And They're Off!

Some of you know my amateur (and I mean very amateur) interest in horse-racing. Perhaps you followed the quest for the Triple Crown this year by Big Brown, only to have your dreams dashed in the Belmont Stakes. I've never been to the Kentucky Derby, but it remains a distant dream of mine to attend.

While I had heard tell that there was a horse-racing track just outside of Chicago, little did I know the thrills of actually attending. A hop, skip, and a jump out to Arlington Heights, IL stands a gem called Arlington Park.

For a the small price of $7 each, we spent all the live long day there, watching the races, enjoying one of these last summer days, and placing a few humble bets. For my first race, I put $2 on "Nine Patch" to place. Despite his odds of 30-1, I couldn't resist putting my hopes in a horse named after a quilting pattern. Needless to say, he lost. Throughout the day's eleven races, several in our party won big. I think I'll stick to $0.10 bets until I get the first clue about betting and reading the odds.