Springbreak. A word that conjures up beach, sun, and partying for the college crowd. A word that strikes fear into mothers of school-age kids with the constant, "Mommy, can I have a Fruit Roll-Up?" (No) or "Mommy, I want to go to the park," (It's raining) or "Mommy, there's nothing on TV! I'm soooo bored," (Read a book).
This morning, while my daughters are momentarily scurrying about the house and building some sort of fort with my good sofa cushions, I have managed to snag the computer to remark about another of my favorite spring-flings: the Azeri Breeders' Cup (gr. III) at Oaklawn.
Okay, okay, okay ... I know that it was Saturday and it seems rather pointless to tout any particular filly or mare unless there was a distinct possibility that one might get trapped in some type of time loop, something akin to a Star Trek episode. But the story of Happy Ticket is just so ... well, happy.
Happy Ticket, a Louisiana-bred, had enjoyed an outstanding racing career in her home state, beating up on the competition. Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, Louisiana Downs - she was pretty much unbeatable. Eventually, she was sent out into the Great Big Wide Horse World, away from her Louisiana-bred competition, and raced against the likes of Madcap Escapade and Ashado. Where I did not make very much money on Happy Ticket when she ran here in the South, I put her in exactas when she ran at Belmont and Saratoga. I will never forget last fall, when she chased down Ashado in the Beldame (gr. I), coming in second by a half-length at 10-1. Easy money.
The Azeri had Happy Ticket facing another fine filly, Round Pond. Round Pond is trained by John Servis, who invented Oaklawn as a great venue for winning great races when he invented Smarty Jones. A Round Pond/Happy Ticket exact was not going to pay much, "Not worth the effort to even box the thing, " I scoffed. So, I did something that I rarely do: I bet the exacta straight - with Happy Ticket right on top. I bet the trifecta straight - with Happy Ticket right on top again. And we all know the outcome of the race and we all know that my wagering tickets were not happy ones. But it was a thrilling race; a true horse race and a testimony to a couple of fine horses and their trainers, jockeys, owners, and whatever they had for breakfast.
Speaking of breakfast, I hear a little whining voice, "Mommy, I'm hungry!" When does school start again?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006
Prime Rib and Nick Zito
John Records, manager extraordinaire from Lone Star Park, ensured that I would have a table at Ten Palms at Gulfstream Park last Saturday for the Fountain of Youth. The restaurant would be closed as it was to be used for horsemen and trainers and their entourage. But I was thrilled to have a little two-seat table, tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, even if it meant I actually had to watch the races on a monitor. This location would afford me the opportunity to saunter about the room, mill throughout the crowd, perhaps rub elbows with H. Allen Jerkens and ask him some hard-hitting, fact-finding questions like, "What does the 'H' stand for in your name?"
My little two-seat table inside the grandstand did not happen. I got upgraded.
While waiting for the gates to open, I struck up a conversation with a couple of friendly octogenarian gentlemen, John and Pat. When I mentioned that I was by myself and would be sitting inside Ten Palms, they kindly asked if I would join them, as they had a table for four outside. "It's a pretty good #&^@! seat," said John (a former WWII marine, thus he's quite comfortable tossing around colorful metaphors). Well, this so-called pretty good seat was directly at the finish line, on the terrace, above the winners circle. At that very moment, if I did not even cash in one single winning ticket, I was lucky.
Prime seat and prime rib. Plenty of winners ... Wend, Running Lass, Exclusive Quality, and (almost) Corinthian. Even Nick Zito came out onto the terrace and stood at our table to watch the races. That's how good the vantage was from our seats. Pat calmly asked, "Nick, you wanna sit down?" as if he was chatting with his barber. Well, Nick did not sit down nor offer any conversation. He was not exactly having a winning day. And he would have looked so good in the winners circle with that dapper green tie that he wore.
As it turns out, John had had box seats at Gulfstream for 35 years. I asked him what his feelings were about the new facility. He smirked and replied, "It don't make no #$%^&! difference. I'm a gambler; I like the horses best."
