Handicapping Challenge #1, Leg 5
Quote from Senator Blutarsky on September 23, 2024, 12:13 AMQuote from MaywoodAl on September 22, 2024, 11:58 PMMy mom lives halftime in the middle of nowhere Lakeland. Once my kids got to college I started trying to visit once a year . Being there the whole week was not conductive to my will being. I figured I could spend a few days at Gulfstream and then head to the 55+ paradise. ( yes sarcasm)
Track was pretty crowded but grandstand seemed empty. I head up there take a seat and immediately someone brings me a bucket of water bottles. I figure this does not make sense, since server spoke no English i head inside and find out I was in owners section. I end up buying the buffet for $50 and get a great table outside. I thought this was during the week, but when I went back last year buffet was only weekend so I missed out.
I was shocked at person going table to table taking bets. Never seen that before. But with only one person, a few ( I am guessing low tippers) got shut out.
South Florida is nuts. They just keep building to the heavens. I'm in Pompano Beach a mile from the ocean, previously I was 2 blocks from the beach, I never went lol, but opened my window at night and I swear that cool air breeze was priceless to health and total bliss.
With the traffic though here and hustle bustle, consider this, you stay at my place, and I'll hang with your mom in the sticks. Even trade because you'd be the defacto property manager here (I am) to a senior lady who lives on site and is the owner. You take care of mine I'll take care of yours lol!
The mobile teller lady who runs around...when the customers are in a hurry, she doesn't rip the tickets, you shoot out 10 bets and she hands you a scroll lmao!
Hope you let me know when you're in town, we'll have fun, seriously msg me if you want. 🙂
Quote from MaywoodAl on September 22, 2024, 11:58 PMMy mom lives halftime in the middle of nowhere Lakeland. Once my kids got to college I started trying to visit once a year . Being there the whole week was not conductive to my will being. I figured I could spend a few days at Gulfstream and then head to the 55+ paradise. ( yes sarcasm)
Track was pretty crowded but grandstand seemed empty. I head up there take a seat and immediately someone brings me a bucket of water bottles. I figure this does not make sense, since server spoke no English i head inside and find out I was in owners section. I end up buying the buffet for $50 and get a great table outside. I thought this was during the week, but when I went back last year buffet was only weekend so I missed out.
I was shocked at person going table to table taking bets. Never seen that before. But with only one person, a few ( I am guessing low tippers) got shut out.
South Florida is nuts. They just keep building to the heavens. I'm in Pompano Beach a mile from the ocean, previously I was 2 blocks from the beach, I never went lol, but opened my window at night and I swear that cool air breeze was priceless to health and total bliss.
With the traffic though here and hustle bustle, consider this, you stay at my place, and I'll hang with your mom in the sticks. Even trade because you'd be the defacto property manager here (I am) to a senior lady who lives on site and is the owner. You take care of mine I'll take care of yours lol!
The mobile teller lady who runs around...when the customers are in a hurry, she doesn't rip the tickets, you shoot out 10 bets and she hands you a scroll lmao!
Hope you let me know when you're in town, we'll have fun, seriously msg me if you want. 🙂
Quote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 12:33 AMWell my mom has a husband, so I don't think he will allow non-family visitors. I never made it to Pompano Park. The year before it closed I had a flight out of FLL Thanksgiving morning, so planned to be there Wed night. I check USTA and see race card is cancelled. I have no idea why.
Following Jan/Feb to go with my kids to Ft . Laud area and then to Lakeland. I plan a visit to Pompano.
My son pisses off my daughter and she is a mess, so I abandon PPK plans. Never made it.
Mobile teller when I was at GSP was male. Female must have had a day off
Well my mom has a husband, so I don't think he will allow non-family visitors. I never made it to Pompano Park. The year before it closed I had a flight out of FLL Thanksgiving morning, so planned to be there Wed night. I check USTA and see race card is cancelled. I have no idea why.
Following Jan/Feb to go with my kids to Ft . Laud area and then to Lakeland. I plan a visit to Pompano.
My son pisses off my daughter and she is a mess, so I abandon PPK plans. Never made it.
Mobile teller when I was at GSP was male. Female must have had a day off
Quote from Senator Blutarsky on September 23, 2024, 12:49 AMQuote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 12:33 AMWell my mom has a husband, so I don't think he will allow non-family visitors. I never made it to Pompano Park. The year before it closed I had a flight out of FLL Thanksgiving morning, so planned to be there Wed night. I check USTA and see race card is cancelled. I have no idea why.
Following Jan/Feb to go with my kids to Ft . Laud area and then to Lakeland. I plan a visit to Pompano.
My son pisses off my daughter and she is a mess, so I abandon PPK plans. Never made it.
Mobile teller when I was at GSP was male. Female must have had a day off
I haven't been to Pompano in 15 years and I've lived as close to as 5 min away, like now. Just awful racing, dead pools, Wally Hennessey, Kevin Wallis and Bruce Ranger would win about 95% of the races a night, chalk, just an abomination. Poor Pete Rose sitting in the dining room by himself, I'd nod to him, (I used to eat at his restaurant in Boca) and we realized we were in HELL!
