Buffalo Wings
by guest author Tom SporneyDateline: 07/17/97
After all, depending on where you’re coming from,
Cooperstown is right on the road to Saratoga. Or of course you
could skip it by and proceed directly to Finger Lakes if you're
in a hurry.
- J. McNiff @derby,
9 July 97
A visit to family in western New York congers up in my mind visions
of 3' of drifting snow. But wait!.. Considering that the four seasons
in that area are Winter, Winter, Winter, and Independence Day, maybe
the weather would cooperate and provide the singular, annual summer
day as scheduled. And what better way to celebrate than stopping at
the thoroughbred tracks on the Can-Am
circuit?
Finger Lakes Race Track is located in Farmington NY, just southeast of Rochester. It is a 1-mile dirt course that is home to mostly $3k-$9k claiming & allowance races. Arriving early on a cool, dreary, overcast day, I went to the stable gate to look up a trainer for another interest of one of my Cyberspace Racing Team (CRT) partners. Bob Ringhoff gave me the tour of his charges, and we talked a bit about his operation & the track. Then, I made my way toward the stark grandstand to do some handicapping.
July 4th is advertised as the big day of the year for Finger Lakes, when it hosts the 6-furlong, $150,000-added Grade III Finger Lakes Breeders' Cup. It's hard to imagine a comparison between the G3 MassCap and this one. Where's all the hoopla? No banners, no special decorations (though the BC logo sign was hung in the paddock), no celebration... They didn't even bother to give the two well-weathered lawn jockeys in the paddock a fresh coat of paint! Looked like the only thing "special" for the 3,700 attending was that Senior admission was -not- free. The card was not even noticeably above-average. All afternoon, favorites through longshots hit the board with similar frequency. Diligence, the "name" horse entered in the Stakes race, didn't even ship in; two other Belmont-based entries also scratched to defer to Sunday contests, reducing the field to five. About 5 minutes before post of the feature 8th, the wind started whipping up and the rain started, reminiscent of the scene at the Kentucky Oaks exactly (to the hour) 8 weeks earlier.
As they crossed the wire, a tap on my shoulder was accompanied by an unexpected greeting from two other fellow CRT partners. We adjourned to get acquainted and catch up on the day's handicapping. Leaving the track, I had to turn on the heater in the car to remove the chill & feel comfortable; OK, maybe summer will arrive a day late...
Fort
Erie Racetrack, celebrating its centennial year, is just
across the Peace Bridge from downtown Buffalo in Fort Erie, Ontario.
It has a 1-mile main oval around a 7-furlong grass course. Most
races are carded as $3k-$5k claiming, with the day's feature an
$11.3k allowance and an $8.3k starter allowance. Cheap horses,
beautiful facility. The older steel, concrete and lumber grandstand
partners with the adjacent brick clubhouse. In the paddock, a treed
walking ring sits between the saddling stalls and the track. The
infield lake is gorgeously landscaped. Still a bit cool, but sunny
and close enough to call it summer in western NY.
A fun handicapping contest for races 3-8 wins $300 for most correct
picks; numbered entry tickets get you a chance at a draw for "stuff".
Tough handicapping prevailed; several full fields of maidens and
claimers with past performances way up the track & speed figures
not breaking 50. At mid-card, I managed to gain ground on my early
losses, making a small recovery, but not enough to get on-board.
Going back to the US through customs inspection, I was greeted with
"How much did you win?"
"I left $18 at the windows."
"How much did you win?"
"Nothing" was the right response...
In retrospect, my visit to Finger Lakes was made enjoyable primarily because of personal connections; unfortunately, to someone just going to the track for an afternoon outing, even on a promotion day, the card was very much a non-event. Conversely, on an "off" Fort Erie card, I thoroughly enjoyed the day at the track.
Additional Can-Am Circuit online resouces:
Equest-I-Tech - Finger Lakes handicapping info
Ontario Jockey Club Fort Erie Page
Can-Am Fort Erie Page
