A Beginner’s Guide to the Inverness Raceway
Sunday afternoons at the track is a long-standing Inverness tradition and one you should check out. I would have been pretty intimidated my first time there if I hadn’t had my husband with me, who grew up going to the track with his dad in rural Ontario. I had such a blast that I want to make sure everyone visiting Cabot Cape Breton has a chance to go. And so, I give you: a beginner’s guide to the Inverness Raceway.
Where and When
Races start at 1 pm on Sundays, May – the end of October at the Inverness Raceway. In July and August, you can also catch them on Wednesday evenings. Drive to the end of Forest Street, park at the Inverness Arena, and walk over to the track. I suggest getting there about 30 minutes early to get your drinks and place your bets. Make sure you stop at the ATM first as everything there is cash only.
Make Your Picks
Everything you’ll need is in the building, under the grandstands. Head right to the end and buy a program for $2. You can also pick up a program a day early from the convenience store in town if you’d like to research your picks the night before. They do charge an additional fifty cents though!
Look at the page with the details on the first race on it. You’ll see the horse number (1-6 or 7), the horse name and a bunch of statistics. The bolded numbers in line with the horse’s name are the odds at the time of printing. I like to make my picks based off the odds and the name of the horse. If you like to make your picks on more factual evidence, see the guide below.
Place Your Bets
If you are 19 or older, go to the counter with the registers and place your bets. You can place them all now or do just the first few races and come back later. There is time in between each race to bet.
There are different types of bets you can make, the simplest is ‘to win’. Just tell the cashier the race number, the number of the horse you pick to win and the amount of the bet. A five dollar or more bet is totally acceptable. The cashier will print your bets on individual tickets, don’t lose them, you’ll need them to claim your prize (at the same counter) if you win!
Grab a 50/50 Ticket, A Drink, and a Seat
The 50/50 takehome is almost always over one thousand and has reached as high as fifteen hundred in peak season so don’t miss out on that action.
Then grab a drink from the bar by the entrance and make your way to the grandstand to get a good spot. If you prefer to be close up, there are a few picnic tables or you can stand right at the fence.
Cheer on Your Horse
The horses run faster the louder you cheer. Okay, I made that up but it is more fun if you get into it, so get loud!
I hope after reading this beginner’s guide to the Inverness Raceway, you feel a lot more confident about joining in on the tradition of harness racing. Maybe you’ll even win something! We hope you’ll consider staying at Cabot Cottage while you are in town.
