Fairmount Park

What St. Louis Taught Me

This is my last day as music editor of the Riverfront Times. It's been 21 months and two weeks since I moved to St. Louis from Denver, and there has not been a more dynamic stretch in my life. My predecessor, Annie Zaleski, offered me some tips when I started, just as her predecessor had. Daniel Hi ... More >>

Old Mounds Show New Art

The Ten Best Places to Eat Out With Grandpa in St. Louis

Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we are chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists a ... More >>

Windfall for Fairmount Park; Weathered Horse Track To Get Estimated $14 Million

Last time we ventured to Fairmount Park in '09, the JumboTron was in much need of repair.​The long legal battle between Illinois horse tracks and casinos is over. After losing an appeal and failing to get a hearing in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois casinos said goodbye this week to $141 ... More >>

Apt to Dance: Racehorse Dies on Horse Hooky Tuesday

image viaAn injured racehorse (though not Apt to Dance).​This week's Horse Hooky Tuesday at Fairmount Park did not end well for Apt to Dance, a three-year-old mare. While waiting in the paddock just before the start of the fourth race, something spooked the horse. She reared on her hind legs ... More >>

Fuck Michael Pollan #5: Breaking the Food Rules at "Winter Blows" Swap Meet & Bike Show

Michael Pollan's 2007 best seller The Omnivore's Dilemma documented the industrialization of the world's food supply and whipped the foodie vanguard into a self-righteous froth. His encore, the "Manifesto" In Defense of Food, revealed the author as a proselytizing zealot/minimalist poet. ("Eat food. ... More >>

Shots and Books

Illinois Lawmakers Take A Siesta to Condemn Arizona's Immigration Law

Image sourceThe Illinois House of Representatives asks, "¿Como se dice 'snooze' en español?"​On the eve of their summer recess, the Illinois House of Representatives boldly passed a resolution that officially condemns Arizona's harsh new immigration law. Trouble was, they ended up taking the leg ... More >>

5 Places to Watch the 2010 Kentucky Derby in St. Louis

​The Kentucky Derby is described as the most exciting two minutes in sports. But as exciting as it may be, not everybody is willing to make the drive to Louisville for a two-minute race. If you're looking for a place to watch the race in St. Louis -- maybe drink a few Mint Juleps or sport that fun ... More >>

And They're Off! Live Racing at Fairmount Park Starts Today

Image viaLocal gamblers will get to see this 52 days this year at Fairmount Park.​After winter filled with labor disputes and political wrangling nearly left the track with just three days of live racing in 2010, Fairmount Park kicks off the first of 52 days of thoroughbred action this afternoon w ... More >>

Illinois Proposes Law to Prevent Labor Lockouts At Fairmount Park

Horse racing fans celebrated yesterday like a gambler who just hit the daily double. A last-minute deal was reached to allow Fairmount Park to host 52 days of live racing in 2010, as opposed to the three days the track was stuck with after a prolonged labor dispute.It's not exactly a full schedule ... More >>

Jackpot! Last Minute Deal Saves Fairmount Park's 2010 Season

Just got off the phone with Lanny Brooks, director of the Illinois Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association. He confirmed the early reports that Fairmount Park will indeed host 52 days of horse racing in 2010, a full schedule.Image Via​The announcement was made official at a 1:30 p.m. pres ... More >>

Deal to Save Fairmount Park Coming Down to the Wire

Four. That's the number of state union workers at the Fairmount Park racetrack in Collinsville who are at odds with the Illinois Racing Board.Three. That's how many days of racing the track will be limited to in 2010 -- April 27, 30, and May 1 -- if the dispute isn't resolved by February 1.Hundreds. ... More >>

Well Red: Readers debate the effectiveness of traffic-light cameras and the fate of taggers

2009 in Review: April

​​In 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama fell in love with Pi's pizza during a campaign visit to St. Louis. In April of this year, President Obama invited Pi's Chris Sommers and team to the White House to cook that pizza. Surely, that couldn't annoy anyone, right? Except for the owners of Chicago pi ... More >>

Latin King Gang Member Shot While Tagging Garage Near Fairmount Park

​A southwestern Illinois man claims he shot in self defense when a 17-year-old gang-banger attempted to break into the home where he was staying Tuesday night.Law officers, however, tell another story. They say the 38-year-old shooter fired at the teen from a distance of 75 to 100 feet away. And - ... More >>

