My Jug-Mea-Nfld Experience

[Dolfan]

Here are my thoughts on my recent trip through Ohio & Pennsylvania:

Jug:
1 - Even though it looked like I expected I was still "wowed" by it.
2 - Another day of that fairground food (deep-fried Twinkies!) & I may have had a coronary!
3 - Racing on Jugette day was far more interesting than Jug day & all those chalks.
4 - I don't know if he would have won but my opinion (while it was happening) was Mark MacDonald went too slow, particularly the 3rd 1/4.
5 - I saw my first swine auction.  Also my last!
6 - We stayed in Dublin which was very nice & visited Muirfield Village (golfers) which was awesome.
7 - Disappointed to not have met anyone other than The Giss but I thought The Giss was just super-nice & knowledgeable.  Someone I could talk with all day!

Meadows -
1 - We were there Friday night along with about 400-500 other horse players.  Pathetic attendance, even worse than Pompano.
2 - Great facility, huge casino.
3 - Met up with a friend's lovely wife & kids who I hadn't seen in many years & had a great conversation.
4 - Was sorry to have missed Samstar.

Northfield -
1 - We drove up to Cleveland Saturday night after stopping at NFL Hall of Fame (excellent IMO) & it was cold & raining.  Welcome to Cleveland.
2 - Great deli - Corky & Lenny's only 10 minutes from the track.
3 - Track was a dive - dark & dreary.  Stunned to see them charge for parking, admission & seating.  Are they serious?
4 - Chalk city - Merriman actually drives 2 hours each way to drive $2000 purses?  Really?

I welcome anyone comments.

[dinkadoo]

your comments are about right on what others have told me.

The Meadows  -- Great Facility, oh by the way they have harness racing also.

Northfield --- who in this day and age charges you for the right to gamble ? Along with the delayed post times, another reason to stay at home, watch on computer and collect 5% rebates.

At least you got to knock off a couple of places on the bucket list.

[Dolfan]

Exactly.  My bucket list is shorter today than it was a week ago.

[AmyHollar]

Sorry to miss you Dolfan.

[Dolfan]

Sorry to miss you Dolfan.

I did try.  Made the 1/4 mile trip to Windy City barn in my Dolphins' jersey & left word that I was looking for ITS posters but they didn't know where anyone was.   

Amy, couldn't blame you for not being in Nfld grandstand on Saturday.  Cold, rainy, dark & dingy.  Depressing too.

[samstar]

Would have loved to see you. Qualified in the morning and had a ball.  My first two drives of the year.  We have actually increased our on track handle at the Meadows by allmost 50% this year.  That is the only increase in Pa.  We are hoping to double on track handle next year.  We are getting pretty good cooperation from management and horsemen alike.

[Jeremy]

I did try.  Made the 1/4 mile trip to Windy City barn in my Dolphins' jersey & left word that I was looking for ITS posters but they didn't know where anyone was.   

Amy, couldn't blame you for not being in Nfld grandstand on Saturday.  Cold, rainy, dark & dingy.  Depressing too.

Did you go into the club house upstairs and see the guys in the booth all by themselves ?

[beans and weenies]

Dolfan you must be very shy.  If you walked around the track at Delaware and did not stop at the Brian Brown barn on the 3 turn and make yourself known, you really missed the real jug action.  Behind the Log Cabin we were rockin' with a huge flat screen tv with the races on, for the ones who were a little too "happy" to be able to walk to the track and watch. I thought it was the best race card  and crowd that we have had in the last 3 yrs.  Hope you come back again and don't be so shy.   

[Dolfan]

Did you go into the club house upstairs and see the guys in the booth all by themselves ?

We wound up sitting in the "clubhouse" upstairs, in the back row, near the betting window.  Which "booth" are you referring to?

Dolfan you must be very shy.  If you walked around the track at Delaware and did not stop at the Brian Brown barn on the 3 turn and make yourself known, you really missed the real jug action.  Behind the Log Cabin we were rockin' with a huge flat screen tv with the races on, for the ones who were a little too "happy" to be able to walk to the track and watch. I thought it was the best race card  and crowd that we have had in the last 3 yrs.  Hope you come back again and don't be so shy.   

No not shy.  Giss told me to go to Windy City stable - he never mentioned the Brown stable.  I wore my Fins jersey - I figured the only one & then ironically Michaels Power's groom(?) had on a Reggie Bush shirt!

[Jeremy]

We wound up sitting in the "clubhouse" upstairs, in the back row, near the betting window.  Which "booth" are you referring to?

In the upstairs clubhouse, all the way at the top there is a small room enclosed in glass that about 4 or 5 guys have all to themselves

[beans and weenies]

We wound up sitting in the "clubhouse" upstairs, in the back row, near the betting window.  Which "booth" are you referring to?


No not shy.  Giss told me to go to Windy City stable - he never mentioned the Brown stable.  I wore my Fins jersey - I figured the only one & then ironically Michaels Power's groom(?) had on a Reggie Bush shirt!

I'm aghast "I think that's the word I want"    That Giss would not get you  to the right barn 

[Jeremy]

I'm aghast "I think that's the word I want"    That Giss would not get you  to the right barn 

Well he is facebook friends with Kurt Sugg, so you never know.

[Dolfan]

In the upstairs clubhouse, all the way at the top there is a small room enclosed in glass that about 4 or 5 guys have all to themselves

I did notice it but made no attempt to enter an area so exclusive! 

And no yelling at The Giss.  Good guy as I mentioned. 

[Jeremy]

I did notice it but made no attempt to enter an area so exclusive! 

And no yelling at The Giss.  Good guy as I mentioned. 

I usually sit in the area next to it.  The one owns a couple horses two of them are really annoying though

[LVGaryD]

We were all over the last turn Dolfan. I was either sitting next to Bettor or in the area of the motorhome in the middle of the last turn. Of course I went to the grandstand each day too.

I ran into at least 50 ITS members during the four days they raced.