Post by tracerace on Jun 2, 2009 11:35:06 GMT -5
Hi guys. I thought you all might enjoy these as much as I did. I'd never been to CD before - this was a real treat for my daughter and I yesterday.
Both Mine That Bird and Rachel A. were there but we didn't get lucky enough to see them (though MTB worked out an hour befor we got there). I took a LOT of pictures, but here's a sampling:
I was totally taken back by the size of this place. I had NO idea it was so pretty and GRAND from the street!
The beautiful new Barbaro Memorial (and Joc and her American Girl Dolls
we had to carry those dolls everywhere we went.)
The official scale where the jockey's weigh in for every race:
This cool old print hangs behind the beat up old dest where the clerk checks their weight. This is a very modest area - nothing like I imagined at all. I think they are so superstitious they won't redecorate or something.
Entering the jockey's dressing area - I was surprised to see Calvin (or Shane?) Borels girth hanging by the door!
And his bucket....lol
Lockers...breeches and some cap silks are being organized on the table:
We got to talk to Edgar Prado's valet - he was a sweet guy.
*gasp* Calvins breeches (in the middle)!
This is a counter in the jockey's break room...a couple pool tables and a ping-pong table...and of course some TV's...but again, VERY modest and not fancy at all:
A gorgeous and huge print of Secretariat (this crappy photo doesn't do this picture justice):
Paintings in the public areas - I don't remember the name of the artist but he's an old guy and from France
) - this is just half of the painting - it's huge
(the trainers of Derby winners)
the Derby winning jocks
close up of the center with the 3 Triple Crown horses:
A box of crayons on the desk in the announcers booth - they belonged to Luke Kruytbosch, the track announcer who died unexpectedly last year (this was so touching - Luke used the crayons to mark the programs to keep track of everyone as he announced) :
a bad shot of the tiny booth:
View from the booth:
Another view (from expensive box seats...)
View of the grand stands form the back-side area (this was amazing to me - 47 barns and well over a thousand horses...chapel and school for the jockey's, etc).
A couple shot of the cutest horses at one barn (a couple over from #42 where Mine That Bird was at!). Rachel Alexandra was somewhere in Asmussen's barn but the press was over there and we couldn't get near it.
The plaque outside of Perfect Drift's barn and "display" area - he's there on behalf of the TRF - it's a lovely paddock with an adorable buddy:
And here are the duo having lunch:
a shot of their stall fronts
And some miscellaneous shots:
Loved this Pat Days bronze statue
Joc in the starting gate
And me in the starting gate (though it's hard to tell)
If I hadn't been half starved I would have stayed all day. I loved the place. It was so much fun...
Both Mine That Bird and Rachel A. were there but we didn't get lucky enough to see them (though MTB worked out an hour befor we got there). I took a LOT of pictures, but here's a sampling:
I was totally taken back by the size of this place. I had NO idea it was so pretty and GRAND from the street!
The beautiful new Barbaro Memorial (and Joc and her American Girl Dolls
we had to carry those dolls everywhere we went.)The official scale where the jockey's weigh in for every race:
This cool old print hangs behind the beat up old dest where the clerk checks their weight. This is a very modest area - nothing like I imagined at all. I think they are so superstitious they won't redecorate or something.
Entering the jockey's dressing area - I was surprised to see Calvin (or Shane?) Borels girth hanging by the door!
And his bucket....lol
Lockers...breeches and some cap silks are being organized on the table:
We got to talk to Edgar Prado's valet - he was a sweet guy.
*gasp* Calvins breeches (in the middle)!
This is a counter in the jockey's break room...a couple pool tables and a ping-pong table...and of course some TV's...but again, VERY modest and not fancy at all:
A gorgeous and huge print of Secretariat (this crappy photo doesn't do this picture justice):
Paintings in the public areas - I don't remember the name of the artist but he's an old guy and from France
) - this is just half of the painting - it's huge(the trainers of Derby winners)
the Derby winning jocks
close up of the center with the 3 Triple Crown horses:
A box of crayons on the desk in the announcers booth - they belonged to Luke Kruytbosch, the track announcer who died unexpectedly last year (this was so touching - Luke used the crayons to mark the programs to keep track of everyone as he announced) :
a bad shot of the tiny booth:
View from the booth:
Another view (from expensive box seats...)
View of the grand stands form the back-side area (this was amazing to me - 47 barns and well over a thousand horses...chapel and school for the jockey's, etc).
A couple shot of the cutest horses at one barn (a couple over from #42 where Mine That Bird was at!). Rachel Alexandra was somewhere in Asmussen's barn but the press was over there and we couldn't get near it.
The plaque outside of Perfect Drift's barn and "display" area - he's there on behalf of the TRF - it's a lovely paddock with an adorable buddy:
And here are the duo having lunch:
a shot of their stall fronts
And some miscellaneous shots:
Loved this Pat Days bronze statue
Joc in the starting gate
And me in the starting gate (though it's hard to tell)
If I hadn't been half starved I would have stayed all day. I loved the place. It was so much fun...
