Turns out it would appear we’re both remembering the same thing - this shot is from 1985 Breeders’ Cup coverage from Aqueduct. Ground level walking ring going straight out to the track. Ramp down to saddling stalls which are under the paddock/walking ring viewing platform.

Will someone tell the sea gulls, who spend September and October at Belmont. I would hate for them to not know where to hang out and scavenge for food.

Funny how your perceptions change over the years. When I was younger, just starting out in the sport back in the 60s attending River Downs every opportunity I could, going to Aqueduct was at the top of my wish list. To me, Aqueduct was the holy grail. However, because I was working and had limited funds, I never had the opportunity to go there, but always watched the Race of the Week from Aqueduct with Fred Capossela telling me that it as now post time. The feature race on Saturday was normally $25,000, with horses such as Affectionately, Roman Brother, Kelso and Gun Bow running across my TV screen.

Now that I'm older, retired, and have the means to make the trip to The Big A, I have still never been there, despite going to Belmont and Saratoga numerous times. However, I still have a poster hanging in my man-cave with a Big A in the middle, and the verbage saying that "When your ship comes in it might just be a horse."

Aqueduct obviously isn't what it once was- how could it be, as it was the place where 50,000 people would crowd the grandstands to see horses like Kelso and Damascus?

But Aqueduct is still a really nice place to see a horse race. Its big problem normally is weather- when you go to Aqueduct for races, it's usually cold. But this year's fall meet will give fans a chance to actually attend the races at Aqueduct when it is nice out. They only use a small portion of the original plant, but you can still get a sense for what a palace the place was when NYRA first opened it in the late 1950's. I highly recommend it.

Having a car without air conditioning wasn’t a big deal back then either. :D

For all out there that write code, be aware that someone has made the asinine decision to use "BAQ" for these races rather than "AQU".

Had that discussion yesterday with Ron Tiller at HDW.

Decided the best way to handle this is the same way we've handled all previous nonsensical track code changes track execs have told Equibase to make such as OSA, Barrett's at Fairplex, Betfair Hollywood Park, etc:

• Track code for data file names stay the same (AQU.)

• Track code for chart result file names stay the same (AQU.)

• Track code for running line and workout data stays the same (AQU.)

• Track code for all stat categories (rider, trainer, sire, damssire, etc.) stays the same (AQU.)

That way everything in the data flows.

As opposed to everything suddenly needs special handling before it can flow.

All because some track exec who doesn't bet and doesn't consider the headaches nonsensical track code changes create for customers who are actually using the data.

There. Stepping down off my soapbox now. :)


-jp

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We're Back-queduct!

Unbelievable! :bang:

I hope I don’t have too much hard coded.

Construction underway. Here's the scene this morning.

Interesting...thanks for the pic

I don't know if it's true or not but way back many years when I asked a former racing secretary about why Oak Tree at SA got a different code when it's the same track he said it's partly because of the overall variety of the races written, and purse structure which differed intentionally from regular SA.

That's weird because for a very long time, Oak Tree DID NOT get a different code than Santa Anita.

They did when I was getting into SoCal racing about 15 years ago.

Right, but the Oak Tree meet was around for a long time before that and it was just SA.