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Ponyboy

Ernesto Cancino, 64, who has been a ponyboy who escorts the Thoroughbreds to the start at the Aqueduct racetrack in New York City since 1989, stands underneath the grandstand on a cold day, February 15, 2007. Before that he was a jockey in Chile, where he started riding horses on his father's farm at the age of 14. He says he loves the horses and the cold does not bother him, even half a century later. "The body-I've got it ready all day," he says. "A little hot coffee, it's fine."..Betting on the horses is still a popular game and the money still flows, but off track betting and other forms of entertainment have eroded live attendance at the races. The daily diehard betters and horse lovers who sparsely populate the place on work days are joined by a bigger crowd on the weekends. ..The Aqueduct, located in Ozone Park, Queens, is the only horse racing track in New York City and probably the coldest in the country (most of the others are in Kentucky, Florida or California). Horses race on the winterized inner dirt rack from January 1st through the end of April. Aqueduct was built in 1894, renovated in 1959, then opened for winter racing in 1975. It is the winter race track operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which also runs Belmont and Saratoga in the warm seasons. Betters at Aqueduct watch and bet on the nine daily live races and all other races around the country via Simulcast. ..

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Filename
DSC_6842.jpg
Copyright
Angela Jimenez 2007
Image Size
3576x2384 / 2.1MB
Contained in galleries
Aqueduct Racetrack, On Assignment
Ernesto Cancino, 64, who has been a ponyboy who escorts the Thoroughbreds to the start at the Aqueduct racetrack in New York City since 1989, stands underneath the grandstand on a cold day, February 15, 2007. Before that he was a jockey in Chile, where he started riding horses on his father's farm at the age of 14. He says he loves the horses and the cold does not bother him, even half a century later. "The body-I've got it ready all day," he says. "A little hot coffee, it's fine."..Betting on the horses is still a popular game and the money still flows, but off track betting and other forms of entertainment have eroded live attendance at the races. The daily diehard betters and horse lovers who sparsely populate the place on work days are joined by a bigger crowd on the weekends. ..The Aqueduct, located in Ozone Park, Queens, is the only horse racing track in New York City and probably the coldest in the country (most of the others are in Kentucky, Florida or California). Horses race on the winterized inner dirt rack from January 1st through the end of April. Aqueduct was built in 1894, renovated in 1959, then opened for winter racing in 1975. It is the winter race track operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which also runs Belmont and Saratoga in the warm seasons. Betters at Aqueduct watch and bet on the nine daily live races and all other races around the country via Simulcast. ..