If you’ve been to my site before you know that almost all of my articles thus far has been food related, but when I was given the opportunity to visit Ajax Downs, I jumped at it. Why? Well it was something different. Yes there was food, but I wanted to experience Quarter Horse racing, and also try my luck at the slot machines. Fact: I’ve never walked away from slot machines with a loss.
If you’re as inexperienced as I am, you might ask, what exactly is Quarter Horse racing? I knew that it certainly didn’t refer to the size of the horse, but that’s as far as I got. I learned that the name indicates first the breed of the horse, the American Quarter Horse, and second, the length of the race, traditionally a quarter of a mile. These horses are bullets on four legs with their ability to quickly accelerate to speeds of up to 90km/h. According to Nick Coukos, Professional Handicapper at Ajax Downs, “Quarter Horse racing is special because it attracts the young with its focus on brute speed. It also attracts the cowboy in all of us with its western appeal”.
Crossing the finish line
Betting at the races could be very intimidating, what with people yelling numbers, horse names, and betting terms from all directions. Luckily, I chatted with Maddie-Jo Tilley, the stadium host at Ajax Downs, and she gave me the rundown as to how to place a bet at the races. First up we have the odds. Suppose we have a horse that wins at 5-1, it means that you’ll win $5.00 for every $1.00 wagered, plus your original bet. Next comes betting. Betting to win, well that’s self explanatory. Betting to place means that you’re banking on your horse coming first or second. Betting to show means you’re betting on your horse coming in first, second, or third place. When you bet to show, your winnings are lower, but your odds of winning are higher than if you were to bet to place or win. This is the safest bet for someone starting out. You won’t win too much money, but you may have a better chance of winning something.
Maddie-Jo chatting with some racing fans
I stayed for three races, and even though I got betting lessons from Maddie-Jo herself, I didn’t bet any money on the races I saw. This turned out to be a wise choice because none of the horses I chose to win even showed in the final results. The winners of the three races I saw were:
1) Pegasos One Underpar
2) No More Sugar Tonite
3) Jess as Sweet as You
While it’s not a huge facility, Ajax Downs has something that will entertain visitors of all ages from face painting and the mechanical bull for kids, to live music for the teens, and the horse wagering and slot machines for the adults. It’s also the perfect spot for corporate events with up to ten races on every Sunday up to September 13th, 2015.
And yes, my slot machine winning streak continued: I walked out of there with $5.40 of the OLG’s money.
** Disclaimer: Even though this is a paid post, all of the opinions expressed are my own. **
2 comments
Nice article. Very useful. Races from Ajax Downs racecourse are always great. Always great atmosphere and good horses to compete.
Author
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it.