In this day and age, there are few options for entertainment for the entire family. Most venues, it seems, are incapable of appealing to adults while still being appropriate for children. Sports events appear to be the major exception. Adults and children alike enjoy athletic competition. They want the experience of live entertainment. They enjoy eating snacks together. They enjoy purchasing souvenirs and apparel. Most of all, they enjoy cheering on their favorite athletes.
When most parents think of taking their kids out for a sports event, they picture a baseball, soccer, or American football game. The racetrack, with its connection to gambling, may make some parents leery. Can a day at the race track be a fun family outing? Is it possible to take your children to the Kentucky Derby? Let’s take a look.
Things To Be Wary Of
When most people think of horse racing, they think of gambling, and that can leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth. However, while gambling is certainly emphasized to adult patrons, it is easy enough to avoid with children.
Far from the days of private bookmakers who entice any and all to spend money at their windows, American race tracks are well-regulated when it comes to gambling. The tracks use a parimutuel system and manage all in-person betting, including ensuring that all who place a wager are legal adults.
There is also the small chance that patrons at the race track, children included, may witness a horse or jockey have an accident at the track. Although these incidents are tragic, serious accidents during races have been on the decline in the last decade. Major race tracks such as Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Del Mar have implemented regulations and procedures designed to decrease accidents in races and thus protect horses and jockeys.
Things To Look Forward To
There is much that a child- especially a horse-crazy one- would find appealing at the race track! First and foremost, of course, are the horses themselves. A thoroughbred racehorse is a thing of beauty. Daily training and exercises produce a horse with splendid muscles and high energy, one who often does a sort of dance when the pre-race adrenaline starts pumping. Grooms also take pride in making their charges shine, ensuring that there is not a hair out of place when they parade in front of the spectators.
Unlike football, baseball, and soccer, in which games last several hours, horse races are generally only one or two minutes, which may be more accessible to children with short attention spans. During the race itself, a child can root on their specific horse and whip themselves into a frenzy, sometimes expending as much energy cheering as their counterpart does while running!
Children can also view their favorite horses and jockeys relatively up close prior to the race if they choose to walk to the saddling paddock as horses are getting ready. They can watch their picks warm up. On a day featuring a stakes race, they may get the chance to meet their favorite trainers or jockeys. Horse racing also has the opportunity to be educational for children. Although, as mentioned previously, children are not permitted to gamble, the odds on the current race are visible, as are fractional times for races. An interested child may leave the track with a better understanding of fractions, speed, or the calculations that go into payouts or speed figures. In addition, many major race tracks have on-site museums, which detail how horse racing is interwoven with history, science, and art.
