32 New Things: Bet On The Ponies
While the rest of the country is battling their polar vortex and snow and icicles of doom, Tucson is basking in the effects of global warming with sunny, 75+ degree days all month long. Perfect weather for outdoor activities, such as a Sunday afternoon at the horse races.
I've never been into horse racing but my sisters are kind of southerners now and apparently it's a thing there. A fun thing. And if there's a fun thing happening, I want in on it. Horse racing only happens in Tucson for about a month, so I cajoled a few friends into joining me for an afternoon of quarter horse racing at the historic Rillito Downs. (I'm only saying it was quarter horse racing and historic because that's what the website says. I actually know nothing about horse racing. At all.)
Prior to the races I'd consulted my sister and my brother-in-law for betting advice and got detailed information on the types of bets you can make and what they mean, which I promptly forgot. Luckily at the track they sell tip sheets and booklets that talk about the horses and the bets and the odds. The employees were all super helpful too, so when we went up and told them we didn't know what we were doing, they guided us along and before we knew it, we were betting on the ponies. Awesome!
The races were very short. Some were 350 yards and some were longer- 5 1/2 or 6 furlongs, whatever that means. It was exciting to watch for your chosen horse to win-everyone was jumping around and screaming and there were several photo finishes (also supposedly originating at this track). There were about 30 minutes between races- plenty of time to go down and claim our winnings, go back to our seats and make our choices for the next race, then place those bets. Oh, also, the announcer would go "And they're off!" whenever the race started and I liked that because it was just like in the movies.
Mostly I placed $2 "show" bets which meant that the horse I picked needed to get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. On bets like that I won 40-80 cents, because I am a high roller. My biggest win of the day was a "win" bet which means I picked the horse to win and she won. I think I netted $2 on that one. Out of the 6 races we bet on, I won 4- not too bad for my first time out.
I wasn't sure what kinds of people would be at the horse races, but it turns out it's all kinds. Old people, babies, cowboys, people in weird vests. There were no fancy hats, except for this guy who roamed around playing happy birthday and that horse racing song on his super long trumpet:
I tried taking pictures of the horses but they came out blurry. Too fast for my camera, I guess.
At the end of the day I think I came out about $2 ahead of where I started (not counting what I paid for admission, the horse booklet and the tip sheet). It was enough to buy 40% of a tostada and I think that's a good day. I'd definitely go back to the horse track. I had a lot of fun- it was much less intimidating than I anticipated, everyone was friendly and winning is fun, even if it's only 40 cents!
I've never been into horse racing but my sisters are kind of southerners now and apparently it's a thing there. A fun thing. And if there's a fun thing happening, I want in on it. Horse racing only happens in Tucson for about a month, so I cajoled a few friends into joining me for an afternoon of quarter horse racing at the historic Rillito Downs. (I'm only saying it was quarter horse racing and historic because that's what the website says. I actually know nothing about horse racing. At all.)
Prior to the races I'd consulted my sister and my brother-in-law for betting advice and got detailed information on the types of bets you can make and what they mean, which I promptly forgot. Luckily at the track they sell tip sheets and booklets that talk about the horses and the bets and the odds. The employees were all super helpful too, so when we went up and told them we didn't know what we were doing, they guided us along and before we knew it, we were betting on the ponies. Awesome!
The races were very short. Some were 350 yards and some were longer- 5 1/2 or 6 furlongs, whatever that means. It was exciting to watch for your chosen horse to win-everyone was jumping around and screaming and there were several photo finishes (also supposedly originating at this track). There were about 30 minutes between races- plenty of time to go down and claim our winnings, go back to our seats and make our choices for the next race, then place those bets. Oh, also, the announcer would go "And they're off!" whenever the race started and I liked that because it was just like in the movies.
Mostly I placed $2 "show" bets which meant that the horse I picked needed to get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. On bets like that I won 40-80 cents, because I am a high roller. My biggest win of the day was a "win" bet which means I picked the horse to win and she won. I think I netted $2 on that one. Out of the 6 races we bet on, I won 4- not too bad for my first time out.
I wasn't sure what kinds of people would be at the horse races, but it turns out it's all kinds. Old people, babies, cowboys, people in weird vests. There were no fancy hats, except for this guy who roamed around playing happy birthday and that horse racing song on his super long trumpet:
I tried taking pictures of the horses but they came out blurry. Too fast for my camera, I guess.
At the end of the day I think I came out about $2 ahead of where I started (not counting what I paid for admission, the horse booklet and the tip sheet). It was enough to buy 40% of a tostada and I think that's a good day. I'd definitely go back to the horse track. I had a lot of fun- it was much less intimidating than I anticipated, everyone was friendly and winning is fun, even if it's only 40 cents!
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