Fairmount Park Could Cash $7-Million Ticket Today

Image via​The owners of Fairmount Park might as well have hit a superfecta, a quadrella, and a pick four in the same afternoon of betting -- the jackpot they're about to cash-in is just that huge.Today, after nearly three years of legal wrangling, the area's only horse track will likely finally re ... More >>

The Sneak vs. the St. Louis International Film Festival

​This weekend, I watched the Breeders' Cup from the hospitable living room of a dear friend, pizza in one hand, PBR in the other, yelling for some very fine horses to beat the spread. That's not particularly sneaky, though sneaking food into horse races is quite enjoyable. The topic of conversati ... More >>

Latest Panacea for Fairmount Park: Internet Gambling

​After trying for years to get slot machines at tracks, the Illinois horse-racing community is hoping the next-best thing will help the troubled industry. Yesterday the Illinois Racing Board legalized online gambling for horse racing. As the Belleville News-Democrat reports this morning, the ... More >>

St. Louis Concert Announcements: Week Of September 8

​The Pageant *Trey Songz/Mario, Friday, October 16 *Our Lady Peace, Friday, October 30 *The Swell Season, Friday, December 4 The Gramophone *Serengeti/Polyphonic, Saturday, September 26 *Bawn in the Mash, Saturday, October 3 *Chicago Afrobeat Project, Saturday, October 10

The Future of Fairmount Park Looks Like a Long Shot These Days

Photo: Chad GarrisonOpening Day at Fairmount Park this past April​It's been a rough summer for Fairmount Park, the venerable and decrepit horse track in Illinois. The windfall it expected to receive this summer from a tax on casinos is tied up in appeal. And it's looking as though the track will n ... More >>

Map Locations At A Glance: Miscellaneous

Fairmount Park earns some green while Wash. U. breeds fruit flies in need of naps

Now That Fairmount Park Is In Line for $7 Million Bailout, Will It Finally Fix Its JumboTron?

Good news horse-racing fans. Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an appeal filed by four Chicago-area casinos over a special fund established to help horse racing. The fund, passed into law in 2006, required Illinois' four biggest casinos (all located near Chicago) to set aside part ... More >>

Ten Things to Do Under $10 This Weekend

After a quick four-day work-week, the weekend's here again. If you spent too much over the last three-day weekend, know that a night at the theater is probably out. So are wine-tastings and fund-raisers. But there are always local concerts, free art gallery openings and at least one food-centric str ... More >>

Gut Check: A smorgasbord of delights awaits on Ian's blog

Our Horse, of Course

Our Horse, of Course

In It to Win It

Unreal talks ponies with a true racing expert, learns some things about mowing (severed toes are bad) and receives a particularly biting Commontary.

Unreal uncovers the secrets of "manly men"!

Plus, playin' the Name Game and countin' cards. Wouldn't Mom be proud?

On a Horse and a Prayer

Unreal prays, then bets it all on our namesake equine. Then, we get schooled in vocab by a fifteen-year-old.

Tour de Horse

How River Front Times Broke His Maiden

How River Front Times Broke His Maiden

Money Down

We diversify our investment portfolio (hint: it involves scuba gear!), get metaphysical and bump into one of the strangest Bargain Box items yet. Plus: What's Buggin' Sly Brown?

Stoopers

Unreal stands up for stooping and encounters a local blogger who only has eyes for the Tampon Fairy. Plus, in a shocking move not seen since the Mesozoic era, the Mississippi River leaves St. Louis!

Best Jockey

Ramsey Zimmerman

Best Bus Route

Madison County Transit No. 18

Shipping Blues

Fairmount Park's owner can't squander his prize filly's talent on home turf

Budweiser/ MDA Poker Classic

A good time is in the cards

Nags to Riches

A late push for slot machines in Springfield may be Fairmount Park's silver bullet

What Situation or Oddity Would You Pay to See?

Week of February 18, 2004

Best Place to Drown Your Sorrows

Ardie and Tiny's

Best Thoroughbred Trainers

Ralph and Raul Martinez

One-Track Mind

On top of old Fairmount: Collinsville's humble racecourse is home to one of the nation's winningest Thoroughbred owners

Party Favor

Our pick for the best 2004 celebration slogan

Painting While Intoxicated

Plein air party in Augusta

Overexposed

Magazine article shines an unwelcome spotlight on St. Louis' civic squabbles; PLUS: Is this any way to announce a party? Let's have some suggestions!

Best Place for a First Date

Fairmount Park

A Night at the Races

The excitement on the track is secondary to the human drama played out in the grandstand at Fairmount Park