John Scarpitta
John Scarpitta, 76, a school bus driver from Long Island, watches a race at the Aqueduct racetrack in New York City on February 18, 2007. Scarpitta says he might like Blackjack even more than he likes the horses. But when he is at Aqueduct, he bets every race, small stakes. He could go to an OTB, he says, but prefers to watch live: "You get the view from the last horse to the first horse. And it's easier to pick up the numbers with my binoculars. When they make a move, you start rooting 'em in."..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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- Angela Jimenez 2007
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- Aqueduct Racetrack