Favorite Track?

Martin Pennington · Post by **Martin Pennington** » 17 years ago

I'm not certain where Wall is Carolyn unless you mean Hadrian's Wall in which case it could be Sedgefield, Hexham, Newcastle, Carlisle or Cartmel depending on which part of the county you were in hehe.

Not been to any of them but from the telly all are gorgeous to go to

Amanda O'Brien · Post by **Amanda O'Brien** » 17 years ago

Living in Central London does actually mean that I have access to most of the best courses in the UK.

Personal Favourite - Sandown. Mixed racing with both Flat and NH (managed to see the late great Desert Orchid on a few occasions). It just has the most spectacular views from teh Grandstand.

Also been to the new "all weather" (ie dirt) track at Kempton ( remember martin!) to see our poor syndicate filly have an appalling introduction to her racing career - 12 horses to post - 9 returned! Cant say its a nice course but its close enough to get to!

Been to Ascot (again not impressed - too "stuck up" even for me), Newmarket (HQ) which is glorious but actually very small, Windsor - figure 8 course, and all you can see is the last 2 furlongs! Newbury for a couple of meetings, one jump and one flat.

Next on our list is Lingfield (flat dirt and grass NH), brighton because its a unique looking course, its not actually round! Might try Chester next year when i see my uncle who lives close by - smallest course in hte country i think and a round course too! just over 1m round.

Would love to travel and see more courses - ireland being the closest.

Martin Pennington · Post by **Martin Pennington** » 17 years ago

We were stuck between the two filly's who tried to duck under the stalls IIRC Amanda

. Fingers crossed she'll be back on track in the new year though.

Carolyn - looked up Wall on the map, there's two one near Newcastle (and remarkably close to Hexham) and one near Birmingham, both are tiny so it was probably Hexham you went to

Emily Thompson · Post by **Emily Thompson** » 17 years ago

I've been to Lone Star Park (my fiance took me on a field trip there) and, of course, my hometown track, Stampede Park.

It's really a sad list compared to most of y'all.

Laura Smith · Post by **Laura Smith** » 17 years ago

Emily, what's up with that new track they're building in Calgary? I haven't heard anything about that in months now...

Emily Thompson · Post by **Emily Thompson** » 17 years ago

Laura Smith wrote:Emily, what's up with that new track they're building in Calgary? I haven't heard anything about that in months now...

Oh, that thing? It's not actually going to be built in Calgary, it's being built just north of Calgary near a little hamlet called Balzac.

Apparently it's going to have a 1 mile TB track and a 7 furlong (I think) Standardbred track, as well as a gigantic mall, a casino, a hotel and...a veterinary college. They (the United Horsemen of Alberta, who are financing the track) are hoping it will bring in bigger purses and better horses. I guess they're also really jazzed about the simulcast betting thing.

As far as the track at Stampede Park goes, I believe it is getting a facelift as part of the expansion and renovation of Stampede Park. Once racing has been shifted to the new track (sometime in late 2008, I think) Stampede Park will be used for chuckwagon racing during the Stampede.

Laura Smith · Post by **Laura Smith** » 17 years ago

Sounds interesting -- and they should be able to get a lot of use out of the inner harness track, nothing like year round simulcasting income.

Still wish they would have been able to put in a turf course -- I know it's expensive and high-maintenance, but it seems to me as though there are a bunch of stallions out West whose babies are screaming for turf and they've got nowhere to run. :/

Terry Pickhaver · Post by **Terry Pickhaver** » 17 years ago

Cheltenham is one of my favourites. Ascot as well, I don't find it stuck up at all.Epsom is good fun during the Derby meet. Haven't been to many U.S. tracks but my favourite that I have been to is Del Mar.

Julia Hogan · Post by **Julia Hogan** » 17 years ago

I've been to Monmouth Park, Saratoga, Belmont, Philadelphia Park, Penn National, and Mountaineer. My favorite is Monmouth, mainly because I work there and most of my family's horses run there.

Emily Thompson · Post by **Emily Thompson** » 17 years ago

Laura Smith wrote: Still wish they would have been able to put in a turf course -- I know it's expensive and high-maintenance, but it seems to me as though there are a bunch of stallions out West whose babies are screaming for turf and they've got nowhere to run. :/

Oh, my gosh. To put in a turf track out here would be, I think, incredibly expensive.

Yikes. Still, it would be cool.