Once the excitement and activity of the holiday season are over and the new year turns, January and winter up north have a way of dampening one’s outlook. For horseracing fans who live in the eastern time zone, a tried and true method of coping is to head way south to Gulfstream Park for a respite. Even a short stay seems to have a curative effect.
One of the best spots at Gulfstream Park is the walking ring in the paddock area, where a person can sit and relax while basking in sunshine. You can watch the horses being saddled for an upcoming race, read past performances, enjoy a refreshment, and view the race on TV if you don’t want to walk the short distance to the racetrack. Not far away in the shopping center adjacent to the racetrack is a delightful yogurt shop where one can easily stroll to and fix up a blend.
The casino and simulcasting rooms at Gulfstream are usually full of people, with horseplayers betting and watching races from other tracks. I am not one of them. My preference is to soak in the sunshine and watch the races live. Betting races from other racetracks can wait until I am hunkered down back home awaiting spring.
The downside of going to Gulfstream Park is getting there and back. I drive about 15 miles from Fort Lauderdale on I-95. The traffic is heavy and some of the drivers are rude and dangerous, moving at excessive speed and cutting in and out of traffic. Once one departs I-95 to Hallandale and the racetrack, the traffic slows…really slows. Sometimes it takes nearly as long to get from the I-95 Hallandale exit to the racetrack in bumper-to-bumper traffic than it does to get from Fort Lauderdale to the exit.
Somehow, at Gulfstream Park, the world’s day-to-day ebb and flow seems far away. Stock market volatility, government shutdowns, and other worldly concerns are still important, but have a way of temporarily fading into the background as the sunshine, horses, and a clean and modern racing venue isolate a person for a few hours.
I am looking forward to soon packing my summer clothes and heading south. Hope to see you in the paddock area or on the racetrack apron, near the rail.
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