Every so often, I'm blown away by certain places or events that impress me beyond my wildest imagination. OK, maybe I'm going a little overboard, but there are some things that stick out in my mind that have exceeded my expectations over the years like:
- First time out to Vegas at the Monte Carlo
- First time out to Vegas during the NCAA Tournament
- Cole Field House
- US Track and Field Championships
- Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium
- Telluride
- Maui
- Girona, Spain
- Terps win at the Chic Filet Bowl
- Dog Pound in old Municipal Stadium
Well on Saturday I ventured down to Del Mar Racetrack. My buddy's brother in law, who is easily the brightest and sharpest horse handicapper that I know, has told me over the years that Del Mar is the greatest place to go for horses. Well, I finally went down to the track on Saturday and let me say that this place is absolutely amazing. The track is set up right off of the PCH and is about one mile from the beach, so its stays nice and cool, despite it being extremely sunny. I'm used to being in minority when I go to the track, but this time I was outnumbered by hot young women instead of old grandfathers. The women were all dressed up in their spring dresses and tank tops. Absolutely amazing. Next time I go, which will probably be this weekend, I must do my research before I get to the track, since I was too distracted to study my forms. Anyway, they have several restaurants located right next to the track, which looks like a blast. All the seats allow you to view the action and they are all outside. They open the inside of the track for families and picnics, and serve the usual carnival food. The bulk of the seating was reserved box seats, that cost only $10 dollars to get. Not too bad, but they were sold out on the day of the race, so I'll make sure I plan ahead and grab one of the seats. In all, there were probably 30,000 people at the track at least, and it didn't seem packed at all. It had the atmosphere of Preakness sanz the white trash. It was just a huge party!
When people complain about horseracing and how a track can attract people under the age of 50, here is the answer. Set up a nice track that allows for families, the younger crowd, and the old crew to all coexist, which will drive up revenues, and then in turn bring better races to the track. When you compare Hollywood Park to Del Mar, you can see why Del Mar is the premier track and not Hollywood Park, despite Hollywood Park having slots. I'm surprised more tracks have not followed suit with this type of atmosphere.
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