Stereotypically, horse racing’s class identity has historically been split, defined on the one hand by wealthy, even aristocratic racehorse owners, and on the other hand by working class railbirds who spend their days at the track gambling away their meager savings. Today, many racetracks may feel out of touch with the times. You can indulge in gambling on the Internet – regardless of time and place. But there is a certain clientele that still feels connected to them and the memories they associate with the racetrack. For them, this place still fulfills a much more central function: social participation.