This article is classified "Real"
The Atlantic City Race Course is for horses. Small people ride on their backs and beat them with little whips to make them go faster. The horse that crosses the finish line first is the one that wins. These races aren't very fascinating by themselves, though. A race rarely lasts two minutes, and it takes them about twenty minutes or more to set up for the next race. In a night of racing, they usually get about ten race groups off. The admission charge for this sad spectacle of horse whipping is $2.50. But because no one in their right minds would actually pay money to simply watch horses run around an oval track, they've added a slight twist to it: You can bet money on the horses, and if the horse you bet on wins, you get money back, and very probably more money than you bet in the first place. You must be 18 years of age in order to bet at ACRC, but you can get in to watch the races no matter what age you are. If you're 21 years of age, you can also buy alcoholic beverages at the track, though at unbelievably inflated prices. This hitchhiker took some of his winnings and bought a hot pretzel for $1.60. While the pretzel was actually pretty large and very tasty, though a bit overcooked, it probably wasn't really worth the $1.60 this hitchhiker actually paid for it. But the mustard was good. ACRC sits right next to the Hamilton Mall, and is very accessible from Route 40, and only slightly accessible from the Atlantic City Expressway. Other things to note is that a program will cost you about $1.50, and are printed a week or two in advance, so the notes they provide on the horses racing are usually slightly out of date. This isn't really important, though, since you can never tell from the numbers they give you whether or not a horse will actually win. Parking is a paltry $1.00, if you want to park in the cheap, dirt parking lot. There is valet parking available, but if a hitchhiker can't stand to walk the hundred yards from the lot to the entrance, they shouldn't be hitchhiking anyway.