What tracks have you been to?

[Fan Since The 50's]

Can't believe I forgot the NJ tracks:
Monmouth - Really got my first marriage in 1980 off to a good start. We spent our honeymoon at Monmouth in 1980. First wife realized she had made a mistake two weeks after the wedding.
Garden State - Hated the updated version, but attended the much heralded Jersey Derby in 1985. Never saw such a traffic mess as the circle on route 70 near Cherry Hill. I left after 2 races and watched the Jersey Derby at Delaware Park.
Meadowlands - Went in the fall of 1982 with two stoner friends. Remember frightening thought of being within eye view of Manhattan at 11:45 PM and needing to be in my office at Harrisburg PA next morning at 8:00 AM! Had to drive home as I was the only person in car not stoned!
Atlantic City - Only NJ track I ever liked. Just a first rate turf course and nice paddock. Just sorry I only made 2 visits nearly 40 years ago.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Fan Since The 50's

Can't believe I forgot the NJ tracks:
Monmouth - Really got my first marriage in 1980 off to a good start. We spent our honeymoon at Monmouth in 1980. First wife realized she had made a mistake two weeks after the wedding.
Garden State - Hated the updated version, but attended the much heralded Jersey Derby in 1985. Never saw such a traffic mess as the circle on route 70 near Cherry Hill. I left after 2 races and watched the Jersey Derby at Delaware Park.
Meadowlands - Went in the fall of 1982 with two stoner friends. Remember frightening thought of being within eye view of Manhattan at 11:45 PM and needing to be in my office at Harrisburg PA next morning at 8:00 AM! Had to drive home as I was the only person in car not stoned!
Atlantic City - Only NJ track I ever liked. Just a first rate turf course and nice paddock. Just sorry I only made 2 visits nearly 40 years ago.

I thought I was the only one who committed such a honeymoon atrocity. I spent my wedding night at the black jack tables, my first time counting went well. Wife kept coming to me for money when she stopped I figured she finally won a jackpot. The best man found me and asked if I knew what time it was, when I said "no" he said 6:30 p.m. which meant I had been playing black jack for a little more than 24 hours. Found a very angry bride and bridesmaid had slept in the car. That night was thrown in my face repeatedly for the rest of a 4 year marriage.

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Lots of memories and amazing visits in here.

Great stuff.

[alhattab]

Saratoga
Monmouth
Keeneland
Belmont
Oaklawn
Santa Anita
Gulfstream
Del Mar
Churchill Downs
Arlington
Canterbury
Woodbine
Delaware
Meadowlands
Camarero (fka Comandante)
Sha Tin
Aqueduct
Pimlico
Calder
Parx
River Downs
Turfway (simulcasts only)
Atlantic City (RIP)
Garden State (new only- RIP)
Far Hills (ok maybe that one doesn't count)

Harness:
Meadowlands
Yonkers
Roosevelt (RIP)
Greenwood (RIP)
Hazel Park
The Meadows
Saratoga

Dogs:
Wonderland (RIP)
Hinsdale
Palm Beach
Woodlands
Phoenix

When I was a young teenager my dad and I used to go on trips to baseball parks, which resulted in evening trips to Greenwood and Hazel Park when there were day games. 1994 (not married yet and was 25) was the highlight. I went to Oaklawn and Keeneland within a week for the Arkansas Derby (Concern) and Blue Grass (Holy Bull), Del Mar that summer, and Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup. What a year!

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Originally Posted by alhattab

Sha Tin

When I was a young teenager my dad and I used to go on trips to baseball parks, which resulted in evening trips to Greenwood and Hazel Park when there were day games. 1994 (not married yet and was 25) was the highlight. I went to Oaklawn and Keeneland within a week for the Arkansas Derby (Concern) and Blue Grass (Holy Bull), Del Mar that summer, and Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup. What a year!

Awesome.

How was Sha Tin? That had to be an amazing experience.

[lamboguy]

all the thoroughbred tracks in New England and probably all the harness ones too including Green Mountain and Scarborough

all the NYRA tracks and Finger Lakes

all the New Jersey tracks past and present

Keystone, Philly Park and Parx!

