Anyone recall the SAFEWAY GROCERY store racing tickets?

Fishhead · Jan 11, 2009

Back in the late 60's they gave customers free racing tickets for every $50 they bought in groceries and then one could watch a TAPED replay of a horse race to see if your horse would win. Obviously the store knew the winner and gave out less tickets of the winning horse.

This was one of my very first involvements with gambling(7 years old), as my parents would give me the tickets and I would sweat out the races.

After a few months of rarely winning, I persuaded my parents to start a poker home game on the weekends...............and the rest is history, as 40 years later, I've remained that same degenerate gambler.

Inactiongirl · Jan 11, 2009

Fishhead said:
Back in the late 60's they gave customers free racing tickets for every $50 they bought in groceries and then one could watch a TAPED replay of a horse race to see if your horse would win. Obviously the store knew the winner and gave out less tickets of the winning horse.

This was one of my very first involvements with gambling(7 years old), as my parents would give me the tickets and I would sweat out the races.

After a few months of rarely winning, I persuaded my parents to start a poker home game on the weekends...............and the rest is history, as 40 years later, I've remained that same degenerate gambler.

I remember those with a different grocery chain in the 1970s..(Sunshine Food Markets)I was very young, and didn't understand that these were taped at the time. Funny to think back now about that. Lol ...I remember the announcer shouting "It's off to the races!"

Maybe that WAS the start of my gambling tendencies....never would have remembered that. Thanks for that recollection.

Fishhead · Jan 11, 2009

I faintly recall that "off to the races" call.

Akillies · Jan 11, 2009

my story exactly, same way i got hooked. I saved those tickets every week even though i quickly figured out the races were taped. I dont remember if i ever won anything.

Fishhead · Jan 11, 2009

Akillies said:
my story exactly, same way i got hooked. I saved those tickets every week even though i quickly figured out the races were taped. I dont remember if i ever won anything.

I do not recall winning, but probably did win a race or two.

OAKAS · Jan 11, 2009

I played the game every week. It was really funny that I would have the horse that would lead all around the track and get nipped at the wire.

I believe Jack Drees was the host and it was at Hialeah Race Track.

I always got a kick out of when they would pan around the race track and Jack Drees would call the guys at the fence railbirds.

Damn, I am old. That was a long time ago.:shocked: