Unfortunately it is pretty quiet at Santa Anita these days. The place can hold 70,000 people but on most days there only about 5,000 people there. It's like a ghost town most of the time.

Oaklawn is ok but I don't think it is in the league of the other 3 places.

I think you would have a great time at either Del Mar or Keeneland. Both places are great. You can't really go wrong at either place unless the weather is bad in Lexington.

Yeah.. They're closely comparable with Aqueduct an almost completely indoor facility conducting racing November-April.

it's windy, dark, cold and rainy, it's miserable=Aqueduct

What is wrong with Aqueduct? Where else can you go to the track with no grass, handicap in the stairwell and be high as a kite with plenty of time to bet the first, sit in any seat in the house and have no lines at the window?

Speaking of which, How has it turned out? Been on any more trips with her?

Bettor's dream.

What is the consensus -- while we're at it.

Who has the best steaks in Philly?

Who has the best bagels in NYC?

I will be making one more brief cameo in each of these fine cities before years end.

Jim's is certainly the winner for the cheese steak derby.

Paul

H&H bagels on 2nd and 80th for me, used to work up there and got awfully fat eating bagels every day.

In Manhattan, Esa Bagel on 1st Avenue and E. 21st street is hands down the best bagel in New York IMO.

Cheesesteak stand for me is Tony Luke's on Oregon. but I go for the Italian Pork Sandwich with aged provolone and broccoli rabe. Great steaks though too.

Ess a Bagel a great recco. Kossar's for bialys. Yonah Schimmel for Knishes.

Damn, Steve, you have the spelling right for Ess-a-Bagel, that is the Italian in me that f***** that up. Great bagel though and worth waiting on what seems like about a 20 minute line all day long.

Ya'll got no culture. Head to southwest Virginia and you can debate which county fair has the best Corndogs and Fried Oreos.

:zz:

I know of at least three places that Jim's can't even compare to.

Steve's Prince of Steaks in the northeast, John's Roast Pork in South Philly and Dellasandro's in Manayunk. I know it's a matter of opinion, but these steaks are head and shoulders better than Jim's, which is in itself a far better steak tha Tony Lukes imo.

Steve's has the best cheese fries but the steaks are far from great.

Paul

Out of the three they are my least favorite, i only mentioned them first because it was tonight's dinner.:D John's takes the cake for me.

Correct on the fries, although i go cheese on side bc they dont travel well with cheese on, despite the <5 min drive.

Looking for great wings? Cafe Soho on Cheltenham Ave is THE place, with El Camino Real in NoLibs taking the place spot! Too good.

I would say Del Mar is my favorite. The eye candy is a plus but the ambiance is what I like, both before, during, and after the races.

I loved my 2 visits to Kenneland and as someone posted earlier, Santa Anita on a smog-free day is a spectacular setting for racing.

I have not had a chance to visit Oaklawn yet.

Best to Last:

1.) Keeneland

If your after the whole horse racing experience than it can't be beat. The place is just about perfect. The backdrop of the track is beautiful Kentucky landscape. The trees are spectacular all around the grounds. Paddock is one of a kind.

2.) Del Mar - is a close second. Tempted to make them 1A and 1B but Keeneland trumps on overall beauty. The one thing that put me off a little about Del Mar is the ugly gray artificial racing surface. It is truly ugly.

3.) Santa Anita - I think the only thing that really separates the first two from Santa Anita is the scarcity of racing dates. It takes some planning to hit Keeneland and Del Mar. Santa Anita has many more dates.

Santa Anita is a beautiful park in a spectacular setting. I love the way the downhill turf track crosses the main surface and then goes back to the turf. This is a one of a kind feature at a track in the US.

4.) Oaklawn is a distant, distant, distant fourth. Didn't like the glass walls that enclose the grandstand area. Just not for me I guess.


Sidenote. I met an Australian at the most beautiful track I've ever been to in Chantilly, France. As we chatted I learned that this guy had traveled to tracks all around the world. So as we are standing in this magnficent setting with a castle in the background. I asked what track he liked best of all he had visited. His Answer: Keeneland

1. Del Mar
2. Santa Anita










3.Keeneland (Byk's right. This is a very distant third to the other two.)
4. Oaklawn ???????????????????? This joint barely noses out Balmoral Park,
the crown jewel for nightly charriot racing in 15 degree weather.

:tro:
:tro::tro::tro Spent many days way back when, doing just this....and we also played cards between races, in the stairway.