So, there seems to be some sort of sideways-upside-contorted point to this whole pilgrimage to Gulfstream Park. There were horses. There was some great races. There were winning tickets. There were losing wagers. There was perfect weather. There were new friends and great camaraderie. Gulfstream Park, whatever its pricetag, was just the venue.
Maybe sometime this summer, a little drive up to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, and Blue Ribbon Downs is in order. I wonder if they have prime rib on the menu?
My little two-seat table inside the grandstand did not happen. I got upgraded.
While waiting for the gates to open, I struck up a conversation with a couple of friendly octogenarian gentlemen, John and Pat. When I mentioned that I was by myself and would be sitting inside Ten Palms, they kindly asked if I would join them, as they had a table for four outside. "It's a pretty good #&^@! seat," said John (a former WWII marine, thus he's quite comfortable tossing around colorful metaphors). Well, this so-called pretty good seat was directly at the finish line, on the terrace, above the winners circle. At that very moment, if I did not even cash in one single winning ticket, I was lucky.
Prime seat and prime rib. Plenty of winners ... Wend, Running Lass, Exclusive Quality, and (almost) Corinthian. Even Nick Zito came out onto the terrace and stood at our table to watch the races. That's how good the vantage was from our seats. Pat calmly asked, "Nick, you wanna sit down?" as if he was chatting with his barber. Well, Nick did not sit down nor offer any conversation. He was not exactly having a winning day. And he would have looked so good in the winners circle with that dapper green tie that he wore.
As it turns out, John had had box seats at Gulfstream for 35 years. I asked him what his feelings were about the new facility. He smirked and replied, "It don't make no #$%^&! difference. I'm a gambler; I like the horses best."
So, there seems to be some sort of sideways-upside-contorted point to this whole pilgrimage to Gulfstream Park. There were horses. There was some great races. There were winning tickets. There were losing wagers. There was perfect weather. There were new friends and great camaraderie. Gulfstream Park, whatever its pricetag, was just the venue.
Maybe sometime this summer, a little drive up to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, and Blue Ribbon Downs is in order. I wonder if they have prime rib on the menu?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Gulfstream Park Ain't Your Grandpa's Racetrack
Last Saturday morning, while sitting at breakfast, drinking my robust coffee and eating Eggs a la Mystery, I happened to strike up a conversation with a gentleman, Pete Kules. As it turns out, he's a broadcaster for some radio station in some area of Kentucky, and has been involved in horse racing since Thomas Darley brought his Arabian to England.
Free Plug
Pete Kules' radio show is also podcast from his website, www.equineforum.net, Saturday mornings, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m., EST
I asked Pete what his impression was of the new Gulfstream Park. Here is a snippet of his answers:
At some point during the conversation, I attempted to suggest that maybe the Powers That Be, i.e., Frank Stronach and company, were making some attempt of changing the style and perception of horse racing. I'm not sure he heard me, as he continued with his opinion of the sport of horse racing in general:
Sad to say, his impressions were pretty much on the nose. Friday's attendance was a sparse 4,640. Even on Saturday, a stakes-filled race card with a cavalcade of horses, the attendance was only 10,250 with approximately 300 of those who actually had a view of the track.
In my expertise, which in reality doesn't count because I have only been to a handful of racetracks but I just like the word 'expertise', Gulfstream Park is morphing from just-a-racetrack to an all powerful and mighty Entertainment Venue Extraordinaire Throughout The Year.
Example: Gulfstream Park just opened it's new restaurant/bar/sports theater called Tickets. It was free to the public on Friday afternoon, and sure enough, it's a theater. As a matter of fact, David Brenner will be performing there on March 11th (I didn't even know that he was still alive). And the cover of the menu even says, Ticket Sports Theatre in the Village of Gulfstream Park.
And in honor of the fact that Tickets is actually located at a racetrack, there are large simulcast screens located above the stage. I wondered around the facility, and in un-racetrack style, there were only a mere 3 self-serve wagering machines. Hmm.
The second floor of the grandstand is now occupied by the restaurant Ten Palms. I was expecting something intimate, with tables lined along the window, exceptional and unobstructed views of the track, similar to Silks at Lone Star Park. Instead, the restaurant is as large as a banquet hall, with a plethora of tables and chairs. There is a lower portion of the restaurant that does afford views of the racetrack, however the majority of seats are at one level, behind some type of wall or divider, obstructing the view of the track. If one wishes to watch the race, there are plenty of monitors located against the wall, opposite of the track. Admittedly, the menu is first class, as is the maitre 'd, Jim Tarpey. He is exceptionally friendly and warm, just like a big ol' teddy bear (and that is a very big compliment by this blogger). In the future, should you book a table at Ten Palms, just ask for Jim and you shall be taken care of.
Third floor of the grandstand, which I was unable to access because I lacked a certain VIP status, is where about 1500 slot machines will be placed. In the meantime, the upstairs seats went for $75 a pop on Saturday.
Regardless of what the grandstand is supposed to be, the track and infield are beautiful, the racing excellent, and the weather (unless you are Patrick) fantastic. My only gripe was that I could not see the start of one-turn mile races, as I'm pretty sure the gate was located somewhere near Key Largo.
Tune in for Super Saturday Stakes Day, including the Swale Stakes, Fountain of Youth, and Close Encounters of the Zito Kind.
Free Plug
Pete Kules' radio show is also podcast from his website, www.equineforum.net, Saturday mornings, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m., EST
I asked Pete what his impression was of the new Gulfstream Park. Here is a snippet of his answers:
"That's not a horse track! That's a casino with a strip of dirt around it!"
"The old grandstand used to accommodate 35,000 people every day. Now the outside area in front of the grandstand only can seat 900 people! It should be 9,000!"
"That paddock? Whoever designed that was drunk! Somebody's going to killed."
At some point during the conversation, I attempted to suggest that maybe the Powers That Be, i.e., Frank Stronach and company, were making some attempt of changing the style and perception of horse racing. I'm not sure he heard me, as he continued with his opinion of the sport of horse racing in general:
"They don't even know how to market the sport. Gulfstream Park can't even muster a crowd of 3,000 people of on a Friday afternoon. I can find more people at the bars going up and down US1 than I can find at the track."
Sad to say, his impressions were pretty much on the nose. Friday's attendance was a sparse 4,640. Even on Saturday, a stakes-filled race card with a cavalcade of horses, the attendance was only 10,250 with approximately 300 of those who actually had a view of the track.
In my expertise, which in reality doesn't count because I have only been to a handful of racetracks but I just like the word 'expertise', Gulfstream Park is morphing from just-a-racetrack to an all powerful and mighty Entertainment Venue Extraordinaire Throughout The Year.
Example: Gulfstream Park just opened it's new restaurant/bar/sports theater called Tickets. It was free to the public on Friday afternoon, and sure enough, it's a theater. As a matter of fact, David Brenner will be performing there on March 11th (I didn't even know that he was still alive). And the cover of the menu even says, Ticket Sports Theatre in the Village of Gulfstream Park.
And in honor of the fact that Tickets is actually located at a racetrack, there are large simulcast screens located above the stage. I wondered around the facility, and in un-racetrack style, there were only a mere 3 self-serve wagering machines. Hmm.
The second floor of the grandstand is now occupied by the restaurant Ten Palms. I was expecting something intimate, with tables lined along the window, exceptional and unobstructed views of the track, similar to Silks at Lone Star Park. Instead, the restaurant is as large as a banquet hall, with a plethora of tables and chairs. There is a lower portion of the restaurant that does afford views of the racetrack, however the majority of seats are at one level, behind some type of wall or divider, obstructing the view of the track. If one wishes to watch the race, there are plenty of monitors located against the wall, opposite of the track. Admittedly, the menu is first class, as is the maitre 'd, Jim Tarpey. He is exceptionally friendly and warm, just like a big ol' teddy bear (and that is a very big compliment by this blogger). In the future, should you book a table at Ten Palms, just ask for Jim and you shall be taken care of.
Third floor of the grandstand, which I was unable to access because I lacked a certain VIP status, is where about 1500 slot machines will be placed. In the meantime, the upstairs seats went for $75 a pop on Saturday.
Regardless of what the grandstand is supposed to be, the track and infield are beautiful, the racing excellent, and the weather (unless you are Patrick) fantastic. My only gripe was that I could not see the start of one-turn mile races, as I'm pretty sure the gate was located somewhere near Key Largo.
Tune in for Super Saturday Stakes Day, including the Swale Stakes, Fountain of Youth, and Close Encounters of the Zito Kind.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Journey to the Fountain of Youth
Last Thursday morning, I took a trip away from home - away from the children, husband, dogs, unending piles of laundry, bag boys at the grocery store with an attitude - all by myself. Entirely a self-serving pleasure and a strong desire for spiritual rebirth. Not a whole lot different than that of Ponce de Leon in 1513. Except for when he landed in Florida, there wasn't a racetrack.
I took very thorough notes over the weekend. Pages and pages. And I have come to the conclusion that nobody really wants to read the story of the flight attendant dumping coffee on my lap, or the German gentleman sitting next to me who has logged over three million frequent flyer miles selling dental implants, caps, bridges, and "other oral devices", whatever "other oral devices" might actually be and would they be seen in a family-friendly type television show.
Gulfstream Park. A place where I rubbed elbows with Nick Zito. I tripped over Jeremy Rose. I admired Todd Pletcher's hair - and in response to recent musings from John, Todd Pletcher's hair has to stay perfect because he is constantly having his picture taken in the Winner's Circle. I had a few beers. I got a little sunburned. I picked a few winners. I picked a lot of losers. I wandered and roamed every accessible inch of the new facility. And I formed an opinion about the new Gulfstream Park.
It's big.
When I say big, I don't mean big. I mean behemoth big. I mean mastodon stomping on the caveman in that very funny FedEx commercial big.
Going to Gulfstream requires a substantial amount of walking, which is usually counterproductive to my objective, i.e., being lazy. It's a relatively long distance for Joe and/or Josie Horseplayer to observe the horses in the walking ring - forget the paddock - and walk through the breezeway of the grandstand and out to the apron and to the rail to continue observing the horses in the post parade. Maybe the original designers of this element deemed it unnecessary for convenient crowd flow because they felt that most of the clientele were, how shall I say, not as nimble as they used to be.
There has been grumblings about the fountain in the walking ring. Looks nice. It appears to be some sort of aesthetic quality to the facility. Whatever.
I strolled through the crowd and sought out opinions. A couple from New Jersey come to Gulfstream every year. Mrs. New Jersey said, "It's nice if you don't want to see the horses." The statement is very plausible, as there are few vantage points to actually watch live racing. Where there were once 35,720,432 seats in the old grandstand, there appears to be a mere 900 or so. Monitors are accessible everywhere. But I didn't fly to Florida to watch races on the simulcast screen.
Of note, Mr. New Jersey declared that I had to make a trip to Monmouth Park. He declared that it is "the most beautiful track."
"Hah!" I said, "Lone Star Park is gorgeous!"
"Monmouth," he countered.
"Lone Star!"
"Monmouth!"
"Lone Star!"
Whew. Post time for Race 10, an allowance 1 mile turf. I liked the Kiaran McLaughlin trained horse, Forecourt (Ire), but the Frankel horse, Royal Stamp, who's been off for a year, made me a little jittery. Should've have listened to my jitters.
Up next: Tickets, Ten Palms, and the One Turn Mile
I took very thorough notes over the weekend. Pages and pages. And I have come to the conclusion that nobody really wants to read the story of the flight attendant dumping coffee on my lap, or the German gentleman sitting next to me who has logged over three million frequent flyer miles selling dental implants, caps, bridges, and "other oral devices", whatever "other oral devices" might actually be and would they be seen in a family-friendly type television show.
