You're right about the Canterbury Invaders.

You also have to watch the Praire Meadows shippers. They tend to get overlooked.

If you follow the trainers you get a sense for which ones are bringing in live horses and know where to place them.

interesting thread by what may be a sociology teacher.

Im not from the coasts, but Id have to think most racing fans are b/c the best racing takes place in NY/NJ, FL, KY(I know its not on the coast, but its in the east), and SoCal.

you shouldnt expect that most posters here are patrons of Great Lakes Downs or whatever.
that may be another interesting topic of conversation that should be discussed.
the decline of midwest racing.
or has it not declined?
what happened to racing in Nebraska?
why did Sportsmans fail in Chicago?

K Jim is right I will be there. Let me know the date and if it doesn't conflict with 2 toga trips planned I'll be there.
PS Little Chicago secret is million day isn't that crowded so that is what I'd aim for. All coming PM me and I'll do my best to set you up!

Hadn't had the chance to respond to this fun, funny, interesting topic..

1. I'd agree that the vast majority of our membership is 'white', but that doesn't necessarily translate as 'anglo'..

2. College educated question.. I'd agree as well as racing's fan base is overwhelmingly a well-schooled lot..

3. Exposed early (Grandfather), interested in 20's, serious fan in 30's as disatisfaction with team sports grew, devoted to it in 40's..

4. While I'm from the Northeast, I can say pretty definitively that DTers are spread across the country proportionately. Probably 60% from urban centers (NY-Boston, Philly-Balt-DC, Chicago, LA-SD); 40% from regional outlying areas..

5. Logical conclusion.. Racing's portrayal as strictly for an aged fan base is a total falsehood. While the game does have an 'older' fan, it has always been a sport that grew on hobbyists as they got older. Speaks to leisure time for handicapping and development of 'opinion' with maturity..

6. Began posting at PaceAdvantage and ESPN in winter of '02.. Derby Trail began as Yahoo Group on February 15, 2003 doubling in size annually from 50 to nearly 400 last year.. Launched as free-standing URL version last year after Preakness.. While the ESPN board provided the early base of membership, non-ESPN posting Y! DT members equalled that base as early sign-ons as well.. ATRAB listeners have been a big addition obviously, and a large number of people found DT via writing/story links to the site on Equidaily and Racing Dispatch; 50-60 added when this was the first internet site to confirm the passing of Lost in the Fog and we were linked from elsewhere, and similarly just this week almost 100 visitors via the Azeri foal photos craze.. Mentions of DT on Capital OTB-TV 12 (thanks to Seth Merrow, Jeanne Wood, Tom Amello and Nick Kling) has brought about another 50-60 members, and friends bringing friends here has filled out the numbers.. The fact that we have 1,250 members (1,100+ active within the last 30 days) in 9 months is amazing..

7. I believe we have a perfect balance of serious horseplayers and casual fans here.. I'd agree that those here that bet, bet more often and greater amounts than most..

8. Single, 47, never married.. Every girlfriend I've had since 1984 has enjoyed the track. Now for most of them it featured Saratoga, Preakness or Belmont Stakes visits, which provide a rather nice atmosphere (except for Old Hilltop), but even runs to blah Hippodrome Bluebonnets in Montreal for simulcast tabs was an eye-opening new experience for gal pals. The racetrack is one of the greatest date locales there is...

1. White
2. Degree in Finance
3. 3rd Grade at River Downs with my dad
4. Cincinnati
5. 34
6. ESPN
7. Currently on betting hiatus, I tend to bet the big days, usually around $1,000
8. Married 6 Years

Great way to find out about people.....

1. White (with blue and green freckles)
2. 6 years of college with ZERO degrees; this has to make me the dumbest person on this board alone.
3. Started going and wagering at Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis Arkansas in high school. Wasn't of age, but never had a problem. Didn't go to a horse track until college (Blue Ribbon Downs) and didn't fall in love with it until I made it to Oaklawn about 15 years ago.
4. Lived in Arkansas all my life. OAKLAWN BABY!!!!
5. 37 years of age and plum sexy.
6. First message board. Was surfing for horse racing info on the net and stumbled across site. Too good to stay away. Lurk pretty much everyday and trying to get a little more involved.
7. $30-$50 a race and I don't really have it to blow. When I'm losing, I'm on tilt. When I'm winning, still on tilt.....
8. Married 12+ years with a 6 year old little girl. Wife is going to the track Sat. without me. Daughter will be a better capper than me by the time she's 10!

1. yes, I am white
2. yes, I have a college degree
3. yes, the Ky derby was a big event in my house at a very young age
4. no, raised in Ohio, live in Rocky mtns now.
5. yes, am 40 years old.
6. actually yes, I almost never frequent the ESPN board, but one day when I did, the introduction to this site was there. I post 98 percent of the time at thoroughbrednet however as I can't get to this site from home...only at work and unfortunately I usually need to be working which expains my limited posting number.
7. I have never bet on the sport...other than individual miniscule side bets..never an official wager. I stink at it is why!!
8. I have been married 15 years and have 4 kids aged 3, 6, 9, and 11 which is another reason I don't bet regardless of my lack of skill!

Sounds like a plan. I'm always iffy based on work if I haven't moved back to the area already, but I'd do by best, especially on a Sunday!