Delaware

all Maryland including Bowie

All Florida including Seminole and Sunshine Park

All Kentucky tracks including Blue Grass Downs

Lone Star and Retama

Oaklawn

Prarrie Meadows

Mountaineer

Thistle and River

all So. Cal

Woodbine

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by Lemon Drop Husker

Awesome.

How was Sha Tin? That had to be an amazing experience.

Thanks. Sha Tin was cool. It was an ordinary Saturday in March 2001. I took the subway there. They had about 35,000 on track. It reminded me a bit of Belmont in terms of where it is relative to the city and size of the facility. I was getting buried until Best Mate came from far back to win the last race.

The day before I was in Kowloon getting pearls and some guys I were with were buying shirts. It was one store run by husband and wife. The guy was the jeweler and the wife the tailor. I had picked up that mornings South China Morning Post, which contained an insert with basically the racing form for the next day's races. I'm talking with the jeweler and asked if he was going to the races. He said he had to work. Then I asked if he was betting the card and he sort of waved dismissively and said something like "of course. The entire territory will be betting." I think the handle that day (9 races) easily exceeded $US100 million.

[alhattab]

Just got a chance to look at all the lists. Unbelievable lists and some great international spots. And for those with shorter lists, think what you have to look forward to? I can't think of a new track I've been to where I didn't have that excitement of first going there. Didn't matter how big or small, how major or minor.

And how could I forget Freehold! Been there pre and post fire. During my youthful summers on rainy days my Dad would take me there. They had cool box seats and very large Harry M. Stevens hot dogs, and the racing was ok then.

[thespaah]

(T)
Med, Mth, AC, GSP( bother reincarnations, now gone), Prx, Pen, Del, Pim, Lrl, Cnl( I still have a voodoo doll dressed as the VA Horsemens Assn)
Bel, Sar. The former Crc, GS, Kee, Lone Star
Harness,
YR, RR( now gone) Med, Fhld, GSP( gone) Brandywine( gone) Freestate, Scioto. Pocono. Pompano. Saratoga Harness. Monticello, Meadows, Vernon Downs,

[Scanman]

Originally Posted by alhattab

Just got a chance to look at all the lists. Unbelievable lists and some great international spots. And for those with shorter lists, think what you have to look forward to? I can't think of a new track I've been to where I didn't have that excitement of first going there. Didn't matter how big or small, how major or minor.

I'm looking forward to Sha Tin, Happy Valley, and Macau within the next couple of years. Though, it looks like I'll be going walkabout in New Zealand (never been) next year. Going for a month, plan to visit 16 racecourses, all in the North Island and during a slow week, I'll slip over to Australia and visit 4 tracks in Victoria. Really looking forward to this trip!!!

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by chiguy

Arlington Park
Hawthorne
Maywood (H)
Balmoral (H)
Sportsmans Park
Santa Anita
Del Mar
Hollywood
Los Alamitos
Pomona
Caliente
Golden Gate
Turf Paradise
Churchill Downs
Suffolk Downs
Saratoga
Philadelphia Park

Epsom Downs
Lingfield
Windsor
Chester
Goodwood
Galway
Roscommon
Chantilly
Longchamps

Most beautiful was Chantilly, second was Longchamps. The village of Lingfield is amazing, easy train from London. Ugliest was a tie between Caliente and Sportsmans Park.

Chiguy how did you like Goodwood and Galway? I've heard the Galway Festival is really fun, and Goodwood looks pretty cool.

I'm looking forward to going in Ireland and would like to combine a Normandy Beaches/Deuville/Goodwood trip (I think they overlap or are close). Maybe when Junior gets a little older...

[HuggingTheRail]

A short list, and more now closed than still open.

Hastings
Sandown Park (closed)
Sunflower Downs (closed)
Kin Park (closed)
Desert Park (closed)
Longacres (closed)
Northlands (during harness)

[macguy]

Hastings Park
Sunflower Downs
Kamloops
Fraser Downs
Emerald Downs
Northlands Park
Stampede Park (was there for the Stampede, watched the chuckwagons, not sure if that counts.)
Century Downs
Lethbridge
Marquis Downs
Assiniboia Downs
Kawartha Downs
Woodbine (Harness and Thoroughbred)
Fort Erie
Ajax Downs
Mohawk
Rideau Carlton