Road Trip Redux: Four Tracks in Four Days
Hell month at the golf course is officially over as of about an hour ago. Six summer classes have come and gone ... time to celebrate. And how does a race fan celebrate? My name isn't Zipse at the Track for nothing. It’s time for a good old fashioned road trip. Four tracks in four days, culminating with one of the biggest races of the summer. Sounds like a good idea to me. I can do this, let’s iron out the details …
Day 1 (Thursday July 24): Presque Isle Downs - My first visit to the Northwestern Pennsylvania racetrack begins the trip. Shouldn't take me more than about seven hours to get there in plenty of time for a 5:25 first post.
Day 2 (Friday July 25): Finger Lakes - Another first-timer for this guy. My list of tracks attended for live racing will grow from 46 to 48 in a span of 24 hours, as I inch ever closer to the mecca of American racing.
Day 3 (Saturday July 26): Saratoga - Is there any track better than The Spa? No. Throw in a grade 2 sprint, followed by Tonalist, the lightly raced Belmont winner, facing a solid cast in the Jim Dandy? Yes please!
Day 4 (Sunday July 27): Monmouth Park - What happened to me? The Haskell was one of my can't miss, favorite races of the year for many years. Well, lately I have been missing it. I hate when life gets in the way of the important stuff. I cannot tell you how happy I will be to get back to my old stomping grounds and see a great race that is shaping up to be a real pip this year, with the filly facing the boys.
Now to get the racetrack road trip checklist fired up ...
1) Gonna need some cash - To bet with, to eat with, and just in case for those little things that may go wrong. And oh yeah, some of those state highway tolls are sinister.
2) Check the Car - Oil change, check the tires. In other words, show some love to the ride that’s gonna get you there.
3) And if the car fails you, have AAA on the ready - I’ve never called them yet, but make sure that new offer that came with the latest car purchase is activated, 'cause brother, you just never know.
4) Directions - I know Saratoga and Monmouth well enough, but it has been awhile since I’ve been to the latter, and I've never been to the first two tracks. Luckily, I hear both Presque Isle and Finger Lakes are just off the highway. Still, best to have solid directions so as not to get lost somewhere in Podunk, Nowheresville.
5) Hotel Reservations - Four tracks in four days with 30 hours of driving is serious business, so I’m going to need a place to lay my head the night before each race day, and if I’m sharing a room with anyone but my loving wife, I will need two beds. No, “those aren’t pillows!” for this guy.
6) Credentials - I will need to say hello to some friends here, colleagues there, see some of my favorite horses up close and personal, so access is a must.
7) Co-pilots - I have my doubts as to whether anyone is as crazy as I am to undertake this parimutuel mission, but ... maybe I can pick up Matt "Scoggy" Shifman midway through to help me finish up strong.
8) Past Performances - Anytime spent in the passenger seat, means some time handicapping the races, plus my parents always instilled in me the importance of doing my homework, and being prepared.
9) Don’t forget the power cords - The computer will need to stay juiced up, and there ain’t nothing worse than having a cellphone with no power.
10) Pack some Gaviscon - Besides a clean pair of undies, I’m going to also need something to settle the stomach. Between the fast, and I mean fast, food on the road, and the off chance that my top picks get nailed on the wire, it’s best I have something to quell the stomach demons.
That’s it. That’s the list. Let’s do this thing!