I am a white female; my ethnic background is Eastern European. I am an NYU graduate; my teaching career of thirty-two years ended a few years ago when I retired.! I am a refugee from the old Thoroughbred Times forum. It was a thrill everyday, but I like the calmness here. I remember Native Dancer's Derby, but the love of my life in the 1950's was Nashua. I never placed a bet until I met my husband(of thirty two years)...a degenerate gambler! We are from the East Coast...NJ to be exact, so we have gotten to see many outstanding horses in person. Among them are Seattle Slew(our favorite), Affirmed, Alydar, Spectacular Bid, Davona Dale, John Henry, Slew O" Gold, Swale, A.P. Indy Serena's Song, Bernardini, etc.. We are both dedicated animal lovers. We breed dogs and my husband is a dog trainer. Our beloved horse Ocho died in 2005 from the infirmities of old age. He was a twenty-nine-year old Appaloosa. We really miss him. We live rural...in the boondocks, so he lived right on our property. We donate to helping horses, but we are not going to adopt again. We are just too old.

a arlington get together would be nice. if my trainers stabled here which he probaly will be i can take every1 back the barn after the races and we can have a BBQ. we had a few last year but the best one was the day of the fireworks at arlington becuz yours truly was extremely intoxicated:)

sportsmans failed becuz the onwership got way too greedy. it was thriving and they decided to go and rebuild it into a dual purpose facility with the auto track which was not bright considering the other autotrack in suburban joliet which is bout 45 min from chicago. still a sad sight to see sportsmans every single day. graffiti on the inside where the track used to be, busted windows everywhere etc etc etc=( its demise not only hurt the tbred side but also the harness tremendously. i believe chicago was once near the tops in harness but no longer. sportsmans was packed every spring for the tbreds and every summer night for the harness.


the decline of midwest racing? i heard the rundown today on the speaker on the backside after entries were taken today for opening day........absolutely pitiful

tell you what one benefit of being older is you have a change to have grand children which i do but he is only 3 months old. so i have to wait a few years before i can take him to the track with me.. can't wait.

Playa,
If you can make a lil backside bbq happen I'd most appreciative (the way I phrased this sounds really bad lol).

Hailrazor,
Don't feel bad. I've also been in school for about 6 years with nothing to show for it either. But in another years I'll finally get my 2 year degree lol.

Pmay, is that you on the right in your avatar? Are you actually K-Fed?

That's Jamiroquai...

Of "Virtual Insanity" Fame?!!! Great song.

Even a good video...http://youtube.com/watch?v=KQonPfZpRLY

As for the decline of Midwest racing, there's positives and negatives:

Negatives- Great Lakes Downs shutting it's doors. Places like Aksarben and Sportsman's Park also closing their doors since the 90s.

Positives- Prairie Meadows. Due to Casino gaming being added, that track has flourished and has had 2 additions. I hate their field sizes, but the track is doing fine.

Canterbury- The place closed for about 5 years in the early 90s, but re-opened in '95, and has steadily earned more revenue every year. Eventhough they've failed on a number off occassions to get slots added to the track (partly due to a giant Indian Res. casion 5 miles down the road from it), they did add the largest poker/casino card game room (black jack, pai gow, etc etc) which has added a lot of $$$ to the purses. On summer nights, the place is packed, with mainly a younger demographic as well.

The Chi-town tracks at least seem to be holding their own. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I guess that at least covers "Upper Midwest" tracks.

As for Great Lakes Downs. I hope it can be resuccitated like Canterbury was in the Mid 90s. Magna might be willing to sell it for pretty cheap since they closed it (I'm assuming because they couldn't get slots put in the place?). So Let's see what new (and hopefully local) ownership can do with the place...

Hhah I missed those last posts because I was busy ranting about the state of Upper Midwest racing.

Anyway,
I'm the guy on the left. The Jamiroquai guy (they're actually a group... everyone thinks it's just one guy) is on the right.

To put in it perspective of the 8 questions originally posted as the subject of the site-
I'm 25... white, been going to school on and off for years (hence my 6 years without a degree). Watched horse racing casually for most of my life, got seriously into and the betting in my teens when Canterbury re-opened in the mid 90s.

But since I'm single, and work a lot, it affords to me to go on trips to see my favorite bands and play in handicapping contests occassionally. When Jamiroquai came to the U.S. for the first time since 9/11... yes that 9/11. They were scheduled to play a show in NYC that night, and have a subsequent U.S. Tour afterwards. It all (the tour) got cancelled because of 9/11, and their plane got grounded for 2 weeks after, so they couldn't leave the country.

They hadn't come back to the U.S. since, because they didn't do a new album, and they've never been that popular here. I mean everyone knows them for "Virtual Insanity" and "Canned Heat" (the song that Napolean Dynamite does his famous Vote for Pedro dance to). But these guys are my favorite group by far. So when they came back to the U.S, I wasn't gonna miss 'em. I saw their 2 shows in NYC, and then their show a week later in Chicago.

I post on Jamiroquai fan sites... kinda like the equivalent to derbytrail for horse racing fans. So through a person I met off the site, the person got me on the guest list for an afterparty at Bed in NYC after the 2nd show. That's where I got my pic with JK (the lead singer or "Jamiroquai guy") and the rest of the band members. Thrill of a life time, and the most genuine smile I've ever had lol.

And yes... in hindsight... he does look a little K-Fed-ish" in the pic lol