Harness Racing at Cal Expo
1600 Exposition Blvd. Lot D, Sacramento
(916) 263-3279
Hours: 10 a.m.-20 minutes after the conclusion of the final race
Happy hour: 5:30 p.m.-closing Thursday, 6 p.m.-closing Friday, 6-8:30 p.m. Saturday
The real steal: At Cal Expo, deals abound. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, visitors are welcomed with different food and drink specials. If Thursdays are convenient for you, stop on by for $3 beer, $3 wine and $3 lasagna dinner with a side salad and bread. The deals only get sweeter as the weekend wears on. Happy Hour Friday offers $2 beer, wine and Buffalo wings, while Saturday boasts $1 beer, wine, sodas and hot dogs. Admission and parking are free all three nights.
The vibe: While partaking in the various food and drink deals, plenty of entertainment is available. From the (recorded) bugle's Call to the Post to the photo finish, every race generates a buzzing energy, the audience rapt each time. During the breaks between races, the people-watching can't be beat. Families are everywhere. Toddlers to teenagers run about, playing catch and admiring the horses. This is a place where childhood memories are forged, first dates happen and longtime handicappers exercise their skill at playing the ponies.
Signature drink: At the track, it's all about Miller Genuine Draft in a plastic cup.
Alternative libations: If you're after something with a little more kick, gallop over to the Sports Bar, which is fully stocked.
Bathroom break: The amenities are sufficient. There are plenty of stalls, which almost guarantees zero wait time. The facilities get the job done with minimal panache.
Something extra: Before and after the races, the horses are kept to the west of the track. You can get a glimpse at these magnificent beasts being prepared.
Take a seat: Stadium seating, picnic tables, standing room – there are plenty of spots to claim, but the grass at the start of the home stretch is the perfect place to toss open a blanket and lounge.
Watch the Derby at Cal Expo
Cal Expo will host its annual watch-and-wager Kentucky Derby party Saturday, May 7, when all eyes will be on the 137th Kentucky Derby, broadcast live from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Doors open at 7 a.m. at Cal Expo, the largest simulcast center in the Sacramento area. General admission is $4. The Derby will be run at 3:24 p.m. PDT – but come early. Cal Expo's facility fills up fast on Derby Day.
Cal Expo's Kentucky Derby Day Buffet Special includes Club House admission, program, reserved seating and two buffets – breakfast and lunch – for $34. Call (916) 263-3279 for reservations.
RIVERSIDE CLUBHOUSE
2633 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento
(916) 448-9988
www.riversideclubhouse .com
Happy hour: 3:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
The deals: This neighborhood haunt serves up select appetizers, including fried calamari and Buffalo wings, for $4 per order. Also $4 are draft beers – Stella Artois, Fat Tire, Widmer Hefeweizen and Full Sail Ale – and house chardonnay and merlot by Bogle.
MORTON'S
621 Capitol Mall
(916) 442-5091
Happy hour: 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close Sunday-Friday
The deals: Swing by the posh Morton's for special prices on select Mortinis ($7.50), beers ($5) and wines ($6.50), and snack on select bar bites like the iceberg wedge bites ($6) or four petite filet mignon sandwiches ($7).
GOLDEN BEAR
2326 K St., Sacramento
(916) 441-2242
Happy hour: 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday
The deals: Grab a well drink for $2, or snag Miller High Life by the bottle for $1.50 a pop (offered one at a time or by the six-pack, convenient to carry out to the street patio).
CHEESECAKE FACTORY
1771 Arden Way, Sacramento
(916) 567-0606
Westfield Galleria at Roseville
(916) 781-3399
Happy hour: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
The deals: Just like the rest of the Cheesecake Factory menu, the list of happy hour deals is mountainous. A sampling of the bargains: $5.95 Vietnamese tacos, a variety of pizzettas for $4.95 and several specially priced drinks, including $4 well drinks, a few $5 specialty cocktails and $5 wines.
COSMO CAFÉ
1000 K St., Sacramento
(916) 446-9800
www.cosmosacramento. com
Happy hour: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
The deals: $3 Budweiser, Bud Light and Coors Light, and select $4 and $5 wines are backed up by small plates and snacks for $3 (housemade barbecue waffle chips or paprika- spiced popcorn); $4 (candied almonds or Thai green beans with remoulade) and $5 (half pastrami sandwich or two pulled pork sliders).
Do you know of a bar that has amazingly good deals on drinks and food? Share the scoop with The Bee, and we'll highlight it as part of this new Night Life feature. Email sacbeenightlife@gmail.com.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.