Though horse racing doesn't grab headlines now as it did in Seabiscuit's time, tens of thousands of Americans still love the sport. At Aqueduct and Belmont racetracks, the American Experience Web team got a first-hand look at racing today, thanks to Bruno Zalubil and the New York Racing Association. We've collected some images and descriptions of our racetrack visit.

Behind the Scenes
"Going behind the scenes at the track certainly gives you an appreciation for the passion and dedication that so many people have for the horses involved in Thoroughbred racing. By the time our tour started at the training track, many of the jockeys, trainers and grooms making it all happen had been up for hours.

First, there were the morning workouts for the horses; the jockeys knew exactly the routine and intensity each horse needed for the day. Back at the stables, a buzz of activity centered on the horses. Each had to be groomed, fed, walked, checked by a vet, and some, prepared for the afternoon race. Every individual moved through the morning routine with ease and seemed so comfortable around these large and powerful animals.

Without the dedication of these individuals every day, none of what we see as spectators could happen."

-- Mike Shaver

Morning Exercise and the Stables
"We met Bruno at 8 on a cold Saturday morning. In the winter, horses in New York only run at Aqueduct, though many are stabled at Belmont Park down the road. Belmont hosts races -- including the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes -- from May through July, and again in the fall. In late summer, the New York racing world caravans upstate to the venerable town of Saratoga, where horse racing began during the Civil War.

At Belmont we toured the stables and saw horses getting their morning exercise. To admire horses' athleticism, nothing beats standing at a track rail and watching Thoroughbreds thunder past. We could see the tight-knit community the trainers, exercise riders, and grooms have created, all centered around preparing horses for the track. Horses observe training regimens like human athletes, but they're not above snacking. One exercise rider gave us peppermint candies for his mount, saying they were the horse's favorite treat. That horse must have the freshest breath in New York. I saw another man standing at the rail with a pocket full of carrots.

The stables were like a big farm -- with chickens, stable cats, hay bales, and rubber-booted workers -- plunked down in the middle of Queens. A lot of the people involved in horse training live close to the stables, each of which houses a dozen or more horses in various stages of training. Inside one pristine stable we visited, a veterinarian was flushing a horse's nostrils out as part of his morning rounds. We were introduced to a colt, Runaway Russy, who would be racing later in the day. He was antsy, sticking his neck out to try and nibble on anyone who got too close. We thought he looked like a winner."

-- Maria Daniels

Paddock
"Before the sixth race of the day at Aqueduct, we descended to the paddock from our comfortable perch in the clubhouse restaurant. Other track visitors looked down from behind the glass above the paddock. Bundled up against the cold, we got up close to the horses and jockeys about to race. I was struck by how relatively quiet and calm it was in the paddock. The sounds and smells of the Thoroughbreds were palpable.

Trainers and grooms attended to the horses in the numbered stalls which fanned out around half of the oval. Our attention was on horse number three, Runaway Russy, with whom we had visited earlier. He seemed calm and confident as his groom walked him around the paddock. But the competition looked formidable!

At the cue from the racing official, the jockeys took to their horses and advanced to the starting gate. The bugler appeared, clad in a red jacket with black hat, and quickly walked through the paddock. He entered a non-descript door between the stalls to go up to track level. Soon, the distinctive bugle call sounded and we all moved to a good vantage point for the big race."

-- Ravi Jain

Recording Racetrack Sounds
"Reviewing our sound recording of our day at the track, I am first reminded of the sheer amount of buzz encountered in such a place. In between races, there is a steady roar from the gathered crowds. Conversations overheard are both deadly serious and full of amused self-satisfaction. There is a lot of talk about "winning" -- horses which have won such-and-such in the past, and those anticipated to win "again today."

The most exciting "sound" moments come from outdoors at trackside, beside the starting gates. For a brief moment, it is nearly quiet... then an electric bell, and the doors burst open, quickly followed by the rapid trampling of hooves.

The best recorded sound of the day came from the bugler. We set up a makeshift studio in a storage room, far from the din of the maddening horde, and had a private concert of the famous call to race. You can hear it at the start of the Flash feature, A Day at the Races."

-- Joe Bunik