"Free At Last!" Day 24 - 3 County Fair *

-- Northampton, MA, Sun, Aug. 26: Many thanks to Derby Lister Howard Glazer on this one, for his heads up as to the fact that Northampton was starting its 184th renewal (according to the program) a week earlier than years past, when the Tour just happened to be in the vicinity. And many thanks also to the rest of the McChump Party for agreeing to a last minute change of plans to take this track in. Not a difficult time finding it at all. A couple/three hours from Saratoga, just west of I-91, exit 19, in Northampton, MA. Parking in someone's field behind the track: $2.00. Admission: Free. Program: $3.00. Permission to actually sit in the grandstand: $2.50. Yes that's right - getting on the grounds was free, but if you actually wanted to park your butt in this fine, fine facility, that was an extra $2.50. That's a first. But for the $2.50 you got shade, a wood bench to sit on, and swarms of bees to fight during your afternoon. Definitely worth the extra expense. On time, too. Another $2.00 in the UPF pot. This track is part of a bigger fairgrounds, but the rest of the fair was just getting set up down off the left end of the track complex, for the following weekend. The racing was it for this weekend. What an ultracool old grandstand! Small, built of ancient wood, but looking very much like a barn, with a barn motif and shape, and barn colors of red and white. Fits right into the fair as just another agricultural building. Out back of the grandstand there's a big cover of ancient wood, giving shelter to the windows at the back of the stands (closed) and another bank of windows at the back where bettors did their business this day. This covered area also featured a number of small TV's showing simulcast races, from places like Delaware, Saratoga, Ellis, Philly park, AP, and Monmouth. More simulcast TV's down in a little beer shed/bar to the left of the grandstand. The "shed" was additionally the haunt of a number of colorful little old tipsters, decked out in tall hats with their picks stapled to them, all of whom "had another seven winners yesterday". Further out back and to the sides are a number of little concession booths, selling fries as a standalone, and also vending Italian sausages for around $5 that looked better than they actually tasted (not that they were bad, just not as spicy as the Chicago model I'm used to). Other concession offerings on the day, at stands up and down the open areas on either side of the grandstand, included hummus, fried whiting, hamburgers, root beer floats, and my favorite, the soul food stand, that offered things like collard greens and sweet potato pie. The sweet potato pie was good and sweet and gooey. The beer situation did not match the food, as there were only small cups of MGD, Lite, and Icehouse on sale at $2.50. For those who chose not to spend the $2.50 to sit in the grandstand, there is ample gravel apron area to the sides, on which to set up folding chairs. Also available is the infield, accessible via a tunnel under the club turn, but it looked as though this might be an extra cost type area, at least for parts. The infield, around a show ring just across from the stands, features a number of small private boxes, little gazebo type structures, that apparently constitute the "Turf Club" seating. Also gracing the infield were concession stands, a betting windows building, a small jocks quarters, the small, covered saddling stalls with some grass, and a walking ring around them, and a puny low function toteboard, that functioned at a very low level indeed throughout the day. Most all of these structures also featured the red and white farm paint motif. All very quaint. The track itself is a simple half mile oval with plain aluminum racing rail on the inside and a small wooden fence outer rail. Old and I mean really old, weathered, rustic, unpainted, wooden barns down off the club turn, and a Winner's Circle in the infield close to the saddling stalls that consisted of one of those slanted, horseshoe shaped floral arrangements, with "3 CTY FAIR" (I think) spelled out in flowers, that everyone simply stands in front of for the picture. The backdrop is lots of green trees, and a busy I-91 in the far distance. Most definitely a funky little fair track that looks exactly like you'd picture a fair track in your dreams, if of course you were dreaming of a New England fair instead of one of the western fairs. Even the equipment was quaint, with a water truck that must have dated from the 1950's, old rounded fenders and all. It did seem to have a newer water tank, a big clear plastic affair strapped to the truck bed. None of this old fashioned metal for the 3 County Fair! The racing was definitely fair racing, too, starting with numerous and ongoing tote problems, unexplained delays, mysterious injuries in the saddling area, jocks and trainers I've never heard of outside jocks Vernon Bush (could you have a more perfect name for riding at a track like this?) and Frank Amonte, and trainer Robert M. Gorham. The card of races featured $4k claimers running for $3100. That's it. Every race $4k claimers, every purse $3100. Eight races of 7 or 8 horses, every condition under the sun from maiden on up that you can imagine for $4k claimers. Except of course open. Unfortunately the McChump Party had to get back to Albany fairly early in the evening so we couldn't stay for the entire card, but while we were there, we decided we would concentrate most of our effort on races at the $4k claiming level, as those seemed to offer most of the betting value on the day. And while yes indeed there was value to be found, it was not reflected in my own personal betting, managing not to cash in the first three races, picking a horse for the UPF bet that finished closer to the back of the pack than the front, and then finally managing to pick up a few winning tickets to finish the day at a not too respectable -$16.60. Just when I was starting to make money it was time to leave, as airlines are among those humorless organizations that do not appreciate the concept of "fashionably late". Darn! I just know I would have taken them for zillions if I'd had a few more races. All in all, however, a fun afternoon with beautiful weather at a funky little fair track, and a great time. Thumbs up for the 3 County Fair! Total miles traveled to get to this track: 131 * All photography this story by Jan Wilson