One Day. Two Tracks.

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Royal Ascot in the morning. Parx Racing in the afternoon. Now, that’s a doubleheader.

I’ll watch the opening day at Royal Ascot from my parents’ couch and then hop in the car and hit the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a jaunt to Parx, in time to catch the seventh, no need for my top hat.

The dichotomy of racing.  

It’s raining at Royal Ascot. Dry at Parx.

Six-race card at Royal Ascot. Ten-race card at Parx.

Her Majesty the Queen at Royal Ascot. Down With The King at Parx (well, he’s on the also-eligible list for the seventh).

Soft turf at Royal Ascot. Firm turf and fast dirt at Parx.

A 2 ½ mile handicap at Royal Ascot. No races going farther than a mile at Parx.

No Lasix at Royal Ascot. No horse without Lasix at Parx.

Joseph and Aidan O’Brien at Royal Ascot. Guadalupe and Roman Preciado at Parx.

Champagne flutes clinking at Royal Ascot. Coins clinking from slot machines at Parx.

Geroux, the jockey, at Royal Ascot. Giroux, the horse, at Parx. 

Wesley Ward, Mark Casse and Enebish Ganbat shipping to Royal Ascot. Kevin Boniface, Tim Keefe, Lacey Gaudet shipping to Parx.

Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot. Frankie Pennington at Parx. 

Fashion statements at Royal Ascot. Fashion Statement, an 0-for-13 maiden, at Parx. 

British, Irish and French Guineas winners at Royal Ascot. Golden Gate, Laurel and Hawthorne claimers at Parx. 

Tepin at Royal Ascot. Let’s just say, nothing like Tepin, at Parx.