Field Trip to Turf Paradise
What to do when things don’t go according to plan?
This Spring, students were introduced to a different side of horse racing. Instead of waking up early to catch workouts and attend a day of races, we had a front-row view of a horsemen’s meeting discussing whether to race or not. It had rained half an inch the night before. For some tracks they might have been able to race, but Turf Paradise’s track surface is like a cactus. General Manager Vince Francia described how the racing surface has a high percentage of clay, which helps retain moisture. This is great for our desert climate but not great when it rains so much so fast.
The final nail in the coffin was the concerns of the jockeys, who thought the track was too slippery. And so, live racing was canceled. While initially disappointing, it provided a great opportunity for us to see in real time how racetrack officials handled the situation. We took the opportunity to visit every area of the racetrack that most wouldn’t see, especially on a race day. We began with a tour of the jockey and silks room, saw the equipment used to maintain the track, and then traveled up to the top of the grandstand, where the stewards operate.
Time was also spent watching light workouts on the training track and speaking with outriders and meeting their horses, several of whom were retired off track Thoroughbreds. A visit to the barns led to an encounter with trainer Stacy Campo of Campo Grande Racing Stable. We learned about the many personalities of her horses and all the effort that goes into rehoming them when they retire. It was hard for us not to want to take one of her horses home, but we resisted.
We wrapped up the day with a conversation with Mr. Francia and his Assistant GM over lunch in the clubhouse. Overall, while the trip didn’t go according to plan, we made the most of the experience learning about how racetracks handle difficult situations. — Nathan Klein, Tashua Antoinette