Belmont Racetrack
(Saturday Night Cheeseburger will not be seen this week, due to this special Kentucky Derby trip. It will return next week at it’s regularly scheduled time.)
When I was five-years-old, my family moved to Louisville, Kentucky and we lived there from 1963 to 1969. Louisville is a great town and there’s lots of things to do there, but one of the things it’s best known for is the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Our family used to take trips out to Churchill Downs and watch the races, the horses and the people in the spring and summertime and I have fond memories of the place. But the one weekend most locals didn’t go near the racetrack was Derby weekend. The town got absolutely nuts, prices were raised and things got pretty wild. I’ve never been to a racetrack on Derby day and last week while corresponding with EV Grieve, he suggested that it might make for a fun post to go out to Belmont Park and check out that race track on Derby Day. I thought it was a splendid idea, and so now, please prepare to enjoy TWM’s day at the races!
We'll be taking the train to Belmont Park from Penn Station.
Nobody's walking on the escalator, hopefully a sign of a good day ahead!
The Long Island Railroad has a special train that goes out to the racetrack at specific times of the day. Let's go get a ticket.
And here's the train, all aboooard!
Here's the view out the window. According to the weather it was supposed to be a nice day today, but so far it's kind of gray and the sky is spitting a little rain out. Hopefully it'll clear up as the day progresses.
Okay, here we are, Belmont Park, let the racing begin!
I'm not exactly sure where to go, so I'm just following the crowd.
Looks like we're just about there!
Wow, it's a huge place and it kind of resembles a giant airplane hangar. There's three floors, but it all kind of looks the same in here.
See what I mean?
Here's a view of the racetrack from the second floor. No horses racing yet, I wonder what time that starts? Let's go outside and see what's happening.
Here's some people having a picnic outside in a reserved area. It's kind of chilly out here.
Man in sombrero waving alert!
Still no horses on the track and now it's starting to mist a little and it's cold out here, let's go back inside.
There's TV's and large screens all over the place inside.
Although I have no idea what any of this means and the whole place is starting to make me nervous.
One thing I've noticed is that people are really into reading the racing forms out here.
Everyone is studying them and there's not a lot of eye contact, nobody's even noticing I'm taking their picture.
It's kind of like they're racing form zombies and it's kind of freaking me out. Let's go check out the track and see if the races have started.
Nope, still no horses and the seats are kind of empty. I thought there'd be more action out here on Derby Day.
And more TV's inside. One thing you're not experiencing through these pictures is that there's an announcer on the loudspeakers constantly talking, but you can't understand a word he's saying. It's like the subway announcements that are always garbled, but this never stops and it's kind of giving me a headache!
Here's the back of the building, let's see what's out here.
It's a picnic area. It's a little chilly and it's drizzling rain, but let's check it out.
Jesus fucking Christ, there's no escape from this shit!
Aaaahhhh!
Let's go back inside.
More TV's, let's go see if anything is happening at the racetrack.
Hey...check it out...
It's a racehorse. But so far he's just standing there.
Okay, he just took off, but is this just a race of one horse?
Wait a second, now there's an ambulance on the track, gaining on the racehorse. This must be some sort of new-fangled race.
I tell you there's electricity in the crowd as the race is peaking.
And in the end, it was the ambulance by a nose. A stuffed up nose, but that's okay, there's doctors on board.
Okay, I've still got a couple of hours to kill before the first train back to Manhattan, so I've decided to do what I should've done in the first place, go to the bar and have some beers.
Check out these two lovely ladies, Nikki and Colleen! They're a mother-daughter bartending team and they were lots of fun to talk to. If you're ever at this bar at Belmont Park, ask Colleen to tell you her sick joke!
Here's Nikki presenting me with a beer, Home Shopping Network style! I had a great time at the bar with them and before I knew it, it was time to head back home. I think I need to come back out here in the summer and try it when the weather is nicer.
I should be home in time to catch the Kentucky Derby on the TV, the way we used to spend Derby Day in Louisville.
Except my TV set has been on the fritz for nine months now.
So I decided to while the evening away watching Mr. Ed and having a few beers. Wiiilbuuurrrr!
