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Fair enough Paul. I’m a country boy at heart but like LA and Chicago when in the states. Ironically I don’t like Louisville which I consider to be a real dump with nothing to recommend it so know how you feel!
To use a sporting cliche – horses for courses I suppose.
It is odd about LA as I really love the rest of California – have never been to Louisville so will go with an open mind.
I would dearly like the BC to go Woodbine again – I would be like a pig in sh*t then – failing that one of the New York tracks would be good.
ADRIAN
Thanks for replying, looked at BA VA and AA flights for 3 week stay and all are quoting around £450 give or take a couple of pounds. I understand that it is around 15 hours flying time to get there, is that correct. If the journey does take that amount of time, is there much to do on the plane, as i find it difficult to sleep and i will be traveling economy. If i decided to travel, say to New York and then take a internal flight would i be saving much money and would it take much longer.Also would it be worth going self cattering / accomodation, instead of using a hotel, and is there a need to hire a car.thank you
PaulPaul if you are there for 3 weeks I would recommend flying into Newark NJ and then taking the New Jersey Transit train to the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase (which i think is on October 17th) at Far Hills-track right by the station.
Arcadia/Pasadena are both good options to stay in.Arcadia convenient for the track but Pasadena a nicer city. You can get a bus from Pasadena to the track for $1….
And if anyone is into hiking. Then the area around Santa Anita is awesome. Within 2 miles of downtown Pasadena there are the trailheads to take you up to Mount Wilson which overlooks the track and Inspiration Point. From the top, on a good day, you can see all the way to Catalina Island about 75 miles away.
Hi Peng, Sorry I missed you on your travels to the West Coast. I’d also like to make a special recommendation for that hidden gem – Sierra Madre – near to Santa Anita and at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains. It has a lovely English type feel with great pubs and restaurants around a proper town centre.
Adrian
Can you pay at the door on the day and is it cheap like the French race tracks or is it best to pre book a seat ticket to insure that i can get in.Fair enough Paul. I’m a country boy at heart but like LA and Chicago when in the states. Ironically I don’t like Louisville which I consider to be a real dump with nothing to recommend it so know how you feel!
Plenty of people had said the same to me before my first BC outing there, but I really liked Louisville. Thought the Ali Centre was moving, the view across the Ohio River was too, and the factory where they make the Louisville Slugger baseball bats is right in the middle of town as well.
Also, the locals in Kentucky do actually take plenty of interest in racing. I remember being in Chicago for the BC – which is a fantastic city, btw – and hearing a story about someone asking a local the best way to get to Arlington Park. It transpired that the local had lived in Arlington for 20 years without realising there was a racetrack there. Hard to believe anywhere else, but possibly not in America. Belmont’s the same – no sense of occasion in the locale at all.
Mr Frisk,
I suppose there are some good things to say about Louisville. However the quality of the hotels (generally dire) and the depressing look of the whole city gets me down – it is so seedy.
Still as you say the townsfolk understand and mainly love their racing and it is very quick to get around. If the racetrack management (which is changing) start to appreciate their patrons and also start wanting international competition I’ll like it even more. There are a few fun restaurants and you are only an hour from Lexington which is my favourite place in America.
I usually fly into Cincinnati and drive when going anywhere in Kentucky – much the easiest route.
Arkle, although you probably can walk in on the day I’d strongly recommend reserving a seat in advance. Tickets aren’t cheap at Breeders’ Cup – alongside with the Triple Crown Races one of the few days that aren’t cheap in the States – but you can get a reserved seat on the two-day package from 40 dollars. The more you pay the nearer you’ll be to the winning line so I’d recommend spending as much as you can afford on the 2-day package off the Breeders’ Cup website.
Think i will settle for a quiet afternoon at Wolverhampton.
Who needs California when you get go to the Midlands Riviera, Ok that might not sound exciting but still you can gurantee a good viewing point and still get a Cheeseburger and Chips.
Neil,
As much as I love Dunstall Park (the first track I visited back in 1974) I think the views at Santa Anita – with the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains just marginally shade it!
Neil,
As much as I love Dunstall Park (the first track I visited back in 1974) I think the views at Santa Anita – with the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains just marginally shade it!
Shite, what a load of tosh.
Are you saying that the Viaduct with the slow dawdling trains and the rows of houses are not perfection in sight.
It’s a toss-up between Santa Anita and Goodwood for the track with the best non man- made views… However the 2003 BC was sheer hell. Could heardly breathe and was constantly brushing ash off my jacket.
They charge $20 to get in .You have access to everything except the presold seats and the presold dining rooms.you can wander down to stable area and watch the horses being led to the saddling enclosure. You can talk to the trainers after the horses are saddled as the leave the area.You cannot go into the ring unless the trainer invites you in.The further down the track you go the better view you get of some starts( you can wander into the infield to be close to other starts, if you want) and all the action around the final bend. Big screens are all around and so is food and drink. The early starting times means that you get too much sun but what can I say! The secretary said that the prices were going to be reduced this year because of the depression so we will see.
I agree about the ash from local forest fires. That they cannot control.
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