Welcome Back, Vic Stauffer!

Stauffer in his booth at Hollywood Park on a Friday night.

Track announcer, Vic Stauffer, will be back in his booth at Hollywood Park on Thursday, after missing just the Sunday card following a small stroke. Stauffer, who has been the voice of Hollywood Park since 2001, is also agent for leading jockey Joel Rosario.

Read the full story from Hollywood Park here. Welcome back, Vic!

A Day at the Fair in Pleasanton, Calif.

There's nothing quite like horse racing at a county fair. Here's a view of the Pleasanton grandstand as you enter the fairgrounds. Walking through the fair on the way to the racetrack, you're bombarded by the delicious aroma of fair food!

Alameda County Fair is the "Birthplace of California Racing," its racetrack dating back to 1858. It is the oldest continually operating track in California -- and the oldest one-mile racetrack in America, surpassing the famous Saratoga track in New York by six years.

Track announcer, Frank Miramahdi, hosted a handicapping seminar before the Saturday race card, with Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze. In addition to handicapping the day's races, Baze answered questions from the audience about his riding experiences and recalled some of the more memorable moments so far in his riding career.

Jockeys gather near the saddling paddock, which is conveniently located at the far turn side of the grandstand. It is open and accessible to fair-goers, and helps draw newcomers in to the races.

Post parade before a nice Saturday crowd. We had blue skies, perfect temperatures, and all the excitement of top-quality racing mixed with the fun of a county fair.

Riders walking back to the jock's room after one of the later races.

Road Trip Day Two: Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton

Sign at the end of the Grandstand, Alameda County Fair racetrack, Pleasanton, CA.

Day Two of my Alameda County Fair road trip, and I'm already 448 miles from Del Mar. Actually, the trip was surprisingly quick -- only 5-1/2 hours from Santa Anita Racetrack. Of course, the traffic moves pretty fast along Interstate 5!

There were several of these signs posted around the grandstand, giving the various mileage to other racetracks, including Calder and Belmont. I thought it was a very clever idea.

The weather is fabulous in P-town -- warm and sunny, but only getting up to the mid-80s, which is much cooler than the temperatures in the Los Angeles area this week (where the temperatures are being reported in the triple digits in some areas).

A good crowd was out for the Saturday race card and to take in the fair. Preliminary reports indicate that the attendance figures are up nearly 50 percent over last year. There's nothing like a county fair -- and county fair racing! More photos to come....

Alameda County Fair Road Trip: First Stop Harris Ranch

Barbeque at Harris Ranch Restaurant, Coalinga, CA.

Day One of my road trip to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton took me up Interstate 5 yesterday, where my first stop was for lunch at Harris Ranch. Like many travelers throughout the Golden State, I usually plan any trip that takes me along I-5 around a stop for a meal at the famous inn and restaurant, where they serve the incredible Harris Ranch beef. Lunch was one of the best hamburgers I've ever tasted!

My mouth started watering as soon as I arrived and smelled the delicious smokey scent wafting through the air. I stopped to talk to the barbeque chef, Jose, who explained that he was barbequeing prime ribs, which were being cut up and served for lunch. Not wanting to risk falling asleep at the wheel during the second half of my trip, I decided against the full prime rib lunch.

Harris Ranch is owned by one of California's most recognized agribusinessmen, John Harris, whose family came to central California in 1937. Harris, the current Chair of the California Horse Racing Board, oversees a vast farming operation, one of California's largest beef feeding and processing plants, a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm, and the famous Harris Ranch Restaurant and Inn. For more information about John Harris and Harris Ranch, check out my Owner Profile -- "John Harris, Continuing a California Legacy" -- at Owners' Circle magazine online.

The road trip continues, and I will be posting photos from the Alameda County Fair shortly!