A friend wanted to see the Hippodrome de Gavea while we were in Rio; since I like horse racing I went along and I'm glad I did. It's about a km from Ipanema beach, just opposite the Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens, also worth a visit). It must be about the most statuesque/classical hipodromo in Latin America (I've been to Palermo and S. Isidro, Buenos Aires, and the Hippodrome de las Americas in Mexico City); also clean and well-maintained; entry is free; and the racing is not bad (on turf, wide track, plenty of runners of Anglo-Irish ancestry); Tote monopoly, of course. Odd thing: despite all these pluses, the place - on a Saturday afternoon - was very empty, so not much atmosphere, but easy to relax, have a beer + food (not great food, at least in the bar).