Disclaimer: I am very much aware of the controversy of horse racing and the ongoing deaths of the horses that have occurred at this race track. The purpose of this trip was to understand and see first hand what draws the crowds and discover my own feelings.
Hi guys! Over the weekend, I visited Santa Anita Park to check out some live horse racing! I have never been to a horse race and I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Horse racing is considered one of America’s Favorite Pastimes and generates millions of dollars a year!
Santa Anita Park is one of the original horse racing parks in the U.S. and is located in Arcadia (about 15 minutes east of where I live in Pasadena). According to the website, it was founded in 1934 and many famous races have been completed here, including the famous Seabiscuit horse!
Each year, the season runs December – June. The live races began at 1 p.m., so I decided to get to the track no later than 12:30 p.m. I parked near the South Entrance and paid a $10 fee for parking, general admission to sit in the Grandstand area and for a program. You can also purchase box seats separately but I would advise against it. I still had an amazing view of the track and San Gabriel Mountains! There was a bit of an overcast the day I went but I would rather have gone in colder weather than hotter weather.
I am not much of a gambler and I just wanted to enjoy my time by watching a few races from the Grandstand area – a.k.a the “chill, laid back crowd.” I also sat next to a couple who were also there as observers and they explained to me what the different starting points were for each race (furlongs), when the race was going to begin (posts) and the difference between placing wagers on a winning horse (the horse wins outright/triumphs), a placing horse (horse must place 1st or 2nd and less risk is involved) and showing horse (horse must place 1st, 2nd or 3rd and is even a lesser risk). The couple also told me they come once a month during the season and just enjoy the excitement and atmosphere of the track!
The first race started from the far end of the track and was on the 6 furlongs turf! Everyone hollered and screamed for their horse to win as they turned the corner and made their way to the finish line. You can see below that a horse named Heartbreaker won the race and the bets on this race were close to $1 million! I was shocked!
Across the way in the Infield I saw a carnival, playground and bounce house areas for kids to play in! There were also pony rides and places to purchase food and place bets for the next race. I snatched a photo of this adorable pony!
Back through the tunnel I entered the Paddock Room (a place for Handicappers) and went through another set of doors where the horses than ran (or were going to run?) were relaxing in a stable area. You could even go up to a couple of them with their jockey and rub their noses!
I was getting a bit hungry, so I decided to head to the The FrontRunner restaurant. This is where I saw the more “elite, older crowd” and the longest bar I have ever seen in my life, 215-feet to be exact! It was packed with people and the hostess gave me a table instead. I ordered myself a Mimosa Flight with regular Orange Juice, Peach, Passion Fruit and Mango ($19, the Mango was my favorite) and a hamburger with Swiss cheese and a side salad ($19) from the menu. The total came to $41. It was a bit pricey but everyone kept telling me to try the burger! I hadn’t eaten a burger in a very long time so it was nice and juicy! The salad was also very crisp with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
This is also where I talked with Edward, an 81-year-old man who came with his wife and his friend and his wife. Edward’s father used to take him to the races (specifically Del Mar) when he was a kid and has gone to the Kentucky Derby two times. During one of the races, he got out of his scream and yelled for his horse to go faster (he won).
“You see that, my dear?!” he exclaimed. “That’s a winner! It doesn’t get much better than this!”
As I was leaving, I snapped a few other photos outside of a horse cooling down with a fan, a statue and a memorial plaque dedicating Camp Santa Anita during World War II. My grandfather and grandmother were stationed at Santa Anita Park during that time and the park was used as an army camp for training purposes (it was also where more than 20,000 Japanese Americans were processed due to displacement). Prior to me moving to Pasadena, my dad had told me his dad was stationed in Arcadia, so it’s crazy to think that I live about 15 minutes from where he once was!
I highly recommend visiting my Instagram page and watching the “Arcadia ’22” stories to see one of the races from the Grandstand and The FrontRunner restaurant and other fun videos I took! You can also see a lot of ladies wearing fancy hats in the restaurant during one of the races.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I found horse racing interesting and enjoyable to watch! As I stated earlier, I am not much of a gambler, so relaxing with a drink or a snack is the way I prefer to enjoy my time. Obviously, I will say that if you chose to gamble to please do it responsibly!
Have you ever been to a horse race and did you enjoy it? 🙂
