Actually, it's a 5 minuet drive from my grandparents house.
It opened this past Friday the 18th, though I wasn't able to go until late in the evening when all of the races were over.
Tomorrow (Sunday) I'm going to see if I can go while the races are running.
This is the new track. http://www.pinnacleracecourse.com/
It's the only thoroughbred track in all of Michigan, and there hasn't been a TB track since they closed down Great Lakes downs in 2007.
It's beautiful track, and building. It has a patio and strip that allows you to get within five feet of the track. It also has 15 barns and they are going to build 15 more. Sadly they don't allow the public to see the barns, but from what I could see from afar, they look pretty damn nice.
So, I've never actually been to a real horse race before. Could someone tell me what happens and so on. wagering etc. ?
*EDIT* PICTURES!
Okay, it's was a nice time. I'm not that much of a racing fan as I have some serious issues with the TB racing industry, but I still got a thrill out of being only feet from a horse going some 60 mph.
Most of the horses that raced were 3yr's and up and all looked very healthy, I even saw one that would have been the perfect dressage horse, the uphill build, the angles and everything, he was beautiful. Though there was one maiden 2yr old race, but with only 4 horses and 4 furlongs long. That one kind of irked me due to the fact that you could clearly see that they were still babies compared to the other horses that were racing.
Some of the horses were spooky too, as the airport is less than 10 miles away and the planes take off right over the park every 5 to 60 seconds.
I only had my cell camera, so bare with me on the quality. Most of the pictures are them walking them to the paddock for saddling, and then saddled towards the gate. If you want me to identify them all, I can try.
(Race 1) (6) Joy of China - Dark bay 6 year old mare & many paint track ponies. (Placed 2nd, 1st race)
(6) Joy of China
(Race 4) (1) Spirituality 4 yr old brown gelding.
(Race 2) (3) Domestic Oil, 5 yr old dark bay gelding.
(Race 2) (2) Lac Grape, 7 yr old gray gelding.
(Race 2) Free Enterprise - bay 4 yr old gelding (Placed 1st, 2nd race)
Paddock before the second race, you can see the trophies to the left. Horses - (3) Domestic Oil, 4 yr old dark bay gelding. (2) Lac Grape, 7 yr old gray gelding. (6) Sem City 7 yr old dark bay gelding. (1) Free Enterprise 4 yr old bay gelding. (5) The Scatman Cometh 7 yr old dark bay gelding.
(Race 2) (3) Domestic Oil, 4 yr old dark bay gelding
(Race 4 ) Horse loading into the gates for race 4. (5) Rowdy Mac, 4yr old brown gelding.
(Race 4) Horses in the gate for 4th race, picture taken 10 seconds before the gates open (Missed it, damn!)
(Race 5) (6) Stover 5 yr old chestnut gelding (1st place, 5th race)
(6) Stover (after the race)
(Race 2) (6) Sem City 7 yr old dark bay gelding
