But what does it take to put together a day at the horse races? How do owners and trainers know what races to enter their horses? Who decides the odds and who picks the program favorites and what on earth do all those little numbers in the program mean? Well, I recently spent an afternoon at the track digging up the dirt (which can have a whole new connotation when dealing with horses) on how a racetrack is … well … run.

We were met at the door by Fred Lipkin, Penn National employee extraordinaire. Fred, a silver-haired, tanned individual with merry eyes and an ingenuous smile took us under his wing and showed us the ropes. Anyone who’s ever been to Penn National will recognize Fred, as he’s one of the two gentlemen who do the nightly Penn National television show which airs between the races and discusses the various horses and their abilities. Fred is also the Publicity Director, the Program Handicapper, and the person in charge of the Penn National website at www.pennnational.com, which is updated after the results of each race are official. When I expressed surprise that Fred was also the Program Handicapper, he laughed and said, “I’m terrible, you should listen to John (the other host), who’s a real student of handicapping. I use a computer program for the Power Picks which gives the fans another opinion, which they like.” Handicapping, for you non-wagerers out there, is choosing the top three horses for each race and involves a knowledge of statistics, a horse’s past performance, current condition, and a good dose of luck. Personally, every time I’ve been to Penn National the Program Favorites, if not always accurate, are pretty darn good. Methinks Fred protesteth too loudly.

Anyway, we started our learning experience with how the horses are entered into the various races and the daily programs are put together. As it was a Saturday night, the officials were gathering the data for the following Wednesday. Every three weeks, the Racing Secretary, Steve Kasperski, puts together a load of information entitled the Condition Book. This is the horseman’s bible. It gives information on track and claiming rules, licensing requirements, etc. and also lists the various upcoming races for the next twelve days. A trainer would look at the Condition Book and pick a race appropriate for the horse they wish to enter. That way, the racers are somewhat evenly matched and you don’t have one horse lapping the others. What would be the fun in that since the most excitement is gained from a tight race. Although, occasionally a more able horse will be dropped into a lesser category if he needs some conditioning or a young horse may be put into a higher category than it’s been running for the experience.

Confused as to how the trainers know which race? Well, let’s say a trainer had a three-year-old filly (a female horse that has never foaled) who has never won two races. He’d turn to the section dealing with Fillies and Mares, Three-Year-Olds and Upward, go to the section entitled “Never won 2” and see when the next short race (around 6 furlongs or 6/8ths of a mile) for such a creature will be held. It’s that easy. Then the trainer calls the racing office several days in advance of the race and enters the horse. I was surprised to learn that it doesn’t cost anything for a horse to be entered in a race. I had assumed their would be some sort of entry fee. But Fred assured me that that’s not how it works. What happens is that a trainer will call up Steve, the Racing Steward, and ask for barn space. If Steve feels that the trainer’s horses would be a good match for Penn National, he’ll offer the trainer a certain number of stalls. There is no rent charged for the stalls and the trainer is free to use the track for training purposes. All this is given with the understanding, however, that the trainer will run his horses at Penn National except for the occasional out-of-town specialty race to which the trainer may send a horse. But, the horses you see running at Penn National generally make their homes there as well. Penn National currently has stall space for 1,100 horses.

Okay, the horses are officially entered. Now what? Well, three different Penn National employees are gathered together to assign post positions for the races. Post positions are very important as the closer to the inside rail a horse starts, the less of a distance it has to run since the track is an oval. Some horses do prefer to start from the middle of the field and others from the outside because they dislike being crowded in traffic (somehow, I don’t think I’d like being squeezed between a dozen other horses, either), but generally the inside position is the best.

A slip of paper with the horse’s name and stats is placed in a box with the other horses entered in that race and is in the charge of one employee. The night I was there, it was Barry James, a Placing and Patrol Judge, who was in charge of the box. Another person has charge of a bottle containing little balls (called pins) with numbers on them. Rudy Aviles, a former jockey and new Penn National employee, had charge of the numbers that Saturday night. Both a pin and a paper are pulled at the same time, and the horse whose name is on the paper is then assigned whatever starting position is on the pin. It’s that simple. The information is then recorded and sent to a firm in Kentucky which keeps the national databanks on racehorses. That’s where all those little statistics in the program come from, such as last race run, what times the horses made, what place they ran and how many starts they’ve had year-to-date. Once all the stats are compiled in Kentucky, the information is then sent back to Penn National who passes it on to a local printer and the programs are finished in time for that day’s race. Whew!

Our next stop was the paddock where we saw Shorty, one of the racing officials, waiting patiently for the next group of horses running in the following race. When they were led into the paddock from the barns, Shorty stopped each one and examined the inside of their mouths and then sent them on. Curious over the strange ritual, I asked Fred what on earth the man was doing. Fred proceeded to inform me that Shorty was checking the tattoo inside each race horse’s mouth to make sure that it was indeed the horse registered for the next race. That way, no mistakes were inadvertently made and a horse wasn’t put on the track in the wrong race. I guess the prohibition about looking a gift horse in the mouth doesn’t apply to racehorses.

