Catching the color of thoroughbred racing

Friday evening, after tasty ribs at Claxon's, Linda and I returned to the Prairie Meadows racetrack to watch the horses race. We went through the casino and out onto the apron where we were both impressed and surprised by the size of the crowd and the number of young children.

Over the course of the evening, we watched about five races. We watched the whole process from where the horses enter the paddock to get their blankets, saddles, and bridles. While there, an official would check something about the horses by looking in their mouths. The bugler played the call to post with ten minutes to go. All geared up, the horses were led around a flowery loop where the jockeys were waiting. "Riders up!" would be called and the jockeys would swing into their saddles. With jockeys aboard, the horses were led along the rail for one final look before heading for the starting gate. "They're into the gate. They're off!" As the horses came to the finish, we could hear them pounding to the finish line.

It was a nice, colorful, Iowa spring evening out.