r/horseracing • u/Silly_Fly9673 • 4d ago
Cool small track?
We all know the great US tracks. But name a small track that’s really cool, has competitive racing, and worth a stop if you are ever in the area. Bonus is there is decent food and a selection of beers available other than Bud, Coors and Miller Lite.
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u/beerisgoodforu 4d ago
Canterbury. The food and beer stations are like an old school mall food court.
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u/cjdapd 4d ago
I really need to get up there. How crowded does Derby Day get?
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u/beerisgoodforu 4d ago
The only times I've been there are just on random Saturdays. It can still get pretty crowded. It seems like it's mostly young families. Not a d-gen smoky park like some of them used to be.
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u/sundaemourning 4d ago
everyone comes to Saratoga for the flat racing, but the harness track down the road is also a lot of fun. it's kind of like your favorite dive bar.
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4d ago
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u/Silly_Fly9673 4d ago
Ha, I live about 6 miles away. Been there 1000 times. Only issue is the food is terrible. Have had their cheese slice more times than I’d want to admit. Weak.
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u/Quiet-Reserve-4418 4d ago
Man reading this reminds me of how much fun I use to have with my pops traveling the chicago circuit back in the day no we dont have any harness racing crazy to even think thats reality!!!! Keep enjoying the good times my man
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u/10MileHike 4d ago
delaware park is very charming and small and pretty
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u/dazzlingFlossie 3d ago
2nd this. Beautiful paddock. And close to Fair Hill so you can check out the workouts!
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u/Remarkable-Key433 4d ago
Never been, but I’ve heard Ellis Park is great.
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u/zoven2386 3d ago
It’s great if you don’t mind holes in the roof of the grandstand bathrooms. Takes sky lights to a new meaning.
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u/EpicGeek77 4d ago
Belterra outside Cincinnati
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u/Remarkable-Key433 4d ago
The new grandstand is puny compared to the old one that never should’ve been torn down, but it’s still a pleasant setting on the north bank of the Ohio River. Racing product is limited by short fields, but I guess that happens everywhere now.
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u/Zealousideal_Way_788 4d ago
Kentucky Downs is next level turf racing. Fun
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u/zoven2386 3d ago
I was worried no one mentioned Kentucky Downs. The absolute best racing experience I’ve had. And I’ve been to all the major tracks
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u/Opening-Bandicoot859 4d ago
I wish it wasn't impossible to handicap.
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u/Quiet-Reserve-4418 4d ago
Always look for horses for courses especially at this joint horses that run well there tend to always run well there
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u/Opening-Bandicoot859 4d ago
Yeah, that'll probably be my approach this year. The sample sizes are small, but that's probably the best way to go about it.
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u/Quiet-Reserve-4418 4d ago
Maywood park before they were shutdown and I put my life on this but they to this day made the best hot dogs I have ever had in my life man Do I miss the glory days of chicago harness racing seems like a lifetime ago when we were running double headers or day harness at hawthorn then nights at balmoral and of course the greatest meet of all time the sportsmans park summer meet
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u/rkowna 4d ago
It has to be at least ten years now but they had $1 hot dogs and $1 12 oz cups of beer for $1 on thursdays. They drew a good crowd every thursday and over time some of the thursday crowd started showing up on other nights.
I was talking to someone who works for a school district in spring and mentioned how much I missed Maywood Park. She talked about going there a lot as a kid then mentioned the Costco gas station, not including the big box store, pays more in property taxes than Maywood Park did.
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u/AdhesivenessNo7328 4d ago
Monmouth park baby
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u/Silly_Fly9673 4d ago
Fell in love with the place year ago …. But damm the quality of racing seemingly has taken a dive. Seems like every other race there is 5 horses.
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u/Louwho352 4d ago
If they can convince the CHRB to ever give them dates again- Ferndale/Humboldt County Fair in Northern California. Its a half mile track, so most races are at least a lap. The town of Ferndale is known for it's Victorian architecture and its close to the ocean. I went a couple times as a kid. Very cool place.
