I'm not usually a betting woman, but I like horses and I like trying new things. So when I got a chance to visit Seoul Racecourse Park, I was in. It was all or nothing. And by all, I don't mean all the money I brought, but rather I'd "give it my all."
Located in Gwacheon, a suburb of Seoul, Racecourse Park and its surrounding scenery was as majestic as Disney World. Mimicking the ring of the track, green mountains provided an arresting backdrop and indicated the first signs of spring. Thankfully, the yellow dust was too preoccupied to make an appearance; and, for a moment, I almost forgot that I was on the perimeter of one of the densest cities in the world instead of frolicking around "the hills" with Julie Andrews.
After sizing up the competition in the pre-race show ring, we headed to the foreigner's box on the fourth level. Located along the home straight, the foreigner's box offered leather seats and English betting cards. Betting started at 100 Won, which is only 7 cents; and after a quick tutorial on how to fill out the card, I was ready to win. Initially, I wanted to chose the winner based on each horse's name, but I decided to be smart with my money and check the stat board. I chose the horses with the best numbers and turned in my ticket. Only after the race finished and my 3 selected horses came in dead last did I realize I had misread the stat board. Instead of going with the top three, I had actually chosen the three worst horses on the track. And, to top things off, the horse I had planned on selecting based singularly on its name, came in first. Rats.
It turns out, I'm not that great at placing bets. In the end, I left a loser—though not by much; but I had a great time watching the magnificent speed of every horse, even if I held my breath every time they passed out of sheer terror one would stumble horrifically to the ground.
Cost of entry: 800 won (59 cents)
Total bet: 5,000 won ($3.73)
Amount lost: 2,000 won ($1.49)
The option of hard-boiled eggs at the snack stand: Priceless
Jockeys getting ready to show-off their horses... or mares.
Outdoor seating
Box Seats
The foreigner's box
2 comments:
I'm terribly jealous.
I'm jealous too! I probably would've put my money on the names I liked the best. That's how I bet. If it's the World Series or some other big series, I also pick the city I like the best!
Not the best system, but sometimes it works!
Love you,
Mom
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