Fights at the Track

[cosmo96]

Recently, I almost got into a fight at River Downs. I'm usually quiet, and keep to myself. I was going up to place a bet. On the way a man's Coke was knocked over. He blamed me, and started cussing, ranting and raving. I bought him a new program, and cleaned up the mess. But, he kept on. I lost my temper, cussed him out, and threatened to wop his ass. Security broke it up. I found out later he was the one that spilled the Coke. Has this ever happened to you?

[johnhannibalsmith]

Oh, hell yeah... here's one tale from the archives...

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...3&postcount=30

[TravisVOX]

When I was a kid, my cousin (a girl) and I went to sit in our seats in the grandstand at Saratoga. There was a couple sitting there... probably in their 30's. A real pretty boy who thought he was all that and then some.

Anyway, I asked them to move and they didn't... I said, "Sir, these are our seats" and they moved... as they moved, the lady made a real sarcastic comment toward me and I said, "But they're our seats."

The guy leaned forward and started screaming at me, literally threatening me with every word in the book. I'm maybe 9-years-old at the time, my cousin is a year younger than me... I panicked and ran back to my parents. My Dad was still a police officer at the time, and my Uncle is no small guy... they came back up with me and settled the matter. I vividly recall the guy cowering and walking away.

I remember being so proud of my Dad/Uncle, and I'm sure karma found that guy plenty of losers the rest of the day.

[cosmo96]

I don't go to the track to fight. I don't want bar room brawls. But, I do like the track a liitle on the dark side. River Downs does not have the best in racing, but at least it is what a racetrack should be. At RD you know you are at a racetrack.

[appistappis]

A couple of the old guys at our otb go at it once a month....we usually have side bets like "$10 he breaks a hip"

[BMustang]

Originally Posted by cosmo96

Recently, I almost got into a fight at River Downs. I'm usually quiet, and keep to myself. I was going up to place a bet. On the way a man's Coke was knocked over. He blamed me, and started cussing, ranting and raving. I bought him a new program, and cleaned up the mess. But, he kept on. I lost my temper, cussed him out, and threatened to wop his ass. Security broke it up. I found out later he was the one that spilled the Coke. Has this ever happened to you?

The subject in question is a bad actor, who makes life unpleasant for all of those around him. He takes great pleasure in being overbearing, refuses to make room for those in his aisle, forces his unsolicitated conversation on you, is confrontational and grossly detracts from the simple pleasure of being at the track. My spirits sink when I see him present on any given day, which seems to be growing more frequent.

There have been many complaints filed against him, with yours being the most recent. For some reason, management continues to give him one more chance. They would be doing themselves and their regular season box-holders a great service by barring him, and would not miss his meager wagers, none of which are ever on River Downs races.

Hopefully, the day will come when he will finally go over the edge and we will be shed of him forever. It will be a great day at the River.
Good ridance!!!!

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by BMustang

The subject in question is a bad actor, who makes life unpleasant for all of those around him. He takes great pleasure in being overbearing, refuses to make room for those in his aisle, forces his unsolicitated conversation on you, is confrontational and grossly detracts from the simple pleasure of being at the track. My spirits sink when I see him present on any given day, which seems to be growing more frequent.

There have been many complaints filed against him, with yours being the most recent. For some reason, management continues to give him one more chance. They would be doing themselves and their regular season box-holders a great service by barring him, and would not miss his meager wagers, none of which are ever on River Downs races.

Hopefully, the day will come when he will finally go over the edge and we will be shed of him forever. It will be a great day at the River.
Good ridance!!!!

This is the power of betting from home, you don't have to deal with people like this.

You and Cosmo need to grab a few others who want this guy gone and march in the the GMs office and say "either he goes or we go".

[Bruddah]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

This is the power of betting from home, you don't have to deal with people like this.

You and Cosmo need to grab a few others who want this guy gone and march in the the GMs office and say "either he goes or we go".

