Hard Rock Rocksino at Northfield Park

[pandy]

http://www.drf.com/news/bob-pandolfo-northfield-park-still-hitting-million-mark

[LottaKash]

Wow!...A 10% purse increase....

That makes the bottom line purse go from $2,200 to a whopping $2420....

Now the horsemen can finally make a good living...:D

I know I sound like a downer about Nfld, but many race outcomes, still do not make any sense to me, and at my stage of handicapping, I am not fooled too often at that........My best year at Nfld was a break-even prop....

I marvel at people that do well there....

[RaceTrackDaddy]

I could write a book about Northfield over the years that we used to go there. Back in the day prior to simulcasting, one had to go on a road trip to make a wager on a horse that was shipping out from the Meadows. The first trip we made was to Northfield back in the mid to late 70's. I forgot the name of the horse but the group of owners and friends was about 10 of us. We had diner in the Clubhouse. The horse was in one of the latter races. Back then, you could use lasix in Ohio but not in PA. The horse was a speed demon that tired back home due to bleeding and we were all out to make a score on this first time lasix. Well, mid way through the card, the trainer, Lewis Keith, forgot to list the medication and the horse was announced scratched just as we finished the fifth race. Needless to say it was a bummer but I tried to make the best of it and when the dust cleared, I actually made money. The trip back home was a nice ride for me but for the rest of them, they could only think about what might have been.

Forward some years later to about the mid 80's to late 80's. We were dark on Wednesdays at the Meadows and usually went up to Northfield or Scioto Dowsn on Mondays when the Meadows was also dark. We went up early, Jets and I and ran into Lisa and Lesley Dunn who both were at the concession counter. We asked if their dad, Walter (boots) was here and they said yes but he left his colors in the truck as they shipped one up here and Bill Blaney will be up to drive. I never heard of Bill back then but he had the nine hole with Justaknockout. I asked the Dunn girls if Bill could drive? All they said is that dad thinks he can. It was enough for me. I played a $5 ex 9 /1,2,3,4 thinking I would get a little back as he was around 3/1 with two minutes to post. THe longest of the four second place numbers caught the place and went off at 60/1. The Ex for $2 paid like $369 and change. In the winner circle I congratulated Boots and as we were leaving the ceremony, Boots told us to stop back up on Saturday as he had one that should win the invite.

Here is where the story seems unreal. That Saturday, my friends had horses racing at the Meadows, Scioto and now Northfield Park is on our radar. We decided to split up the group. We met the night before and set out our wagers for all three tracks with about eight different horses that we were betting. I remained home as I was working at the Meadows then but did place the wagers for the group and cashed them in while on the clock. The Finish Line was owned by the mother of a girlfriend of one of the group that went to ScD. We all met up at the Finish Line (after hours using the back door) to settle up accounts. We made nearly $700 per person that night when it was all set and done. Walter Dunn's horse did win the Invite and that exacta was somewhere around $100.