it seemed like a good idea that i would go to the racetrack and take panning photos of the horses. i left the apartment at 2:00, got there just after the sixth race which was after just a few minutes before 4:00; stayed for the seventh and eighth races; took about 70 photos half of which are crappy as hell. i'm out of practice with panning horses but not out of practice with betting (ex-partner, eat your heart out!:-P) and my $2 won $10 plus some change. when i left after i collected my win from the 8th race, it was well after 5:00 and got home at 6:45. not even my $10 winning was worth that excursion, i don't think so!
in any case, this was the eighth race as the horses jockeyed for position well away from the starter's gate. it was a $125,000 stakes race so people were excited and there were more people at the trackside than earlier. just before the finish, some enthusiastic bettors were so excited they were jostling me which made for a really uncomfortable shooting -- read blurry photos. haha!
i bet on #8, solidify, and he won the race. #2 which was ridden by the jockey with the red helmet on the inner side of the track came in second, while #6, the brown thingie third from the left got in at third.
the only good thing was the bus stopped right outside the building. so many elderly people, mostly chinese, would take the bus as the racetrack also has a casino. so when i left, i only waited about four minutes before the bus came to take us back to the station. i'd have stayed longer if the clouds weren't so heavy as it would have been a good vantage point for a sunset. but i wouldn't go there again taking the bus. next time i want a panning shot, i'll go by the lake and stalk the cyclists!
btw, the jockey for the #8 horse was a woman. awesome, yes?
Races are always much more fun when the weather is warmer but this shot is well worth the excursion!
Good for you for winning - always fun.
BTW - ladies are usually better riders than men - and much lighter to boot!
@lesip - i did shoot from the rail but the horses were running on the middle track and the outside track (the turfed track behind the cameramen, you can see a sliver of green on the lower part of the photo) is about 10 metres wide and the horses' feet were obscured by the railings. so i went to a low viewing deck for this race, which to me was a better view.
Good for you for winning - always fun.
BTW - ladies are usually better riders than men - and much lighter to boot!