A night at the races

At 6:58 pm, we had a brainstorm. "Let's go to the horse races!" It was such a perfect evening that we wanted to get out an enjoy it. We've had good intentions of making it to the races for a few summers... tonight's trip left us wondering WHY we hadn't made time for it before. As far as a family outing goes, it was incredibly economical... free admission, no gambling, and "buck night" which got us a hot dog, nachos and pop for only $1 each! Luke enjoyed an entire tub of popcorn by himself and Riley feasted on Cheerios and a bottle.

It was so much fun to walk between the paddock and the track. It reminded me of going to the races many years ago with my dad. We checked out the horses and analyze their demeanor prior to the race. We looked for a horse with an empty bladder because if a horse happened to relieve himself before the race, he was a sure winner.

When we arrived at the track, the first horse we saw was a gray horse. True to Danielson lore, that gray horse finished dead last in the race. I took a picture of it anyway, in honor of Great Grandpa Danielson (legend has it, he was a sucker for betting on the gray horses).


The infamous gray horse...










The post-race walk of shame.

"Only 17 more years before I can place a bet!"

Many track visitors would kill for Luke's view.

Eagerly awaiting the race!

Luke's pick... #5!! (Just noticed that he was wearing Boston Celtics colors... II would have likely bet on him, too.)

The highlight of the night was the 7th race. We went down to the paddock and analyzed the horses... then each of us picked our winner. Mom chose #8, Luke chose #5, Dad chose #3, and Riley got #4 (because, according to Luke, it was smaller than the rest of the horses. Kind of like Riley). Wouldn't you know, Luke's horse outran Daddy's horse down the stretch for an exciting victory. Something must have happened to Mommy's horse at the start, because she ran almost dead last the entire race. It was a humbling experience losing to a 4 year old. (Now I know how II must have felt when I would beat him placing cattle at the state fair!)

We arrived home at 10 pm. Both kids awake and convinced that they weren't ready for bed. That lasted about as long as it took for them to put their heads on the pillow. Can you say over tired?