In all the years I have gone to the races (many tracks) I have never seen a fight. To be sure, there must of been some I've missed. In fact, my home track (Oaklawn) the fans tend to be overly polite to strangers.

Just my experience and admittedly very fortunate.

[Elliott Sidewater]

Fights at the race track? That's all you got? Well, back when Parx was Keystone Race track, one Friday afternoon there was a disagreement between two men, one of whom had booked the other's bet on a winning horse and then refused to pay. The wronged bettor stuck a knife in the welsher's neck and he bled to death right there on the 2nd level of the grandstand. I wasn't there, but I found out about it the next day by asking the security guard about the blood stain that was still there at the scene of the crime.

[FantasticDan]

I've seen a couple near fights with the codgers that populate my local OTB. For example, say the and horses are coming down to the wire, one guy (who must be in his early 80s) will always yell out, "5-7! 5-7! Stay up, baby! Stay like that! YES!!", or variations thereof.

And he does this every race. Yup, he never loses.

Anyway, occasionally one of the other old guys will snap and give him some grief. Sometimes he gives the grief back, and it escalates, and the other old guys have to break it up.

It's pure comedy.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by cosmo96

Has this ever happened to you?

Sure, but the actual brawls were long ago in my younger days, the days of huge weekend crowds at the track. Fights then were more common than today because of the dense crowds, but usually for the same reasons; taking someones seats, cutting in line, holding up the line and shutting someone out, etc. Back then when you got into it the worst that would happen to you would be to get kicked out, often the fight was just broken up and the guys sent away in different directions. In todays crazy PC world you get arrested, spend time in jail, forced to attend anger management class, and the s.o.b that started it sues you. Liked the way it was dealt with back then much more. In the modern simulcast era came very, very close on Preakness day 2009 when a young guy cut in front of me in the Sam line. Was within seconds of blasting the punk when two very large security guards showed up and informed me that if I threw a punch I would be arrested. Actually, had no intention of punching him; was going to chop his throat with the edge of my hand and then break his nose with the heel of the other hand.

[ALL CIRCUITS GO]

One time I was the the Meadowlands window placing a bet. I felt someone really close behind me, like they wanted to pick my pocket. I turned around in the middle of betting and saw an elderly man with a walker. I asked him to back off a little, and he proceeded to yell at me. In the meantime, I got closed out of the race, and as I left, the man was still yelling at me. I complained to security, they said the man had issues and had been spoken to before. Never saw the man again.

[Pace Cap'n]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

Sure, but the actual brawls were long ago in my younger days, the days of huge weekend crowds at the track. Fights then were more common than today because of the dense crowds, but usually for the same reasons; taking someones seats, cutting in line, holding up the line and shutting someone out, etc. Back then when you got into it the worst that would happen to you would be to get kicked out, often the fight was just broken up and the guys sent away in different directions. In todays crazy PC world you get arrested, spend time in jail, forced to attend anger management class, and the s.o.b that started it sues you. Liked the way it was dealt with back then much more. In the modern simulcast era came very, very close on Preakness day 2009 when a young guy cut in front of me in the Sam line. Was within seconds of blasting the punk when two very large security guards showed up and informed me that if I threw a punch I would be arrested. Actually, had no intention of punching him; was going to chop his throat with the edge of my hand and then break his nose with the heel of the other hand.

When executing the throat chop take care to use only the fingers and not the meaty part of the hand. It will achieve the same effect and is much less likely to result in a homicide charge. As far as the nose break, go for it.

[Tom]

Jeepers, Pace......nice advice!

[Producer]

About a month ago I seen two Jamaicans going at it at Calder. One of the guys picked up a yellow "slippery when wet" sign off the floor and proceeded to wack the other guy repeatedly in the head/face with it. The gentlemen being hit then knocked the other guy on the ground and tried to kick him in the head to no avail. About then security came and they both bolted out the door.

A few years ago, trainer Tyrone Harris, a small trainer on the South Florida circuit was shot and killed at the Flagler Dog track. Rumor was it was drug related.