A Day at the Races...

No, not the Queen album, the actual experience.

I went to Philadelphia Park last Monday for the Pennsylvania Derby. It's amazing how much luck you can have in this sport, no matter if you've studied the past performances for the horses for a day, or just walk up to the betting line and make your wager without seeing much.

I looked at the odds board for the first race, and saw that the 5 & 12 were the two favorites. I bet the exacta 5-12 and 12-5. Wouldn't ya know it, they finished 5-12. I'm up $30 already...

Philadelphia Park opened their casino last year, with two floors of about 2000 slots. Plans are to build a separate casino and hotel a few years down the road. I was at Philly Park before the casino two years ago, and it was quite spacious... very good, considering Pennsylvania Derby Day is their biggest day of the year. This year, there's only room for race betting on the 5th floor and outside... the casino takes up the two floors that used to have race betting and simulcasting.

I spent $24 on a $1 trifecta in the 4th race, boxing four horses... meaning if any of those four horses came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, I'd win. I won $39.

By the time the 10th race, the Pennsylvania Derby rolled around, I lost all of it. Oh well, it was still fun.

I got Calvin Borel's autograph, he's the jockey of Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner... he's the real deal. Neither of his horses won that day, but he pleased everyone by signing autographs and posing for pictures.

The winner was Timber Reserve, a horse that was injured earlier this year and didn't run any of the Triple Crown races.

Some critics were quick to point out that there were no really big name 3-year-olds in the race running for a million dollar purse. That'll change soon. With how well slots are doing statewide, it's only a matter of time before the PA Derby raises the purse to $2 million... with a whopping 60% going to the winning connections.

This day was a personal thrill for me... armed with my press pass, I was able to walk into the winners circle afterwards. Here I am next to Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News, Bruce Casella of Comcast Sportsnet, and Craig Donnelly of the Philadelphia Inquirer... all respected journalists and horse racing media. I've watched and read their work for the longest time... I just shut up and let them ask the questions. I knew I couldn't ask anything different. Track Announcer & PR Director Keith Jones also conducted an interview afterwards... it was nice to meet Keith after having him on my Triple Crown preview in May and listening to his race calls for 20+ years.

I know you're tempted to say I want to work at a racetrack someday... you're right. I wouldn't mind dabbling in TV coverage someday. I may not have the handicapping skills of a Jerardi or Hank Goldberg. Heck, I totally overlooked Timber Reserve in the PA Derby... and paid for it. If the opportunity presents itself, I'll look into it. In the meantime, I'll keep hanging out with the railbirds and cigar smokers near the walking rings looking for how good a horse looks in the paddock.

My Seahawks won. I'm happy.

I'll be filling in for Dave Smith 2-6 this week... please join me in the afternoon. Buckle up.