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Lone Star Park At Grand Prairie
- Good for Kids:
- No
4 reviews for Lone Star Park At Grand Prairie
Friends and family are visiting for a week.... you've done the 6th floor museum, drove by Southfork, and shopped and ate like fools.... what do I do with them now????
Unless you have a religious objection to gambling, Lone Star Park is a great evening out. Splurge for preferred parking ($4), admission to the Clubhouse ($6 each), buy your programs ($2.75), bring your own pencil (save $0.50!!!) and reserve a table. While it can be fun to be down in the grandstand with the unwashed masses, clubhouse is the way to go. You get a waiter to bring you food and beverage (min $12.50 each in FB purchases required) and a wonderful gal who will come to your table to take your bets, so you only need to get up to cheer your horse on or to take a leak The buffet looks good (but $26 a head!), but I am not a big eater when I get caught up in the betting. An appetizer platter and a few cold beers satisfied my crowd. Your betting matron will take as much time as needed to explain the various bets available, share a few tips if she overhears them from the trainers, and you can pretty much ensure a great time whether you bet $2 a race or if you want to wager big.
While I havent experienced this yet, my server strong encouraged us to call in May for reservations for July 4, which has top notch races, fireworks and all. Check it out... here there is a guaranteed winner every race, unlike a night watching the Rangers. :-)
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Entertainment is expensive these days. OK everything is, especially gas. Well don't despair about giving up your horsepower because you can experience real horse power for a fraction of the price at Lone Star Park (Are you sensing a marketable slogan there? LSP if you're reading, please contact me on where to forward the check)
I know that horse racing is not for everyone particular those really sensitive to animal causes. Although I try and be aware of issues, I admit that sometimes I turn away and live in blissful ignorance. Do you think when I eat a weiner at the ball game, I think about the various discarded parts in it? (Hee, I said weiner!) I love the excitement of the racing, the beauty of these majestic animals and the fact that I can enter, eat and gamble for CHEAP.
Lone Star Park certainly does not compare to the history and atmsophere of a legend like Santa Anita but it does a fine job of putting on a decent racing card for the masses. Friday nights are best since most things are a buck: admission, hot dogs, even beer. They also make a point to liven the place up with live bands, occasionally a third tier country artist you might have heard of. Oooh, and the best part...on cool evenings there is ample outdoor space to hang, pick the ponies and watch. When the temps tickle triple digits the clubhouse blasts a sweet A/C breeze.
Whether you are looking to pass a few hours on a lonely weekend or want to party with friends, Lone Star Park will work for you. A special bonus is the people watching. Rarely will you see so many different walks of life converge....and the mini-bonding that takes place in the wagering lines when strangers exchange their picks, is priceless. Next time you go , be sure to look for me. I'll be the guy ripping up my ticket and throwing it in the trash. Some guys are lucky and some guys write reviews on Yelp......just not the same guys.
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Gambling? check
Alcohol? check
Good food? check
Lone Star Park is a great place to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Buy the program and try out your statistics-analyzing skills. Or just bet off of the names or gut instinct and see what happens. I've had about equal luck with both strategies.
Reserve a seat in the upper deck by the buffet (don't have to buy the buffet, though). The fried calamari is excellent. Nothing beats the thrill of the race while enjoying tasty beverages. Who knows, you might even win a superfecta bet and come out ahead!
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Fuckin' A.
This was my first time to real, honest-to-God horse race.
We got to Lone Star at around 5:30 on Saturday. It was one of those magical autumnal days that just kept on getting prettier and prettier as it unfolded. A warm gulf breeze swept clouds across the sky like little wisps of tobacco smoke. We paid the lady her $3, walked through the stile and grabbed ourselves a well-earned drink. A Glen on the rocks was only $6. I guess the old casino logic holds true at the track as well:
Get them drunk. Get their money.
Taryn and I placed a couple of $2 bets and walked outside a couple of minutes before the races were scheduled to begin. We found an open table literally six feet from the dirt, I lit up a Cohiba, and the wind immediately kicked up and spilled Taryn's drink.
As she left to get another (I know, I'm a real fuckin' gentleman) I took a quick look around:
a group of 12 or so tough looking Mexican kids playing football; a family spread out a fluffy picnic blanket with enough snacks to feed an army; the requisite old-rich-man-on-Viagra/young-hot-blonde-on-Valium pairings.
I mean, the races themselves were totally cool: thunderous pounding of hoofs with dirt kicked up in fist-sized clumps. But the really awesome part was the melting pot audience. Go ahead. Take your kids to the track. From what I've seen...it's good for 'em.
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