Before I was brought on to be a correspondent for TrackPackPA, I had never been to a live horserace in my life. I even grew up around horses and even owned one when I was a teenager, but none of that compared to the excitement I felt every time I attend a race. I was never really much of a betting person either. Perhaps it’s because I don’t consider myself lucky, so visits to the casino consisted of nickel slots and people watching.
At the track, it’s different. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. You buy a round for yourself and your friends, sit down to a hardy lunch and make a day of watching the horses. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but it’s really not about the money. It’s about having a unique experience with your friends that you can add to the record books.
Before, horseracing was something I read about in novels or caught on television during the Triple Crown. It was there, but as a relic of a bygone era. And yet, after only a couple months involved in the sport, a vast, unique, and exciting world opened up.
Being a 27-year-old freelance writer, I never thought that I’d become a horseracing junkie. But I’ve stood beside screaming fans, and I’ve been a screaming fan. I’ve had a heart-to-heart with an old bartender about how much she loves coming to work everyday. I’ve stood by a trainer’s side at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to watch him warm up his horse in the hopes of winning. I’ve seen women get more excited about a horse placing third than when a designer Gucci handbag hits the clearance rack.
Horseracing runs deep through the American ethos. It’s the stuff legends are made from. You never know which horse you’re watching at the track could go all the way. Their trainers and jockeys don’t know either. They hope with good breeding and amazing training, some no name horse will turn into the next Smarty Jones or Secretariat.
That’s part of the reason why I want to return again and again. It’s being part of something bigger. It’s about getting friends together and having the time of our lives and maybe, just maybe, seeing the debut of another champion.
Steph Weaver is a freewheelin', free-spirited, freelance writer. She's just the best. There's not much more you can say. Check out her most excellent writings outside the world of horsies!
