magnifying glass because the writing is super small. You will see the horse's name in big letters and its jockey's name underneath with percentage of races won. In the next column at the top in teeny abbreviations, it tells you the horse's colour (dark brown, grey, black, chestnut). Next is it's owner, breeder, and trainer names. You will see a listing of previous races it was involved in and the outcome. Take account of the comments about how it performed in each race found at the end of a long line of numbers. It's given a rating (I think) for each race. If you find too many results below five, that wouldn't be a good choice for me. My 'system' is to look at those ratings and try to choose the horse with the highest average. I also take into account the comments, if it says 'good effort' or 'driving' beside a 9 or 10, that should be a good sign. If it says 'outrun' or 'tired' beside a 5 or 6 that tells you the opposite. It also lists who the top three winners were for each race that horse participated in previously. To me, if you don't see that horse's name listed as any of the winners at all, that might be a clear sign. Also, check for your horse's name as a winner under any of the competitor's names...are there wins with their name on or none at all?
As the games progressed, my aunt noted the bandaged legs of certain horses as something we should take into consideration. She had just predicted and won first place, so I glommed onto that tidbit and decided to wait until the horses were paraded out in front of us before placing my bet. I then gleefully and most deliberately discounted the one horse with bandaging as having sore legs and therefore, doubtful to win. We placed our bets and waited and watched. Can you believe who won first place? Right. The horse with the bandaged legs. Sheesh. So our logical thinking, which made us think we were ahead of the game, proved really quite pathetic. Do you see why I think there's no rhyme nor reason to who will win?
Others have a system that they follow based on who the jockey is. I was convinced that if a particular jockey rode back-to-back races, then I would have to discount him. Wrong. I also tried the system that it must be high time a certain renowned jockey won and I saw that work first hand. I tried using the horse that had my littlest grandson's name in it....lost. I tried the horse where I had heard of the owner/trainer/breeder's name from a community where I had taught. He won 2nd place. If a jockey was substituted by another at the last minute and it was a renowned jockey..., I went with the horse and I won 1st place on that one. I looked at the fact that another horse had won first place in a previous race and I won 3rd place twice.
As it got closer to the end of the last race, dark had fallen and the big track lights came on. You could see the finish line very well, but down the stretch it was pretty much a lost cause. Many people trickled out of the stands and by the end of it all, the rush for the parking lot wasn't as bad as it could have been. It had been an exciting night and one I would heartily recommend!