Gulfstream Park. A place where I rubbed elbows with Nick Zito. I tripped over Jeremy Rose. I admired Todd Pletcher's hair - and in response to recent musings from John, Todd Pletcher's hair has to stay perfect because he is constantly having his picture taken in the Winner's Circle. I had a few beers. I got a little sunburned. I picked a few winners. I picked a lot of losers. I wandered and roamed every accessible inch of the new facility. And I formed an opinion about the new Gulfstream Park.
It's big.
When I say big, I don't mean big. I mean behemoth big. I mean mastodon stomping on the caveman in that very funny FedEx commercial big.
Going to Gulfstream requires a substantial amount of walking, which is usually counterproductive to my objective, i.e., being lazy. It's a relatively long distance for Joe and/or Josie Horseplayer to observe the horses in the walking ring - forget the paddock - and walk through the breezeway of the grandstand and out to the apron and to the rail to continue observing the horses in the post parade. Maybe the original designers of this element deemed it unnecessary for convenient crowd flow because they felt that most of the clientele were, how shall I say, not as nimble as they used to be.
There has been grumblings about the fountain in the walking ring. Looks nice. It appears to be some sort of aesthetic quality to the facility. Whatever.
I strolled through the crowd and sought out opinions. A couple from New Jersey come to Gulfstream every year. Mrs. New Jersey said, "It's nice if you don't want to see the horses." The statement is very plausible, as there are few vantage points to actually watch live racing. Where there were once 35,720,432 seats in the old grandstand, there appears to be a mere 900 or so. Monitors are accessible everywhere. But I didn't fly to Florida to watch races on the simulcast screen.
Of note, Mr. New Jersey declared that I had to make a trip to Monmouth Park. He declared that it is "the most beautiful track."
"Hah!" I said, "Lone Star Park is gorgeous!"
"Monmouth," he countered.
"Lone Star!"
"Monmouth!"
"Lone Star!"
Whew. Post time for Race 10, an allowance 1 mile turf. I liked the Kiaran McLaughlin trained horse, Forecourt (Ire), but the Frankel horse, Royal Stamp, who's been off for a year, made me a little jittery. Should've have listened to my jitters.
Up next: Tickets, Ten Palms, and the One Turn Mile
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Off to the Races ...
Alan has been there. Patrick has been there. John has been there. Andy has been there. It's time for me to take my turn.
A few weeks ago, my husband decided that I need a little 'Attitude Adjustment' weekend and encouraged me to take a short retreat from the busy days of motherhood, work, housecleaning, and hauling our various animals to the vet. "Anywhere you want to go. I'll take a couple of days off, take care of the girls." (read: "Sit around the house in my shorts, eat pizza, and not have to shave"). So, Mr. I-Have-More-Frequent-Flyer-Miles-Than-You'll-Ever-Have-In-Your-Lifetime booked me off to Miami, Florida this weekend, specifically for me to attend the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream.
So folks, I'm off to the airport with my plan to start this "vacation" at the Admirals Club and read my Daily Racing Form and find out why I'm viewing a headline that pronounces that Magna has over $100 million in losses last year.
Gotta run! Dad's Taxi is ready to go!
A few weeks ago, my husband decided that I need a little 'Attitude Adjustment' weekend and encouraged me to take a short retreat from the busy days of motherhood, work, housecleaning, and hauling our various animals to the vet. "Anywhere you want to go. I'll take a couple of days off, take care of the girls." (read: "Sit around the house in my shorts, eat pizza, and not have to shave"). So, Mr. I-Have-More-Frequent-Flyer-Miles-Than-You'll-Ever-Have-In-Your-Lifetime booked me off to Miami, Florida this weekend, specifically for me to attend the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream.
So folks, I'm off to the airport with my plan to start this "vacation" at the Admirals Club and read my Daily Racing Form and find out why I'm viewing a headline that pronounces that Magna has over $100 million in losses last year.
Gotta run! Dad's Taxi is ready to go!
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