Hipódromo de las Americas
Av. Industria Militar S/N, Lomas de Sotelo, Residencial Militar, Miguel Hidalgo, 11600 Ciudad de México, CDMX
5552017800
http://www.hipodromo.com.mx/
One of the most exciting things to do in the big metropolis of Mexico City is to attend and experience a thoroughbred or quarter-mile horse race and hear the cheers and screams of support during the final stretch of the race. The Hipódromo de las Américas (Racetrack of the Americas) is the place to do just that and it follows a tradition of horseracing in the city that dates back to at least 1882 when the Hipodromo Peralvillo was hosting races north of the city and was a preferred location for members of Mexico City’s exclusive Jockey Club. That track was closed in 1913 and soon after another popular racetrack of that era was dismantled, the Hipodromo La Condesa in the year 1920, that was located on what is now Amsterdam street in the neighborhood Hipódromo-Condesa (that’s the reason Amsterdam goes around in a loop). This left the city, which had a taste for horseracing, in need of a new racetrack, and the Hipódromo de Las Américas was opened in 1943 on the border of the Polanco and Granada neighborhoods, west of the city.
The most prestigious event hosted by the Hipódromo de las Américas is the Handicap of the Americas which is a race of 1 and 1/16 of a mile (1.7 km) and is considered the most important thoroughbred race in the country, the first Handicap of the Americas was held in 1943 during the opening of the racetrack and was won by Step Bay. One of the most successful horses of the Handicap of the Americas has been Diamante Negro (Black Diamond) who was won three of these races. Prize racehorses make hundreds of thousands of pesos for their owners in earnings and purses from the races they win. Yet it’s not the only race by any means, from late January to Mid-December of every year there are races on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Entry to the racetrack costs $20 pesos and of course, you can just go and watch the races, you don’t need to bet on the horses or consume anything if you don’t want to. The management group in charge of the Hipódromo de las Américas has done their best effort to promote the racetrack as a 100% family environment, and not a place filled with degenerate boozy gamblers, most of the media you’ll see regarding the racetrack (no doubt peddled by their PR agency or department) will continuously reinforce this concept. The track is owned by Spanish gaming company Codere.
Excitement, good food, good drinks, and beautiful majestic animals, the Hipódromo de las Américas is a special location for thrillseekers in this city.
