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Why I Love Going to the Horse Track (It’s Not Just About Betting)
Reflecting as the Kentucky Derby approaches.
The Kentucky Derby is only 48 hours away and I’m more than a little excited.
Horses have always been a big part of my life. We routinely went to races when I was young. My family had a plot of land with several horses on it, whom I went out to help feed and water.
Today, I have a spouse who is a goldstar “horse girl” whose passion knows no limits. I’ve limited our house to four horse paintings (the wallpaper would all be horses if I let her).
My YouTube recommendations on our living room TV have become inundated with thumbnails of beautifully groomed warmbloods clearing massive jumps, slow-motion dressage clips, and endless tack haul videos.
We live 20 minutes from Tampa Bay Downs, which we visit about twice a year.
My friends ask why we love going to the horse track so much. They say, “Won’t you lose a ton of money?” Or, “Isn’t it crowded and loud?”
Both of those things are true in many cases. But they are missing the point. We go to the…
