Salisaw, OKBlue Ribbon Downs
Everyone seems to have there own way to get from Oklahoma to Oaklawn. I figured it was a three and a half hour trip. Unfortunately, we missed the mark by a couple of hours. En route Andrew Offerman spotted a road sign announcing that Blue Ribbon Downs could be found by taking the next exit. This seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a track that I enjoyed playing this winter.
Blue Ribbon Downs is another track which is often overlooked because of the casino attached to it. They race late August through early December. Mostly quarters with three thoroughbreds mixed in. The money is alright but not as good as the quarter horses that are running there. The simulcast signal transmitted is, and I need to be diplomatic, not so good. It does not do the place justice. It’s just a little track in the middle of nowhere (they have a great casino sign) but the Q racing is as solid as it gets.
Arriving before the start of the business day, we resorted to walking around the perimeter, out to the rail, and then through the paddock. It appears, looking in from the outside, that the simulcast area is comfortable. More than enough tables are equipped with a TV and the entire building appears to provide good sightlines in relation to the track. The paddock is the centerpiece. See the photo for yourself.
One observation during the Oklahoma journey is that any land (no matter the quantity) has a horse standing on it. It’s a totally different perspective and what I believe makes small track Oklahoma horse racing unique. These are horse people. People who actually enjoy the horse for what it is. And those that work in the business are just trying to make a living doing som
ething that they love.
About an hour detour but with first post at Oaklawn at 1:30pm there should be no trouble. Plus Borel is riding a lock in the opener.jm
Everyone seems to have there own way to get from Oklahoma to Oaklawn. I figured it was a three and a half hour trip. Unfortunately, we missed the mark by a couple of hours. En route Andrew Offerman spotted a road sign announcing that Blue Ribbon Downs could be found by taking the next exit. This seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a track that I enjoyed playing this winter.
Blue Ribbon Downs is another track which is often overlooked because of the casino attached to it. They race late August through early December. Mostly quarters with three thoroughbreds mixed in. The money is alright but not as good as the quarter horses that are running there. The simulcast signal transmitted is, and I need to be diplomatic, not so good. It does not do the place justice. It’s just a little track in the middle of nowhere (they have a great casino sign) but the Q racing is as solid as it gets.
Arriving before the start of the business day, we resorted to walking around the perimeter, out to the rail, and then through the paddock. It appears, looking in from the outside, that the simulcast area is comfortable. More than enough tables are equipped with a TV and the entire building appears to provide good sightlines in relation to the track. The paddock is the centerpiece. See the photo for yourself.One observation during the Oklahoma journey is that any land (no matter the quantity) has a horse standing on it. It’s a totally different perspective and what I believe makes small track Oklahoma horse racing unique. These are horse people. People who actually enjoy the horse for what it is. And those that work in the business are just trying to make a living doing som
ething that they love.About an hour detour but with first post at Oaklawn at 1:30pm there should be no trouble. Plus Borel is riding a lock in the opener.jm
