A day at the races

When we traveled to Kentucky, it was obligatory to see Churchill Downs. We’ve been to Saratoga. And we just finished seeing a lot of Roman sporting venues. So, we decided to visit a race track just a subway ride away in Queens – Aqueduct.

Having been shamed by English friends into admitting we haven’t seen half of the things they have devoured in New York, it’s our mission to act more like tourists in our own town.  Maybe Aqueduct was a strange choice on what turned out to be a rainy November day, but we chanced it anyway. If you go almost to JFK on the A train, you find a whole other world, where a lot of people seem to be drawn on a Thursday morning. There is a casino attached to the racetrack (is that even legal?) and it was packed by the time we left!

Aqueduct itself seems to attract a Damon-Runyonesque crowd, just as we expected. Many looked liked this is their second – or even first – home, so we really stood out as rookies. But despite occasional showers, the horses ran, we won on our first race, and a good time was had by most. Some guys did seem to blame the horses when they lost, which just doesn’t seem fair, does it? Guess they didn’t come there with the right spirit…