Venue for February 2 - Gulfstream

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by cal828

Had to flee back to Arkansas. We have our weather issues here too. I live in the south central part of the state. We have occasional ice storms that usually result in power loss and makes pine trees snap off sounding like the bombardment of Leningrad.

Cal, we'll all have to keep that in mind. When one of us is thinking about selecting Oaklawn as a contest venue (and the Racing Festival of the South is approaching), we'll need to remember to call upon you for a weather forecast.

Are you close enough to Hot Springs to be able to easily get to Oaklawn?

[cal828]

Originally Posted by JolyB

Cal, we'll all have to keep that in mind. When one of us is thinking about selecting Oaklawn as a contest venue (and the Racing Festival of the South is approaching), we'll need to remember to call upon you for a weather forecast.

Are you close enough to Hot Springs to be able to easily get to Oaklawn?

8 miles from my house to Hot Springs. Probably another one or two to Oaklawn.
Weather worries in April, when the festival occurs, might be toad strangling rain, but could also, be beautiful and even fairly hot.

[Real Quiet]

I think Aqueduct will run on Saturday. It's 13 degree's here now but 36 by Saturday with no precipitation since Wednesday. Reminded me of when I was a kid and a few friends of mine jumped in an old car and drove to Bowie Racetrack in some snow and a high around 9. At that time we were making two dollar show bets. A daily double was the only exotic. Didn't drink coffee back in the day but the hot chocolate or tea must have tasted good. In those days racetracks ran in all kinds of weather. Bowie's been gone a long time and while I was only there once I was there.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by Real Quiet

I think Aqueduct will run on Saturday. It's 13 degree's here now but 36 by Saturday with no precipitation since Wednesday. Reminded me of when I was a kid and a few friends of mine jumped in an old car and drove to Bowie Racetrack in some snow and a high around 9. At that time we were making two dollar show bets. A daily double was the only exotic. Didn't drink coffee back in the day but the hot chocolate or tea must have tasted good. In those days racetracks ran in all kinds of weather. Bowie's been gone a long time and while I was only there once I was there.

I remember when Oaklawn had only daily doubles and cashiers and ticket sellers were separate and when there was no simulcasting and when the Oaklawn meet was done they removed the ticket selling machines and shipped them to Churchill so they could be used there. I can remember when Charles Cella finally let Oaklawn have exactas and tris. He resisted it. I think his reasoning was that people who won exactas and tris would take too much money home and not put it back into the wagering pool.

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by cal828

I remember when Oaklawn had only daily doubles and cashiers and ticket sellers were separate and when there was no simulcasting and when the Oaklawn meet was done they removed the ticket selling machines and shipped them to Churchill so they could be used there. I can remember when Charles Cella finally let Oaklawn have exactas and tris. He resisted it. I think his reasoning was that people who won exactas and tris would take too much money home and not put it back into the wagering pool.

We all sound so old. When was the first time all of you went to the track?

For me it was around 1963, I think. I was a junior or senior in high school and lived not far from Monmouth Park. Caddied at a local golf course where many of the members owned thoroughbreds (Monmouth's signature race is named after one of them) and the older caddies all played the horses (at least they talked a good game). Shared an early morning "loop" with one of those older guys, who talked me into going to the races with him that afternoon. The minimum age for wagering was 21, and I looked much younger than my age, but no one ever raised an eyebrow when I stepped up to the window.

Like you, Cal, I recall the separate windows for "bet" and "cash", and different windows depending upon how much you wanted to bet (perhaps a $2, a $5 and $50 window). They had Win, Place and Show and a Daily Double for the first two races only (designed to get patrons to the track early). I sort of remember that there were separate windows for win, place and show, but am not positive of that. The tickets were preprinted pieces of cardboard (if you bet $6 to win, you received 3 tickets for $2 each), and when you won a bet, you only received cash, no paper vouchers. At the end of the day, you usually had a pocketful of dimes since payouts that involved change only paid in dimes. After a race became official, it seemed to take a very long time for the prices to be posted - computers have changed everything.

Things have sure changed since then.

[cal828]

[quote=JolyB;1121300]We all sound so old. {When was the first time all of you went to the track?}

I think it was 1968. About a year after I returned to Arkansas from New York and was in college in South Arkansas. Not sure when the second time was. Moved to Hot Springs in 1976. I remember those $50 windows. I guess the management didn't want the "whales" to have to stand in line with the riff raff like me. I'm not sure that Oaklawn doesn't still have some $50 windows. Obviously, I don't frequent them, but seems like I still see them although I'm sure you could bet $50 now at any window.

[Roamin42]

Racing in the early days was easy. No exotics, only the daily double. I hit all the tracks in NJ at an early age from start to the end of racing in NJ. At that time it started at Garden State Park, then Monmouth, then Atlantic City and end at Garden State Park in OCT. then no more racing till next March.. Got to blame my old man for getting me into this mess. lol. Then the exactas,trifectas, twin doubles, etc. Been doing this for over 60 years and still trying to get even which will never happen but I try to give it hell to get close, and that won't happen either but this is the greatest game going. Love them ponies.

[DonGuido]

[quote=cal828;1121303]

Originally Posted by JolyB

We all sound so old. {When was the first time all of you went to the track?}

I think it was 1968. About a year after I returned to Arkansas from New York and was in college in South Arkansas. Not sure when the second time was. Moved to Hot Springs in 1976. I remember those $50 windows. I guess the management didn't want the "whales" to have to stand in line with the riff raff like me. I'm not sure that Oaklawn doesn't still have some $50 windows. Obviously, I don't frequent them, but seems like I still see them although I'm sure you could bet $50 now at any window.

Let's me see know, '68 I was enjoying the festivities of the US Army going through boot camp at Fort Dix NJ. My wife though, I'm sure kept a keen eye and the T-breds. I made it out of Ft Dix as an E2, went to Fort Lewis, Tacoma for 15 months and then lucked out as an E5 getting a DOD assignment with US Forces High Command in Stuttgart Germany. Oldest daughter was born in Stuttgart-BadConstatt hospital and with an early out came back to the states and started my advanced education at Clemson with much of my wife's help. The rest is history. Horse racing interest for me came a little later in life but my wife kept adding to her encyclopedia every year. Love her!!!

During '70's we made many trips to Saratoga, Finger Lakes, Pocono Downs, Garden State Park and Belmont. Biggest early thrill was to see Kelso paraded at Belmont in '83 I think. Still a racing nubile, I began soaking up all the background and knowledge I could from my t-bred savant wife.