Racing Deluge

Went to the horse races in Elora on Friday last. That was a pretty interesting experience. I haven't been since I went to Woodbine in Toronto -- that was way back in '97 I think. Didn't really like it then, and didn't really like it now.

R was part of a group that was trying to raise some funds by having a night out at the racetrack. There was a 50/50 draw, some other prizes, and a buffet dinner (which catered somewhat to vegetarians). Food and drink were included in the price, but alcohol was extra, so I stayed sober. Probably a good thing to do when betting money on horses with numbers on them.

This was harness racing; the kind of racing where the driver/jockey sits on a little two-wheeled cart right behind the horse's anus. Not a particularly reassuring place to be. The minimum bet was $2, and I bet a couple of times. Most of the time, the horse was dead last. A couple of times, the horse was dead first until the last 30m of the race -- then it was dead last.

It was kind of fun, and one or two old guys in the front started really yelling at their horses. They were of the age where it wouldn't have been surprising for them to be wearing fedoras and smoking heavily, while reading the folded-over racing form.

At the end of the night, there was one of the most severe thunderstorms I've ever been in, and we had parked at the far end of the blacked-out parking lot. Now that was exciting.