Arlington 4rth Where's PETA??
 

For those of you familiar with the festivities the fireworks are at the track Mon. night. For those of you who are horseman, that's right Arl shoots off a full show complete with, concussion grenade like ones, at the end. As you can imagine the horses a couple of hundred yards away, "love" the display and the noise that comes with it. The real good ones will be enjoying their home farms or visiting with owner friends (Barrington?). The good ones left behind, who's connections have brains, get tranqualized. The others react and survive. Heck some have been through it a couple times but for them it always seems like the first.
Any other tracks blow fireworks off???

I hate PETA but where the hell are they???

Chicago racetracks are insane.
Ostrich races on Illinois Derby day? Fireworks? Obviously and blatantly unsafe racing surfaces?
I just moved here from NYC about a year ago and it is taking me sometime to get used to some of the strange things that go on here. Maybe next year they can attach fireworks to the ostrich jockeys and then have them shoot the fireworks off AT the horses. I bet that would draw a crowd.

LOL good one. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the track and the people just not the policies. If you're in Chicago check out the train to Arl. It's like a beautiful woman who lays still when she should be dancing, you love to be with her but don't spend too much money on her.

The first time I went to the NC State Fair to show my horses was back in 1999. No one was out in the ring but me. I was schooling a very green horse for a client at night out in one of the outdoor rings when all of a sudden I heard this whistling noise go up into the air. I was like, HOLY S H I T!!! Needless to say, I jumped off as quickly as possible with my horse standing on its hind legs. The horse then ran around me in wild frantic circles for like ten minutes while we continued to be bombarded by fireworks. I then knew why I was the only one schooling for the hunter show the next day, and I never ever schooled a horse on that particular night during the state fair again. They got left in their stalls for that display in the future. Some do okay with it in their stalls, but some really, really freak out.

These are T-breds most 3-4 and Arlington puts on a crazy show. It's just not right. And the idiots who show are the same ones bringing picnic lunches on Sunday, getting free pony rides and using their phone book coupons to get in. Then when big spender Daddy goes to put his $2 bucks to win (his wife plays $2 to show) and can't figure how to bet using a machine (because lord almighty they have more than one track and a whole bunch of betting options) and holds up a couple of hundred in bets. These are the people who come see the show and F the horses unless they can paint their kiddies faces.
See I'm getting prepared for war already. LOL

LOL...Dell is on fire tonight

Richie Scherer told us once that the fireworks show can knock some barns out of commission for a month because the horses get to scared. They end up hitting their hit or kicking the wall and severely hurting themselves

I try to stay as far away as possible this week from Arlington....it is what online is for

One thing that I have noticed about Arlington that I like is they have windows called "Beginer Windows" (or something like that). I don't think Aqueduct and Belmont (the tracks I previously attended) had those. These are a good idea. If people that do not know how to bet want to go to the track, I say fine, but they should have these places to go where they will not bother the rest of us.
Of course the problem is that these windows only attract the ignorant people that already KNOW that they are ignorant. The big problem is the people who are ignorant....but don't realize it and try to interact with the rest of us.
You are right. There ARE a lot of kids running around at Arlington on the weekend, and it certainly can get annoying, but I just try to remember that the sport needs a strong next generation of horse racing fan, and these kids might be it.
Of course, I still might try to smack them if I see their parents aren't looking

I just wanted to share my favorite bit of ignorance--Baby stollers around horses. Talk about putting your kid in harms way! And most have the nerve to get pissed off if they are told to ditch the stroller if they want to be in or around the barn.
Also doesn't Churchill have a big concert the night before the Derby? The bass can be as bad as fireworks sometimes...

In California at Fairplex park where they train horses year round and have the Barretts Sales. The stables are about 400 yards away from the Drag strip that holds the Winternationals and the World Finals. The horses love it Im sure.

Arlington has been doing the 4th of July fireworks for at least 25 years. Maybe more. There hasn't been any major problems. PETA can kiss my a$$.

JJP, there has been, I know of multiple horses that have gotten hurt from being startled from the fireworks

2nd floor is no where near as bad as the ground level regarding kids and such.....

I love those beginner windows becuase there is never a line and I can care less if people think I am a beginner or a baller