My flight out on Sunday got cancelled on account of fire, so I just got back last night. I want to do the day first and then I\'ll have several things to say, possibly later today.
As far as my day, I didn\'t cash a ticket at the track, but had a future book bet on PP in the Classic (one of only 2 I made, the other being the field in the same race) which got me most of my money back. No, I wouldn\'t have bet the horse to win at 14-1, but he was one of 4 I used in exotics in the race given the way the Frankel and Eastern horses were running. I made the bet because the horse was based in Cal, I heard he was training great, he was pointing for the race and therefore likely to make it to the gate (which lots of others were not and did not), there was a real chance other trainers might not be able to get numbers on BC day (more to follow), he figured to go off shorter in the race than the futures since at that point he hadn\'t run in a long time, and his pattern of development was such that he might have some improvement left. It will be interesting to see whether he jumped, improved just a little, or the race collapsed.
You got lucky. Waiting until 5am to take off after a 2nd long day at the races was no day at the beach, though it was in keeping with having to cross an angry picket line to get a form, dealing with the traffic, heat, smoke(a few were wearing Sars-type masks Sun),long BC betting lines, concessions which were out of food before the races even started,etc. I feel very bad for the poor victims of this terrible tragedy, but I also understood where W. Ando was coming from when he suggested that the entire area be fenced off & turned into an amusement park named \"Living Hell.\" It\'s a magnificent facility in a beautiful setting, but I hope they don\'t get the BC for at least another 10 yrs.
So SA is the only place with long betting lines, traffic, etc...? Lets not get carried away:
1)what picket lines did you have to cross to get a form? I printed mine online, and I also picked one up at the track with no problem.
2)I didn\'t have a problem with traffic. I stayed in Covina, left at 8am and arrived at 8:40am. Minimal wait to get in the lot. Traffic wasn\'t an issue, unless you left later. If you know a venue will have 50k people, plan for it and leave a little earlier than normal.
3)Yes, it was warmer than normal. But that didn\'t keep the European horses from sweeping the turf races, so heat wasn\'t a problem. Would you rather sit in the rain, or 30 degree weather?
4) Smoke. As if tragic firestorms are a regular occurrence. This was a freak event. It has no bearing on your argument to not come back.
5)Long betting lines. I hardly think this is a SA phenomenon. I have experienced worse lines at the County fair w/ 5k people. Any racetrack w/ 50,000 people will have lines. I wouldn\'t suggest getting in line 5 minutes before post, but I didn\'t have any problems placing bets.
6)Concessions out of food. Later in the day food was scarce, but to say before the races started? Ridiculous.
7) A magnificent facility in a beautiful setting. Couldn\'t agree more.
So basically California race fans shouldn\'t be able to enjoy the BC because of your perceived \"inconveniences\"?? I don\'t like the rain, so lets not have it at Churchill or Belmont. Gulfstream Park gets a little warm too. Arlington was pretty cold. Anyone can find something to pick at regardless of the venue. All I know is that I got to see some great racing at one of the great racetracks in the country. Sorry you didn\'t enjoy yourself.
Post Edited (10-28-03 18:47)
I think what my friend was trying to say is that the BC does a terrible job taking care of customers. They have an entire year to plan, they should have thousands of SAM machines and tellers so you don\'t have to spend 25 min in line. The same thing happens at BEl, CD, etc. Why pay $75 for a BC ticket to deal with this when you can go to Vegas, get free drinks and room for betting the same amount of money?
The grocery store workers were on strike, or so it appeared. I\'ve been to 3/4s of the BCs, & these were the worst betting lines I\'ve seen yet, apparently because many of the machines were replaced with temps. You quite literally had to get in line at the conclusion of the previous race in order to get a bet in on the next race. As for the attendance, I thought 51k was a lot less than they were expecting, & I\'m pretty sure there were bigger crowds at each of the other venues you mention. Nonetheless, I actually enjoyed the racing immensely & am not suggesting that the BC never be held in California again, or that I won\'t be back if it is, assuming I\'m still around. More than anything, I found the whole experience almost surreal, particularly on Sun. It seemed to me bizarre to be watching & betting on horses running around in a circle with the smoke from burning homes rising in the background.
I\'ve only been to the BC in 93,97,and 2003. You have been to more than that so I will take your word when comparing this to others. I just didn\'t agree w/ some of your opinions. I will agree that the tellers were not good, one had to ask a co-worker how to punch an exacta box. As far as SAMs, if you could ever invent one that had a trap door for those taking more than 60 sec. or are flipping thru their form while not punching any buttons you could make a fortune. I have many friends that enjoy the racebook/simulcast experience, but I\'ll take live racing with the inherent inconveniences any day. Seeing these magnificent animals in the flesh is something that the TV screen can\'t duplicate. That to me is worth the $125 I paid for a ticket. Even with the cancelled flights thrown in.
I misinterpreted your comments on not having it in Cal again. I think SA is a great place to hold this event, better than having it in the middle of the \'hood (Hollywood Park).
I\'ve been to many BC\'s in a row and thought Santa Anita did a wonderful job. And it certainly is a beautiful setting, one of the nicest in the country. This one was special for me because I got to spend some time with a couple of good friends that I rarely get to see. Just one question. What is any serious horseplayer doing in a betting line anyway?
Frank