Horses

It’s not all serious study here in Mysore; I also want to experience some of the “real India” through touristy sorts of pursuits, whether that be shopping, dining, visiting temples, or just walking around looking at stuff.

Consequently, one of the attractions I’d been looking forward to has been going to the horse-racing track in Mysore,

which I did today, shepherded there by my “best friend,” the autorickshaw driver, Sanjay.

We stayed for four races and I had a pretty good time, and even won some money in the second running, which allowed me to almost break even for the day, including the rickshaw fare there and back and treating Sanjay and his buddy, Raj, to lunch.

The track was more or less the same kind of deal as it is in every other place I’ve played the ponies, including California, Washington, Mexico City (with my dad about 25 years ago, one of my fondest memories of times we spent together), and Paris, the summer before last with Mimi and Jen on Bastille Day.

I like how old school it was, with betting windows for specific amounts, like in Hollywood movies from the forties; I got to feel like a real bigshot, too, placing bets at the minimum 200 rupees cage.

The racing form

was pretty familiar, but a few of the statistics I couldn’t quite figure out. In any case, my strategy was to bet on jockeys and trainers rather than horses exactly, and it almost paid off big time in the fourth race, where I chose three out of the four finishers in the exacta (unlike our 1-2 exactas, the India version requires choosing finishers 1 through 4).

As usual at the track, you meet a handful of guys who are instantly your bosom buddy and who have all kinds of advice for you on which horses to pick in the upcoming race. And, as usual, I made it a special point not to heed their tips, even though, I must admit that one guy did counsel me against putting money on the horse that messed up my exacta in the fourth.