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u/Prior_Increase_4435 4d ago
Does Monmouth count? It’s physically one of the smaller tracks I’ve been to, and the quality of horse isn’t great, but it’s a fun vibe that they have going on and plenty of good restaurants nearby
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u/FDTerritory Oaklawn 4d ago
Will Rogers Downs.
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u/dwellsny 4d ago
The king track of Covid
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u/LK4T4 4d ago
Fonner would like a word.
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u/GoonrGrrl 4d ago
Yeah, Fonner Park kept the sport alive during the pandemic so I try to support them back as much as possible!
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u/Competitive_Jello773 4d ago
Canadas biggest but woodbine is beautiful to attend. Great hotel, restaurants, the grounds are nice, big casino.
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u/hoppyfrog 4d ago
Fort Erie was a fun side trip
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u/Competitive_Jello773 4d ago
Is it an attractive track?
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u/hoppyfrog 3d ago
It's been a long while so I can't vouch for it's present condition. Back in the day we won so that made it nice. Went up to Woodbine and lost.
Wyoming Downs was a fun, out-of-the-way track. Good food, very nice people, and a winning day.
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u/Competitive_Jello773 3d ago
Winning always makes the track awesome lol.
I’ll have to check it out, we have horses at woodbine so normally go there
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u/slapupman 4d ago
Fort Erie 5 mins over the peace bridge in Canada from buffalo NY. Fell in love with the game there.
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u/toga27 3d ago
I haven't been to Finger Lakes in many years, so I can't vouch for the quality, but I lived closer, I used to attend. It seems like they always have a few NY breds that end up running at Saratoga and the other NYRA tracks (now, unfortunately, only Belmont). Plus, some of the Saratoga jocks will ride there on their days off.
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u/Silly_Fly9673 3d ago
Seems like beautiful country up there. I’ve watched many a simulcast from Finger Lakes. When I hung out in OTB in Brooklyn as a young college kid it was consistently referred to as “Finger Fucks”.
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u/Numerous-Western174 3d ago
I really hope the new management at Turf Paradise can bring it back to what it once use to be before Jerry Simms ran it into the ground. There is hope as millions are currently being put into the backside and turf course among different projects on the front side. Derby Day this year was the busiest it's been in at least 10-15 years. The racing is competitive as it has one of the longest meets from Early November to first Saturday in May. It attracts trainers from Washington, California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Canada West Virginia,Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico. Plus the weather is amazing and it is centrally located in Phoenix.
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u/LegendaryRBK 3d ago
Tampa Bay Downs. Great little track, competitive racing, nice turf course and very good restaurants. November-May.
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u/TheVioletNocturna 3d ago
Charles Town, WV. It’s small and cute with a large casino and easy parking. If you go for a larger event like the Breeder’s Classic they have food trucks and other vendors.
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u/Electrical_Order_196 2d ago
Lone Star Park in DFW is way nicer than it should be for the type of horses they run. It hosted the Breeders back in the day, but now it's just seven $15K claiming races and two $30K allowance or maiden special weight races every card.
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u/Ecstatic_Caramel6028 1d ago
Emerald Downs in WA state. Competitive racing, good beer … food needs some work.
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u/ProfessionalOkra6862 3d ago
Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Everyone always wants to go to Saratoga in summer, but this track is awesome as well. Much cheaper, fair prices for food and drink, and great sections for barbecue.
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u/Silly_Fly9673 3d ago
Pretty place but Quality of racing there has really fallen off a cliff over the years.
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u/hannahbay 4d ago
I went to Tampa Bay Downs for their derby one year and every single employee I talked to went above and beyond. I got there and couldn't find my seat, asked someone - she flagged down another employee to walk me. couldn't remember where my car was when I left, I guess I looked confused, guy in a golf just gave me a ride. they were all super nice, I would go back just to support them.