What FL track is better?

[GPK]

Once you have spent a day at Tampa Bay Downs in the BigsMC luxury box suite, right on the finish line, there is nothing quite comparable in all of racing...much less in the State of Florida

[Antitrust32]

$1 beers @ Gulfstream and they have Franks and grey goose.

ease of getting around & expense = Tampa Bay

nightlife, resteraunts - GP

quality of racing - GP

ambience, crowd, safety - equal.. besides FL Derby day where it is way too crowded in the small space.

They are both good tracks in their own way. Old Gulfstream would have dominated this discussion though.

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

Old Gulfstream would have dominated this discussion though.

[TropicalStorm]

I like Tampa but you can not compare a big league track like Gulfstream to Tampa. Gulfstream is much much better. You can go to the morning workouts at Gulfstream and the racing involves the best horses in the world. There is a casino there for additional fun and you can walk to the beach.

A typical day at Gulfstream could be watching the morning works, hitting the beach for a few hours, live racing where you can occasionally see grade 1 winners in a Wednesday allowance race, then you can either play cards or slots at the casino and have a few drinks, or take a nap before going out in South Beach. Gulfstream is the big leagues while Tampa is the minor leagues. I love Tampa and I also enjoy minor league baseball, but I go to the track to see great horses and Gulfstream will have 50-100 possible derby horses run during the meet. I would say only Saratoga and Del Mar are better than Gulfstream. Belmont has better racing but it is actually quite a dreary place most of the time.

[Left Bank]

Originally Posted by CrossfireHurricane

I like Tampa but you can not compare a big league track like Gulfstream to Tampa. Gulfstream is much much better. You can go to the morning workouts at Gulfstream and the racing involves the best horses in the world. There is a casino there for additional fun and you can walk to the beach.

A typical day at Gulfstream could be watching the morning works, hitting the beach for a few hours, live racing where you can occasionally see grade 1 winners in a Wednesday allowance race, then you can either play cards or slots at the casino and have a few drinks, or take a nap before going out in South Beach. Gulfstream is the big leagues while Tampa is the minor leagues. I love Tampa and I also enjoy minor league baseball, but I go to the track to see great horses and Gulfstream will have 50-100 possible derby horses run during the meet. I would say only Saratoga and Del Mar are better than Gulfstream. Belmont has better racing but it is actually quite a dreary place most of the time.

And your sandwich at Gulfstream will only cost you the low,low price of TWENTY DOLLARS!

[TropicalStorm]

Gulfstream food is no more expensive than Saratoga, Del Mar, Belmont, or Churchill.

Like I said Gulfstream is the big leagues with top talent and just like a MLB or NFL Stadium the food is more expensive.

If you want cheap food go to WalMart right down the street from Gulfstream and bring it yourself.

Personally I don't mind paying more money for food. The people selling it have a right to make a living and nobody forces you to buy the food. If you can't afford it than don't buy it. Movie theatres charge a fortune too. If you don't like it bring your own candy. I buy it because I can afford it and I think movie theatres have a right to make money.

Tampa is a great track but it is like going to minor league baseball. It is great but most people really want to see the big league talent and enjoy first class entertainment.

But this is all opinion and for whatever reason people like to attack Stronach but he understands the days of racetracks surviving just as racetracks is over unless you want horseman to run for 10,000 purses all winter.

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by CrossfireHurricane

Tampa is a great track but it is like going to minor league baseball.

Yeah but 10-1 pays the same minor or major.

[opusone]

I am biased toward Tampa because its home. If your coming in March you can check out the Phillies spring training in Clearwater. It is a really fun place to catch a ballgame. The roads will be busy either place since its the peak of snowbird season.

Pretty good place 2 miles from TBD

www.jackwilliestikibar.com

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by CrossfireHurricane

Gulfstream food is no more expensive than Saratoga, Del Mar, Belmont, or Churchill.

Like I said Gulfstream is the big leagues with top talent and just like a MLB or NFL Stadium the food is more expensive.

If you want cheap food go to WalMart right down the street from Gulfstream and bring it yourself.

Personally I don't mind paying more money for food. The people selling it have a right to make a living and nobody forces you to buy the food. If you can't afford it than don't buy it. Movie theatres charge a fortune too. If you don't like it bring your own candy. I buy it because I can afford it and I think movie theatres have a right to make money.

Tampa is a great track but it is like going to minor league baseball. It is great but most people really want to see the big league talent and enjoy first class entertainment.

But this is all opinion and for whatever reason people like to attack Stronach but he understands the days of racetracks surviving just as racetracks is over unless you want horseman to run for 10,000 purses all winter.

She didn't mention the racing product being one of her criteria. I am quite sure she is well aware of the differences in the quality of the horseflesh.

[TropicalStorm]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

She didn't mention the racing product being one of her criteria. I am quite sure she is well aware of the differences in the quality of the horseflesh.

Ok, but based on her criteria Gulfstream is still much better.

Gulfstream is much easier to get around. You can actually walk there from hotels. Tampa Downs in not even in Tampa and there is nothing right there except a driving range.

Gulfstream is actually cheaper if you factor in hotels. It is much cheaper to stay in Hallandale Beach than in Tampa. Tampa is very expensive in the winter.

Nightlife is all Gulfstream. It has it's own nightlife with a casino or you have South Beach.

Ambience is all Gulfstream too. Tampa is a nice small track feel but Gulfstream has a nice outdoor bar and a nice simulcast area if you get a seat, and you have big time racing where you get top horses racing against other top horses and the crowd is great especially on big days. The seating is so limited that it makes it feel like there is always a big crowd there.

I like Tampa but this is really sort of a silly argument. It isn't quite comparing Saratoga to Finger Lakes but it is not that far from it.

[TropicalStorm]

Originally Posted by Cardus

You mean the best 10,000 claimers in the world, right?

No, I mean the best horses from the NY and KY circuit. Barbaro, Curlin, English Channel (in an allowance race), Big Brown, Quality Road, Empire Maker, Invasor, etc.

Gulfstream gets the big league horses and the purses are pretty solid for winter racing when most trainers are not really firing on all cylinders but are regrouping for the spring, summer and fall.

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by GPK

Once you have spent a day at Tampa Bay Downs in the BigsMC luxury box suite, right on the finish line, there is nothing quite comparable in all of racing...much less in the State of Florida

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

And I didn't even mention the shear pleasure derived from the all important Double Header. That crusade in itself makes Tampa stand head and shoulders above Gulfstream!!