Next stop was the announcer’s booth where John Bogar, Fred’s television partner-in-crime, was snugly ensconced with his headset and binoculars. It’s John’s voice you hear most nights calling the races. I expressed admiration at his ability to pick out what was happening in what many times looks to me as hopeless chaos. John modestly claimed that it’s “just a matter of memorizing the jockey’s silks. That way, you can pick out the positions by the colors.” He must’ve seen the dubious look I gave him because he went on to say, “It can be difficult at times. I remember one race that had a field of eleven and every single jockey’s silk had some form of yellow on them. Now, THAT was hard. Also, it can be difficult when you get several horses with similar names. Every time there’s a race for fillies or mares there’s usually at least two Princess somethings. That can get confusing.” As there was listed in the fourth race on the night we were there a Sportin’ Deputy, a Mr. Sport, and a Sportin’ King, I could definitely see what he means. “There are also times when conditions make calling the race difficult. Fog comes in or rain sheets across and even with the t.v. cameras spaced around the track you can’t get a good look at what’s going on. They call those my ‘nights off,’” he said with a grin

Next stop was the t.v. studio where Fred and John do their nightly broadcast. Both shuttle back and forth between their other responsibilities, John as the announcer and Fred with a million other things. How they manage to keep anything straight is beyond me, but they do. The camera cuts back and forth between the dynamic duo and pictures of what’s going on in the paddock as Fred and John discuss the various horses’ merits. Hopefully, their conversation helps people make their wagering decisions but, personally, it just tends to muddle me more. I’m an impulse wagerer so don’t confuse me with facts, thank you very much!

Okay, okay, so finally, I mention wagering. I did manage to catch Jon Schuster, the man in charge of Mutuels and Tele-Bets, in the hallway for a quick interview. Jon explained that betting opens at 11:30am on race day and that pari-mutuel wagers come in from between 40-50 sites nationwide. It’s those wagers plus those made at Penn National’s Off-Track Wagering Centers, of which there are five (Lancaster, Williamsport, York, Chambersburg, and Reading), which determine the odds on the horses. All wagers are tracked by Penn National’s computer system, and the odds are continually updated. A winning ticket must be cashed in by March 31st of the following year. All wagering is operated under the rules of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission. (See the sidebar on more wagering information.)

And that’s all we have time for, folks. There’s a lot more that goes on, but you’ve got the bare bones of the matter. If you want to experience the Sport of Kings for yourself, there’s simulcasting going on at Penn National seven days a week with live racing Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 5:00pm. My suggestion to you if you want to make a true evening of it is to make reservations for dinner at the Mountainview Terrace Dining Room by calling (717) 469-2235. Get yourself a table with a television (please be aware, however, that there is a table and television charge), then have dinner while you enjoy the races. Sometimes the downtime between the races can drag if you don’t have something else to occupy you. Make sure you mosey on down to the paddock as well and watch them saddle the horses and walk them around the ring. Then head down to the finish line for at least one race. That way you can get a better feel for the sheer size and power of some truly magnificent creatures. There’s no need to wager on the races if that’s not your thing, just watching those truly superb horses is a pleasure in itself. But, if you do have the wagering itch, good luck and good betting!

There are several things you need to know to make a wager on a horse race. First off, get yourself a program — it gives you valuable information on a horse’s, jockey’s, and trainer’s past performance. All the information may look overwhelming at first, but, with a little bit of determination, it can be deciphered into a helpful tool.

Okay, now, realize that you can bet a horse to Win, Place, or Show. If you bet a horse to Win, it must come in first. If you bet a horse to Place, it must finish first or second; and, if you bet to Show, the horse must cross the finish line in first, second, or third place. The most common wager is a $2 bet, although you can bet any amount. For your first couple of times, I’d suggest picking one horse per race on a $2 bet, as multiple bets can get confusing.

When you approach the betting window, tell the operator that you wish to place a $2 bet on horse number whatever (don’t give them the horse’s name, use its number) and then tell them if you want the bet to Win, Place, or Show. The mutuel employee will then hand you a ticket with the appropriate information. Make sure you check it before you leave the window! If it’s wrong and you leave, you’re out of luck. Now, go watch your race.

Once the race is over, either take your ticket back to the window for your winnings or throw it away. But only throw it away after the race is declared “official.” Occasionally, protests are lodged by other jockeys and sometimes horses are disqualified for bumping, jumping the start or for other reasons. If your horse comes in second when you had it to Win and you throw your ticket away before the race is official and then the winning horse is disqualified, unless you can find that ticket, you’re once again out of luck.

Once you get the hang of simple wagering, you can move onto something more complex, like Exactas and Trifectas. An Exacta is where you pick the first and second horse, and a Trifecta is when you pick the exact order of the first three. You can also do something called “boxing” an Exacta, which means the two horses you choose can come in first or second in either combination. But be aware that boxing an Exacta is going to cost you an additional $2 bet. Picking Exactas and Trifectas is infinitely more difficult than choosing one horse to Win, Place, or Show, but the winnings are infinitely greater as well.

As to how you choose which horse to pick, there’s no sure method, obviously, or we’d all be professional gamblers. Some people follow a particular jockey, trainer, or owner. Others wager purely based on who’s giving the best odds or whoever the favorite is; some people bet only on long shots. Some, like my mother, bet on which jockey has the prettiest silks. Hey, whatever works. But, if you stick with betting on the favorites, you’ll have a fairly good chance of winning something. Penn National claims that favorites Win 33% of the time, Place 53% of the time and Show 67% of the time. But, generally, your return on a $2 bet is not going to be very large with a favorite. If you bet long shots, they’re not going to come in nearly as often (which is why they’re long shots, after all), but then your return will be high.

But, whatever you do, wager within your limits and remember you’re there to have fun, not bankroll your retirement villa. Set yourself a limit for the evening, reconcile yourself ahead of time to the fact that you’ll probably lose it all, and then go have fun. If you do lose it, it was the fee for a night’s entertainment. If you come home with money, good for you; it’s a windfall and treat it as such. But, most importantly, just remember to have a good time. Good luck!