Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Recently I went through a break up, and when a friend found I was single for the first time in a long time, she told me her best advice was to “accept every invitation.”  She said that attitudel helped her to recover every time she became single again.  It doesn’t matter if you go to the movies with mom or fishing with granddad, just say yes and get out of the house.

This is how I ended up watching the horse races at Tampa Bay Downs. A friend has been after me for months to come see the races when the season began in December. I begged off because I don’t gamble and i figured it would be a bit boring.

Also I had an image in my head of a lot of blue haired women and John Hughes anti-hero types sucking on generic cigarettes and throwing betting slips into the air. But with my marching orders regarding invitations I made a man date to meet up at the track on Saturday.

I was pleasantly surprised.  The weather was beautiful and the crowds were not too bad. The free parking and cheap admission ($2 for the Grandstand or $3 for the Clubhouse) is agreeable. They have a wide selection of food - from burgers and fries at walk up counters to more complicated fare at restaurants and bars. You have a choice of viewing areas from the apron in front of the Grandstand under the warm sun, to the more relaxed and less crowded clubhouse area, to the grandstand seats.

I like the Grandstand for some of the races because of the better view of the track and the comfort but my friend always prefers to be right at the finish line. Between races you can check out the horses that are about the race at the Paddock area, review the program to figure out if you want to place a bet or just watch for fun.

I did make a few $2 bets (I told you I don’t gamble) and took the time to figure out what the program could tell me about each horse. Then I dutifully went to watch the horses prance before the race (to see if they look “fresh” in my friend’s words) and placed small bets. In all I won $4.60. Don’t worry, the track will be ok, I spent those winnings on the $2 waters they sell.

And a hot dog.

And a soft pretzel.

In fact I left before my urge to try the strawberry shortcake got the better of me.

All in all I had a great time. If you are interested in a fairly cheap way to get outdoors, have a little fun, eat some food that would make a cardiologist rip his hair out in frustration, and see some beautiful horses, why don’t you check out the racing calender and bring a couple of friends to the track before the season ends in May.