The shrimp, heavens they're tasty!
 

Well, it's that time of the year again, time for live racing at Fairmount Park. Opening Day on Horse Hookey Tuesday brought out 1,800 cheerful souls to watch 9 4-5f dashes in nice 50 degree weather. I was not one of them. However, I longed to be there even though it is probably the worst kept track in North America.

But, be that as it may, it's the only place within an hour of St. Louis to watch live racing. So, I plan to make the trip to the "Mound City" tonight to watch $3200 claimers run 4.5f in the rain from the "luxury" box where one can sit, with a minimum purchase of $8, and play the ponies all while scarfing down on premium roast beef and fried shrimp and watching the tractor trailers go by on I-255 just east of the track.

There are no pick 4's, only DD's, p3's, and $.10 supers. Sometimes the betting system goes down within 4 MTP, so you have to place your wager with about 7 MTP. If the shrimp weren't so good, I could probably remember to do this but I always get screwed at LEAST once by the betting system going down right before a race.

Good luck to anyone else in a similar situation tonight! Jeremy

Your evening sounds fun. Enjoy. This is what I consider real dedication to the Sport of Kings.

Watch out for those Supers! The getaway bet of every crackhead in Ozone Park.

If you take the shrimp away, it reminds me so much of my old stomping grounds, Portland Meadows.

Just a total dump, but the next closest was Emerald Downs in Seattle (which is actually really really nice), so I made do with what I had.

There's nothing nice about them, but you can't really help it anyway, right?

I've always wanted to see Fairmount just once.

oh have a blast... really reminds me of good old Tucson Greyhound Park (TGP) cept they had the $4 steak.. dont remember shrimp

It's dumpy, but the track itself is not bad....it could desparately use some upgrades to the fan seating and betting areas (facilities in general), that's all. It's a very seedy, smoky place, that's about as well as I could describe it! Probably a lot like Portland Meadows from what I can tell from TV.

I would have liked to see it when it and Cahokia Downs were firing on all cylinders. I've heard it was the place to be back then. Long before my time. Rogers Hornsby used to hit the place up back in the 20's on a regular basis. That's kind of cool.

I mean I could always drive down there for a day of racing if I really wanted to. Maybe I'll make a point of it this meet when I'm back in Chicago sometime or next meet. Who knows. The shrimp sounds great too!

I bet it's eerily similar to PM, there is little to no fan seating, just a couple of rows of benches out front. Concrete everywhere, out front near the track, in the building, a few rows of tables for simulcasting just thrown in the middle of the room.

It gets to the point though, where it has its own sick little charm, doesn't it?

They sound exactly alike. And, you're right, it does have some weird appeal after a while. I mean, I could just do something else tonight and play some races tomorrow online, but I don't think I will. I would much rather go be a participant in the spectacle. And a spectacle it is on Fridays when the young crowd comes out for Party at the Park. If you ever drive down, let me know and I'll meet you over there to partake in the action.

part of a 1999 article from the StL Post Dispatch...

In more modern times, local horse racing flourished on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.

Fairmount Park opened in Collinsville in 1925, and the first running of Fairmount Derby took place the next year. The New York Times even described Haste's victory.

In 1947, Fairmount became the only one-mile racetrack in the world with night lighting. People reportedly came "from Europe and Australia to see the spectacle."

The following year, Fairmount began harness racing and conducted what was said to be the first night harness race over a mile track in the United States.

Betting on the horses became such a popular pastime that a second track, Cahokia Downs, opened in 1954.

But racing's hold gradually declined. Cahokia Downs closed in 1979 and Fairmount announced this year that it will not run harness racing after the current meet winds up on New Year's Eve, ending a 52-year run. Brian Zander, the track's general manager, is putting all his efforts into trying to revive thoroughbred racing in this era of competition from legalized casino gambling, which has siphoned off many of the gambling dollars that Fairmount reaped.

all I know is that you should never buy a hamburger at Fairmont. :eek:

I was told the trak is laid out very similiar to Hawthorne Race Course. I would sometimes catch a longshot going north. Fairmont horses to well at Ellis Park also.

My last live racing memory at Fairmont was of James Bielby mock whipping a 3/5 favorite down the stretch waiting to get caught and he did. He rides past the 'stands' holding his butt and going "ow e ow e ow e"

oh, just remembered I bet a twin tri there one time. Thought I had it and they took my horse down real fast and paid it off before I saw a single replay.

Another guy told me he was doing the math on the place pool and found a good betting oppurtunity. He made a large place wager then when he got paid he was like.. the math doesn't add up. They got the manager and he told him to take the money and leave. He knew what was going on. They were skimming off the place and show pools. They were eventually caught - forget what happened after that.

oh and I imagine anyone that ventures into one of the surrounding neighborhoods is toast. Especially Washington Park area

have a great time. is that trainer j martinez still there workin miracles?

you mean ralph martinez? lol he doesnt need miracles to win@fairmount when hes got lou obriens money backin him, who was leading owner in the country till the very last day i believe last year

post of the day

When the betting system went out tonight they just decided to go ahead and seal the track.

Had an opportunity to see the track owner in action tonight. He's definitely more worried about which girl's drink he can buy than he is about taking care of the "regulars."

Ralph Martinez is there with Lou O'Brien and they are a machine. Tonight it was the Rafael Manuel Hernandez show. I caught on a little too late. Again, I blame the damn shrimp ;)

You can keep the shrimp. I will get some crawfish at the Fair Grounds tommorrow! :D And an ice cold Miller Lite. Nothing better......unless its crawfish and hitting the Pick 6!! :eek:

What, are they trying to kill of any thoroughbred racing in the area? Because that is all that Tucson Greyhound Park reminds me of. The owners there are sickening, and make every attempt to kill off real racing in the area, making every attempt to destroy our beloved Rillito Race Track here.

Anyway, enough of getting me stirred up. I am off to the OTB - oh, wait, I cannot, because the Tucson Greyhound Park has destroyed that for the people of Tucson....

ALostTexan

best thing bout fairmount......2 dollar heinekens out on the apron near the paddock@ dat bbq stand

1.50 corona's at the "First Turn Fiesta" :)