The atmosphere is like spring break at Daytona Beach telescoped into one long night energy and recklessness overwhelming prudence and purpose. But it shows no signs of fading although the widening of Central Avenue, pending as we write this, may change the street s character. Anyone who has a chance should see the track from both sides. It used to be that the quality of racing at Churchill dropped off markedly after Derby Day. That s no longer the case.
Most observers say that only California has better racing.
The chief challenge to Churchill these days comes not from other tracks, but from other forms of gambling. And it has begun to lobby the state legislature to allow video lottery terminals inside racetracks. The day s 10 races go off at roughly half-hour intervals, with the quality of the horses in general ascending until the ninth race, the day s feature. The clubhouse offers a greater range of restaurants and bars and more rail space along the paddock to look at the horses before they run. If you can spare the extra cash, it s a bargain.