Back 15 years ago and prior I'd play cards at the casino, I went from all night cash games, to tournaments to sit and gos, no stamina no attention span no interest over time. Casinos do not interest me. Neither does sports betting.
Thank Governor DeSantis, he so decreed (if you're not already an Indian reservation) to have a casino you no longer need to have pari-mutual racing, law passed. When it happens in other states say goodbye forever. GPark, Tampa are self sustaining they make money on their racing.
What's going to happen when you own all these horses and the tracks that are upside down, casino subsidized and pass the same law, you guys are in trouble. Tons of horses limited racing. Better head north for racing is my advice where The Stable already is. Canada is more loyal and just gives the track jurisdictions money for decades, now they have casinos so who knows.
It's the stocks and the ponies, and the real estate business. Time to get out of my cave and start hanging out with the chickies again, it's been several months! 🙂
Quote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 12:33 AMWell my mom has a husband, so I don't think he will allow non-family visitors. I never made it to Pompano Park. The year before it closed I had a flight out of FLL Thanksgiving morning, so planned to be there Wed night. I check USTA and see race card is cancelled. I have no idea why.
Following Jan/Feb to go with my kids to Ft . Laud area and then to Lakeland. I plan a visit to Pompano.
My son pisses off my daughter and she is a mess, so I abandon PPK plans. Never made it.
Mobile teller when I was at GSP was male. Female must have had a day off
I haven't been to Pompano in 15 years and I've lived as close to as 5 min away, like now. Just awful racing, dead pools, Wally Hennessey, Kevin Wallis and Bruce Ranger would win about 95% of the races a night, chalk, just an abomination. Poor Pete Rose sitting in the dining room by himself, I'd nod to him, (I used to eat at his restaurant in Boca) and we realized we were in HELL!
Back 15 years ago and prior I'd play cards at the casino, I went from all night cash games, to tournaments to sit and gos, no stamina no attention span no interest over time. Casinos do not interest me. Neither does sports betting.
Thank Governor DeSantis, he so decreed (if you're not already an Indian reservation) to have a casino you no longer need to have pari-mutual racing, law passed. When it happens in other states say goodbye forever. GPark, Tampa are self sustaining they make money on their racing.
What's going to happen when you own all these horses and the tracks that are upside down, casino subsidized and pass the same law, you guys are in trouble. Tons of horses limited racing. Better head north for racing is my advice where The Stable already is. Canada is more loyal and just gives the track jurisdictions money for decades, now they have casinos so who knows.
It's the stocks and the ponies, and the real estate business. Time to get out of my cave and start hanging out with the chickies again, it's been several months! 🙂
Quote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 1:06 AMYes, unfortunately many(most) tracks only exist due to the casino subsidies. I take a few trips a year to visit tracks/ (state. national parks). The attendance is awful. If a new place, I sometimes cannot figure out track entrance and need to walk through casino, so depressing. Old people hitting buttons wasting their SS.
I remember the old days of Arlington, Maywood, Sportsmans, Hawthorne. Plenty of people having a great time. Even during the worst of winter, Hawthorne was hosting Day/Night harness programs with more fans than most mid-west tracks do during the best of summer days now.
I need to stop my old-man ranting.
Thestable is majority USA right now, so they must be feeling Canada is not the answer
Yes, unfortunately many(most) tracks only exist due to the casino subsidies. I take a few trips a year to visit tracks/ (state. national parks). The attendance is awful. If a new place, I sometimes cannot figure out track entrance and need to walk through casino, so depressing. Old people hitting buttons wasting their SS.
I remember the old days of Arlington, Maywood, Sportsmans, Hawthorne. Plenty of people having a great time. Even during the worst of winter, Hawthorne was hosting Day/Night harness programs with more fans than most mid-west tracks do during the best of summer days now.
I need to stop my old-man ranting.
Thestable is majority USA right now, so they must be feeling Canada is not the answer
Quote from Senator Blutarsky on September 23, 2024, 1:54 AMQuote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 1:06 AMYes, unfortunately many(most) tracks only exist due to the casino subsidies. I take a few trips a year to visit tracks/ (state. national parks). The attendance is awful. If a new place, I sometimes cannot figure out track entrance and need to walk through casino, so depressing. Old people hitting buttons wasting their SS.
I remember the old days of Arlington, Maywood, Sportsmans, Hawthorne. Plenty of people having a great time. Even during the worst of winter, Hawthorne was hosting Day/Night harness programs with more fans than most mid-west tracks do during the best of summer days now.
I need to stop my old-man ranting.
Thestable is majority USA right now, so they must be feeling Canada is not the answer
My grandfather (and grandmother) raised me and he was my emissary to racing, Yonkers, Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Hialeah, NYC OTBs...he's passed but he'd be 107 now. I'm a 5 families racing guy and you're an outfit racing guy.
