Horse Races

Last year we discovered that we had some pretty cheap and very fun entertainment right in our backyard.  We decided to go to Sam Houston Race Park, and I just have to say that it is loads of fun and a great way to spend an evening with friends.  

So, you pay $7 per person to get in (However, they have Groupons all the time for cheaper entrance fees), and then you can bet as little or as much as you want.

I am no pro-horse-race-better by any means, but we usually leave up a little or at least breaking even.  The minimum bet is $2 per race, and we usually bet $2 per person.

This time we brought our great friends, Andy and Kourtney, with us to join in on the fun.  

So once you arrive, you can buy a book that will tell you all about the horses that are going to race.  You can pick your horse to WIN (1st place), PLACE (1st or 2nd place), or SHOW (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place).  There are some other bets that you can do, but these are the easiest and what we usually stick to.

So back to these books.  You can pick what horses you like by how much money they have made, what number they are, what color the jockey is wearing, or what their name is (my personal favorite way of picking).  So you pick the horse, pick whether you think it will win, show, or place, and then you place the bets.

Well, usually the boys place the bets, and the girls take pictures and gulp down the $2 wine or $1 beers.

So once the boys get back, we get these cool little cards, we watch the race, we yell at the top of our lungs for an anorexic guy on a horse, and then we either cheer or whine about how we almost picked the horse that ended up winning.

Regardless, it is a fun, entertaining night, that can end up relatively cheap if you choose, and it is a great way to spend a night with some great friends!

Taylor