Belmont Park
2150 Hempstead Turnpike
Elmont, NY
Further Reading: NY Daily News, Bleacher Report and The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.
Ain’t no doubt,
I’m talkin’ about,
Kentucky woman.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
--------------------------------
Bonus Mr. Ed Art by Jaws!
Taking a cue from the Mr. Ed photo, Jaws the Cabbie sent in this Mr. Ed art he produced a while back. Here's what he says about it: "I did this one while suffering through Minnesota's last protracted senatorial race." Great work, Jaws, thanks!
Belmont Park, Kentucky Derby, Mr. Ed, TV Sets Posted on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 10:08AM
Reader Comments (33)
Marty, This post reminds me of the Bronx Zoo post. I was almost expecting to see that fucking peacock on the track. My grandmother used to take me to Aqueduct Racetrack when I was about 10. I would run around & pick up the discarded losing tickets off the floor because they came in so many color's. One day I was picking up racetickets & they announced a Photo Finish & changed the race outcome. The whole place started moaning & this crazed man looked at me, looked down at the floor , then looked in my hand's & stated chasing me, I almost shit myself. I ran like the wind & lost him in the crowd, heheh. I probably had a winning ticket but just went home & put it in my scrapbook.
classic post! sometimes it's funnier when things don't work out for you! lol!! glad you were able to salvage the day through the bar and mr. ed!
I think hanging out with Nikki at the bar was your favorite part of this visit. And I would of been bored at the track because I know nothing about it. Actually watching Mr Ed made it all worthwhile for me. As always you made this road trip fun by racing the ambulance against the horse,,,,,lol
Pretty fucking horrifying.
@Danny the freelancer: Funny you mentioned the Bronx Zoo post, I was thinking about it yesterday too! That's funny about the ticket collection, I wonder what you would've won?
@Bobby D: Glad you got a larf out of it!
@Al: Hanging out at the bar with Nikki and Colleen was definitely the highlight of the trip, really nice and friendly women. Great bartenders!
@csp: I think I need to try it again in the summertime.
@TWM: Yonkers may be more convenient.
Last time I was at the OTB (Off Track Betting) parlor which used to be on 14th St & 2nd Ave Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby was 1972-73-74??? Was a dark drizzly day I remember that and my winnings for Secretariat, a pretty much sure thing were something about 50-60 bucks, which at the time kept in beer that night but I do recall I couldn't get it up for a hooker in the whore house who took my money and walked out disgusted because I couldn't get it up. That was in 12 st & 3rd Ave whore house where the New School owns some kind of dormitory. Ah what lovely memories of the past...
I won $18 on the Derby ... but it could have been so much more. I had the 1st place horse - and the 3rd --- but this one shithead got between my two horses and screwed up my exacta. Probably would have won about $400+ instead of $18. I'll take it though. Better than nothing ?
I also had the "Bronx Zoo peacock" flashback .... funny stuff !
I kept waiting for the Budweiser shot. Had to scroll down pretty far to finally see it dont you think? And it looks like a Coors. The end of the post was pretty funny. Thank god for the Utube.
@csp: Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: Ha ha ha! Great story, as always!
@GENE: Sorry you didn't win the big dough, but at least you won and came out a winner!
@legitimate beef: Sorry it took so long for the beer shot, but it was a Budweiser, I only drink Coors if that's the only option! And yes, thank God for the YouTube!
"Someday Marty...our paths shall CROSS AGAIN! Squaaaaarrrrrrl!" - the Bronx Zoo Peacock.
I can't stop laughing. This is right up there with the trip to the zoo. I wonder if that fucking peacock could out run the ambulance.
I once got a tip at The bar I was working at in the 80's & it was a house to bet on, & I wasn't into betting on horse's & the fucker won, shit, But today I got 2 Darkroom 8x10 Kodak safe lights for 5 euros at a flea market & went online to B&H photo to find out that the filter alone cost 87 dollars each. Also Sarkozy Lost Today & will not be the President again !!!
It Looks Cool to do Pinhole Photography over there .
