Feeling like royalty, at least for an afternoon
HORSE racing is often referred to as the sport of kings. And when Hollywood Park was built in 1938, it served as the playground to L.A.’s version of royalty, with Walt Disney, Al Jolson, Ronald Colman, Irene Dunne, Samuel Goldwyn and Bing Crosby among the 600 original shareholders.
Today, though, Hollywood Park is a playground for those in search of the American dream -- or at least a cheap diversion on a Saturday afternoon. My date and I are looking for the latter as we head to the track for opening weekend of the autumn meet. Though gates open at 7:30 a.m. and the first race goes off at 10:30, we arrive in Inglewood midafternoon, in time for the sixth race.
After we pony up $7 per person for grandstand general admission tickets, we walk past the paddock, where patrons can watch the jockeys and trainers prepare their horses for the races, and make our way into the tunnels, where losing tickets from the day’s earlier races litter the ground like confetti in the wake of a parade. We make it to the windows just in time to lay down a friendly wager on the race.
Following the exact betting science of “I haven’t got a clue,” I put $5 on Hello Glorious, an 8-1 shot, to win. I get an inkling this is maybe not so crazy when some nearby bettors are talking up my pick as the horses approach the starting gate. Sure enough, coming around the stretch Hello Glorious accelerates past the field on the outside, allowing me the rush of communal victory as my fellow Glorious enthusiasts and I exhort our horse on to a photo-finish victory.
One race and my $5 bet has been turned into a $53 payout. Now it’s time to turn the winnings into a celebration meal. Although Hollywood Park offers a number of options, including Whittingham’s Pub and Deli (where TV monitors show the day’s college football action as fans watch over beer and hand-carved deli sandwiches) and the outdoor Clubhouse Terrace restaurant (closed this day for a private party), my date can’t resist the smell of the $3.50 Holly Dog at the Lynchburg BBQ stand.
Next, it’s my date’s turn to win, correctly picking Only One Way for a $37.50 payday.
Now it’s time to scope out the rest of the food scene, which takes us down to the club level for the food court. What better food is there at a sporting event than chicken wings?
To top off our day, we win a third race in a row as Roman Commander takes the eighth race.
As a full moon hangs perfectly over the track, we head off, winnings in hand.
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The tab
Admission $14.00
Bets $20.00
Where: Hollywood Park, 1050 S. Prairie Ave., Inglewood. (310) 419-1500, www.hollywoodpark.com
Snacks $12.25
What: Holly Dog, chicken wings and diet Pepsi
Total $46.25
Go beyond the scoreboard
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