C'mon dude would we change a thing, lack of options is what we had but it didn't appear that way and we made great of it, was so awesome even when it was bad lol, and we're still very fortunate. What are the young adults going to reminisce about decades from now - Facebook, 10k channels on their device, virtual whatever...
Neither one of us would change the hand we were dealt. We just fit in less with new world and their 150 and growing gender terms that they can go screw off - I do not need to know who is what and does what to who, our thing is slowly heading for extinction, no regrets, and we're still breathing - the JUG was awesome....I never got the whole one armed bandit thing, maybe it's a love / hate affair when the loins go numb. 🙂
Quote from MaywoodAl on September 23, 2024, 1:06 AMYes, unfortunately many(most) tracks only exist due to the casino subsidies. I take a few trips a year to visit tracks/ (state. national parks). The attendance is awful. If a new place, I sometimes cannot figure out track entrance and need to walk through casino, so depressing. Old people hitting buttons wasting their SS.
I remember the old days of Arlington, Maywood, Sportsmans, Hawthorne. Plenty of people having a great time. Even during the worst of winter, Hawthorne was hosting Day/Night harness programs with more fans than most mid-west tracks do during the best of summer days now.
I need to stop my old-man ranting.
Thestable is majority USA right now, so they must be feeling Canada is not the answer
My grandfather (and grandmother) raised me and he was my emissary to racing, Yonkers, Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Hialeah, NYC OTBs...he's passed but he'd be 107 now. I'm a 5 families racing guy and you're an outfit racing guy.
C'mon dude would we change a thing, lack of options is what we had but it didn't appear that way and we made great of it, was so awesome even when it was bad lol, and we're still very fortunate. What are the young adults going to reminisce about decades from now - Facebook, 10k channels on their device, virtual whatever...
Neither one of us would change the hand we were dealt. We just fit in less with new world and their 150 and growing gender terms that they can go screw off - I do not need to know who is what and does what to who, our thing is slowly heading for extinction, no regrets, and we're still breathing - the JUG was awesome....I never got the whole one armed bandit thing, maybe it's a love / hate affair when the loins go numb. 🙂
Quote from Lonnie on September 23, 2024, 7:49 AMKeep these great stories coming. Though they probably should have been a new thread and not "lost" in here.
Keep these great stories coming. Though they probably should have been a new thread and not "lost" in here.
Quote from Grit on September 23, 2024, 8:52 AM35 years of watching The Pomp slide each year. Remember as a kid walking through the Dancer and Haughton stables. Big crowds, truly the winter capital of harness racing. There was a window after that where the big stables would train their 2 years olds and give them a start or two before shipping north. That ended and it was Ranger or Wally every race. No value betting them but couldn't bet against them. Best part was the lingerie girls at the Greenbriar after the races. That's gone to! For years I used to go to Sunshine Meadows to watch them train. Tony Alagna, Casie Coleman, Lindy Farms, huge stables. Cat Manzi would train Tony's horses after he retired. All really nice people who would talk to you. Went this past winter before moving out of Florida. Half empty, all the land around Sunshine Meadows is being developed. Sure it'll be completely gone in a year or two. Repeat with Freehold and literally dozens of farms in that area. Hopefully I can get back some of the thrills with TheStable. Seems like Ohio and Kentucky are pretty solid .... for now.
35 years of watching The Pomp slide each year. Remember as a kid walking through the Dancer and Haughton stables. Big crowds, truly the winter capital of harness racing. There was a window after that where the big stables would train their 2 years olds and give them a start or two before shipping north. That ended and it was Ranger or Wally every race. No value betting them but couldn't bet against them. Best part was the lingerie girls at the Greenbriar after the races. That's gone to! For years I used to go to Sunshine Meadows to watch them train. Tony Alagna, Casie Coleman, Lindy Farms, huge stables. Cat Manzi would train Tony's horses after he retired. All really nice people who would talk to you. Went this past winter before moving out of Florida. Half empty, all the land around Sunshine Meadows is being developed. Sure it'll be completely gone in a year or two. Repeat with Freehold and literally dozens of farms in that area. Hopefully I can get back some of the thrills with TheStable. Seems like Ohio and Kentucky are pretty solid .... for now.
Quote from Senator Blutarsky on September 23, 2024, 11:24 AMQuote from Lonnie on September 23, 2024, 7:49 AMKeep these great stories coming. Though they probably should have been a new thread and not "lost" in here.
How about in the "General" section we have a "Racing Nostalgia", Racing Good 'Ol Days" or drop the word "Racing" out too - or the like as a sub-section?
Quote from Lonnie on September 23, 2024, 7:49 AMKeep these great stories coming. Though they probably should have been a new thread and not "lost" in here.
How about in the "General" section we have a "Racing Nostalgia", Racing Good 'Ol Days" or drop the word "Racing" out too - or the like as a sub-section?