Cheers
@Jaws: Aaaahhhhh!
@tehennessey: Glad you got a chuckle out of this, I don't know about that peacock outrunning the ambulance, I'm just glad he wasn't out there yesterday!
@JHwang: Congratulations on the flea market finds! Cheers back atcha!
That post was depressing. You should take a trip to Monmouth Park during the summer. I used to go there all the time with my family when I was a kid. They used to have a great picnic area.
Nobodys better at turning a crappy day into hilarity than you. Love your blog, just started following it a while back, a friend of mine turned me onto it, part of my daily routine now!
@DaveW: At least I ended up on a high note with Colleen, Nikki and Mr. Ed! I'll check out Monmouth Park sometime, thanks for the tip!
@Ronnie: Glad to have you on board! Thanks for the kind words and for chiming in!
i have a distaste of the tracks caus eof my mom..
dragging my ass to the tracks to pick horses for her.
then doing the same to maia when she was a kid.
my grandpa did the horses when he was around too.
i'd have been bored shitless.
i dont like to part with my money and i certainly aint parting with it for a fucking horse.
All that work...all that time....That's one day of your life you'll never get back. The Mr. Ed joke at the end made it for me. Belmont park looks like a hell hole.
I had to check out all the Hoo Hah with the Bronx Zoo post...that just blew my mind. Fucking hilarious. Yet another day you will never get back.
Had to call my mom and tell her you went there...
She got all excited.. talked about it forever..
you made her day.. she talked about it at length..
part of her childhood going with my grandpa..
she laughed when i told her about the ambulance and the horse.
i had to read the whole thing to her..
@Clacky: It's not exactly a hell hole, I think I would've had a better time if the weather was nicer and maybe if I went out with some people. Glad you finally saw the Bronx Zoo post!
@Gidget: Too funny that this made your mom's day! Glad she got a kick out of it! Thanks for sharing the post with her!
Sorry you didn't see more horses, but glad the bar company was good. Never actually been to a horse race but won a few quid a long time ago. Did go to the greyhound track though, & knew a few people in the business. Had a gypsy greyhound/collie (poaching dog) - it had an unfortunate incident with a friend's pet rabbit ...
gee where to start—anyone taking the brown acid please report—sorry didn't mean to get off track so quickly...Belmont is really a beautiful park far from a hellhole...spent many a saturday or sunday or both there...and if the weather is rough it can be rather unpleasant as well...sorry TWM had such a bad trip...all that aside i ask myself why would anyone—other than inquisitive TWM—go thru all the hassles of getting to the track if they weren't into watchin' (and trying to pick the wiinner and at times the runner up) the races?...oh well...wish the event went better for TWM...
It is good to breed Derby winners because they will in time beget other horses capable of the same splendid and useless triumphs.
Bentley's Quarterly Review (1859)
rr
@Onemorefoldedsunset: Okay, we have to know about this unfortunate incident with the pet rabbit! No holding back!
@rr: Sounds like next time you need to come along as a guide! Maybe in the summer, one of these days our paths need to cross! Wonderful quote as always, really good to have you back in the comments section!
Kentucky Derby-1970-Ralph Steadman-Fear and Loathing indeed. You think your May Belmont scene was depressing? Check out Aqueduct in February. Truly the stadium of the damned. This is why Psilocybin mushrooms must be made legal. Now!
@Dunsester: Cool that you picked up on the Ralph Steadman connection, the start of Ralph and Hunter's adventures together! To Psilocybin mushrooms!
Great 'post' today.
I could write a book about my lost weekend at the Derby
Maybe 1986?
I would have to remember it first.
Decades later it is still coming back in bits and pieces.
Seriously.
It would have made Hunter S. Thompson proud.
@"Boris:" I have to hear about this Derby weekend, one of the few "Boris" tales I've never heard about!
Loved the pictures of folk not noticing that they were being photographed. Perfect!
@K9RADIOTIKI: Glad you enjoyed those and thanks for chiming in!
I totally forgot to watch the race, but my neighbor won four dollars!
@Biff: Tell your neighbor to roll it over on Mega-Millions tonight and then share the wealth!