Posted by Steve
on 6/10/2003, 3:58 pm
66.41.62.235
Terry - I have to tell you this website is fantastic! I've been smiling for hours (which almost never happens). When I was growing up, my dad was a very good handicapper with pretty much nowhere to gamble (ND and MN didn't have parimutuel gambling in the 60s/70s), so we'd drive to Park Jefferson (now long gone), Atokad, and Sodrac (dogs) in the Sioux City area, or Assinaboia Downs in Winnipeg, or to Billings, where my Mom's sister lived. I remember a thoroughbred race in Billings that I'm guessing was somewhere between 1970 and 1974 where the starting gate was in a really strange place - just before where the last turn turned into the stretch. My dad was (naturally) watching the horses, but I noticed that the gate was not moving like it had for all the other races. I tugged on my dad's sleeve and told him that the gate wasn't moving, but he kept telling me to leave him alone so he could watch the race. Apparently the engine on the tractor that moved the gate wouldn't start. The horses turned that corner and a bunch of them ran right into the back of the gate. Apparently some of the horses were so injured that they had to be euthenized right there. I happened upon your site doing some research into quarter horse handicapping - where I got another big smile finding out that they are opening up a racetrack in Fargo (my former hometown). I am planning on going there opening day 8/22. Maybe I'll see you there. Thanks again for the great site - all kinds of memories came flooding back to me!
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