American Pharoah makes history

[Faygo Kid]

[yuiyoshida]

1. Not many years ago the

Place to go was Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields for Horse Racing in the San Francisco Bay Area. The economy had become so bad that Bay Meadows shut down, and never recovered. Some still go to Golden Gate Fields, but I am sure the crowds are not what they used to be.

[GreatGazoo]

5. Horse racing was the biggest sport in America and the world until the 1930s or so

I love the grounds, food and grandstand at Saratoga -- really has the feel of the nicest country fair you've ever been to mixed with classic 1865 -- 1930s horse racing. A great small city with performing arts, nightlife and the biggest, best maintained Victorian homes anywhere.

$2 to get in and you can bring your own coolers of food and wine. A generally friendly crowd from young families to grandparents. The horses come in through the picnic grounds. Wooden bleachers with wooden ceiling fans. You can eat at Shake Shake while watching them saddle in the paddock. A nice lake about two miles from the track and town round out one of my favorite summer destinations.

They pull crowds of 40,000+. Seems as popular as ever perhaps because the experience is increasingly unique.

[yuiyoshida]

6. I have been there and seen it, they even have harness racing there

very different from Bay Meadows in approach....

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS

[CottonBear]

2. Awesome! The wait is over!

A horse lover, I grew up in the 1970's watching the Triple Crown races and I never imagined it would be 2015 until another horse won the Triple Crown.

I'm an equestrian and former horse owner. I've ridden many Thoroughbreds, including off the track horses. They are awesome and powerful and beautiful creatures. Their power and spirit is impressive, to say the least. To ride a Thoroughbred is like flying. They are so very spirited and strong and fast.

I do not want to forget to mention the jockeys, who are incredibly strong, athletic and brave men and women.

I LOVE horses. Always have and always will. Hopefully, American Pharoah will beget his great racing genes to his progeny.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. "To ride a Thoroughbred is like flying."

My own horse Tiki was an 18 hands high palomino mare that was gymkhana trained.

Riding her was like riding a dirt bike, including banking into the turns.

[CottonBear]

4. Wow! I've never ridden a gymkhana horse!

It must be a blast to ride like that! I have never done barrels.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. The girl I was with at the time took her out for a run once....

Our place sat alone in the bottom of a narrow box canyon. There's a single lane dirt road with lots of sharp curves climbing the side of the cliff leading out and on one of those curves Tiki turned,....but she didn't.

To add insult to injury Tiki, realizing she'd lost her rider, stopped, walked back to her, saw her sitting there and gave out a full throated horse laugh.

That was the last time she ever rode Tiki.

[CottonBear]

9. Oh my! What a ride!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Yeah.....

Oh!

You mean the horse.

[lovemydog]

8. Beautiful race.

American Pharoah got out to a nice lead going in to the first turn and then it was very close for a while. After the last turn it's so exciting when the lead opens up!