SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERAI reluctantly agreed to go to the dog racing track with my uncle, dad, and his wife Nancy. I’d never been and figured it would make for a good story. Usually, we go to see the horses run but this time we decided to mix things up. What’s nice is that the Palm Beach Kennel Club isn’t far from my sister’s house, and it’s right next door to the West Palm Beach Airport (PBI).

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERAThe Palm Beach Kennel Club not only offers live racing but they have live simulcast of horse racing from around the country, and a poker room. We weren’t interested in the latter two and we weren’t really too keen on the dog racing. We just wanted to get together and have a relaxing, fun lunch at The Paddock Restaurant. So here are 10 things that I learned about going to the dog races:

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA1. Parking is free but valet is only $3

2. It costs $1 to get into the General & Poker Room Terrace but the Paddock Restaurant is free.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA3. The Paddock has good, inexpensive food ($10 hamburgers) and great service. They have five tiers of white-linen tables with spectacular views of the racetrack. Each table has a small flat screen TV with cable so you can catch sporting events and live horse racing action from tracks all around the country.

4. There are 15 races and they start every 12 or 15 minutes.

5. The greyhounds no longer chase a rabbit image but rather a stuffed bone.

6. You can take photos but not with a  flash. I accidentally took one photo with a flash and a waitress scolded me immediately. I guess it distracts the dogs.

7. Most races are 545 yards, but one was 301 yards, and two of them were 660 yards.

8. There’s live racing every day at 1pm and on Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm.

9. You bet just like you do at the horse track but, unfortunately, I lost every race.

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA10. The dogs have some funky names like Kebo Kool Taboga, O Ya Cherry, O Ya Febreze, and Honey Boo Boo.

4 Comments On "10 Things I Learned from Going to the Dog Racing Track in Florida"
  1. Val|

    Greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane. Greyhounds endure lives of nearly constant confinement, kept in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around. While racing, many dogs suffer and die from injuries including broken legs, paralysis, and cardiac arrest. And many greyhounds are euthanized every year, as the number retired from racing exceeds the number of adoptive homes.

    At racetracks across the country, greyhounds endure lives of confinement. According to industry statements, greyhounds are generally confined in their cages for approximately 20 hours per day. They live inside warehouse-style kennels in stacked cages that are barely large enough to stand up or turn around. Generally, shredded paper or carpet remnants are used as bedding.

    An undercover video recently released by GREY2K USA shows the conditions in which these gentle dogs are forced to live: http://www.grey2kusa.org/azVideo.html

    For more information on injuries these dogs suffer, please view:

    http://www.grey2kusa.org/azInjuries.html

    http://www.grey2kusa.org/eNEWS/G2K-022811Email.html

    Dogs play an important role in our lives and deserve to be protected from industries and individuals that do them harm.

    VWolf Board Member, GREY2K USA

    1. Johnny Jet|

      Wow! I had no idea. Thank you for sharing this important information. I won’t be going back.

  2. Megan G|

    Boooo, I’m disappointed to learn you enjoy horse racing.

  3. autumnjuel|

    please give me a break i know greyhound owners and they love there racing dogs and i allso know people that keep there dobermen in there cages while there at work.the dogs are doing what they love they stopped using real animals as bait and they stopped killing the dogs when they couldnt run anymore and can be adopted out.people who get pit bulls and large dogs for protection are crueler

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