ABCs
 

I was out in the driveway with my 5 year old son and we wrote the alphabet.

Once I saw the letters I had the idea of writing track names starting with each letter of the alaphabet. I got stumped by a couple of letters. This is what I came up with off the top of my head.

The ones in Bold are the ones I've been to.

The ones in Italics were suggested by other members.


A queduct
B elmont
C alder
D el Mar
E merald Downs
F reehold
G olden Gate
H ollywood
I ndiana Downs - 3Kings
J amaica - Holland Hacker after think about Man O'War I came up with this one. J agerso (Sweden) - Scanman
K eeneland
L one star - Sightseek
M onmouth
N arragansett
O aklawn
P hiladelphia Park & Keystone
Q
R udiso
S ARATOGA, S portsman Park
T ampa Bay Downs
U ttoxeter (United Kingdom) - My Miss Storm Cat
V ichy - My Miss Storm Cat
W oodbine - Added later
X
Y orkshire - Sightseek; Y avapai - Bigsmc
Z ia Park

Ones I came up with afterwards

L iberty Bell
W oodbine (DUH)

Can anyone help me with the Rest

What an innovative way to teach the alphabet!

L = Lone Star

Y = Yorkshire

w --woodbine

Disregard Woodbine I didn't see it listed.

I-Indiana Downs

Perhaps next time I'll do horses names.

Before or after you teach your son to read the Form?

Yavapai

Vellejo Fair in CA.

I think we'll start with the names then go into the program than we'll get to the Form and than the Thorograph Sheets.

Believe it or Not I actually got the idea from him as when I wrote the letter M he said Monmouth Park.

I think I have actually created a "monster" and he's only 5. He loves watching Thoroughbred Action on FSN or the racing on TVG.

That's great!

I was obsessed with staring at my grandfather's statue of Man O' War...your son is headed in the right direction! ;)

one way to learn numbers are from race programs too. all the speed figures, times, etc.
also, good way to learn money and make change is from payouts.

I learned alot of the numbers from looking at point spreads for football/basketball games growing up.

U - Uttoxeter

V - Vichy

Man O'War, now he was a Great Horse. I just finished reading Man O'War by Dorothy Ours. I never realized how outstanding that horse was. Too think he never ran farther than six furlongs as a two year old. It kinda made me think about how much the two year olds are "pushed" these days. Although he raced 10 times as a two year old between June 19 and September 13 they were all at six furlongs or less. I would have loved to see his Lawrence Realization where he won by 100 lengths:eek: . Yes he didn't beat much but 100 lengths covering 1 5/8ths in 2:40. and going the last 3/8s in 37 1/5.

On a side note I can't believe that the Jockey Club had so much power and could destroy a Jockey or Trainers life almost on a whim.

I high recommend the book as it was a good read.

I had to go outside of the USA for these:

J - Jagersro (Sweden)
Q - Queanbeyan (Australia)
U - Uttoxeter (United Kingdom)
V - Varese (Italy)

And yes, I've been to all 4.

You'll be hard pressed to find a track that starts with X. I've been able to catelog 1172 tracks in 68 countries and couldn't find one.

I own it but it is on a very long list of books to get through...

This is mostly photo to music but there is some video footage of Man O' War as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Xkunfywo4

I don't think another living creature (except maybe my cat) stood more proud!

Thanks that was neat.

It freaked me out to seem a horse running clockwise at Belmont. I knew they ran that way, but to actually see it was kind or wierd.

Thanks, you will truly enjoy the book, I know it opened my eyes.

I cant think of any (X) track. If you want to keep it horse use Xalapa

That is great! My son is 4 and he loves going to Monmouth. (He does have to learn to keep his mouth shut when I win. He is very fast to tell Mommy that Daddy has won. On those rare occasions). He knows the colors of all the saddlecloths up to the ten. Hell I was 23 when I finally learned them all. Sometimes when I am watching the Meadowlands he asks why the 8 horse is grey and not pink, it's a little scary. Eddie Castro is his favorite jockey because he gave him a pair of goggles a few weeks ago. He asks "is that Eddie" when any jock walks by. Although daddy had some choice words for Eddie after the ride he gave in the first at Monmouth this past Saturday. Let's just say that the word "screwed" is now in my sons vocabulary. His favorite horse is Secrecherrio, well that's what he calls him. He has all knids of Secretariat stuff in his room. I just hope he grows up to love the sport the way I love it. I look foward to taking him (and his new baby brother) to Saratoga some day.

Newbury, and y would be York and not Yorkshire as thats the County:D