Wine Country racing at the Sonoma County Fair

The Sonoma County Fair is in full effect, which means live horse racing - and the gambling action that follows - has returned to Santa Rosa for 10 days.

The racing, on both dirt and grass tracks at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, kicked off Wednesday and runs until Aug. 9, though the track is dark Aug. 3 and 4. The races start at 12:45 p.m. daily and usually end just before dinner. Nanci van Praag, a restaurateur who lives in Guerneville, has played these ponies every year for the past decade and recently offered four tips for people who want to get in on the action.

Tip 1: Listen to the pros
Parking lots at the county fair fill up quickly, so van Praag and partner Dolores Rodriguez, who co-own the Singletree Cafe in Healdsburg, make a habit of arriving early.

Their goal: to be in the fairgrounds in time for the free daily racing seminar in Shade Park at 11:15 a.m. During this hourlong talk, moderators interview jockeys, trainers and horse owners, and handicappers dish out free information about individual horses.

"For people who don't know much about the horses, it's a great crash course," says van Praag.

Tip 2: Bet Russell Baze
Russell Baze has won more races than any other jockey in America, and he's usually on hand for a few at the Sonoma County Fair. Regardless of which horse he's riding, he usually ends up being the favorite.

"It's almost blasphemy not to bet on him," van Praag explains. "I usually put him in a trifecta or superfecta to get some other horses on the ticket as well."

Tip 3: Get out and about
With 20 to 25 minutes between races and upward of 10 races per day, there's plenty of downtime. Once you've bet, van Praag says, it's fun to wander around the fairgrounds to buy snacks (try some ribs from Big Bubba's Bad BBQ) and explore.

She and Rodriguez make a point of visiting the flower show, which happens to be the largest themed flower show in the United States.

This year's theme is The Garden Time Forgot, which means there'll be lots of dinosaurs.

Tip 4: Avoid the sun
Arguably the only downside to a day at the races in Santa Rosa is the sun. Without fail, every day around 2 p.m. temperatures climb into the stratosphere.

The best place to be when this happens: shade.

If, like van Praag and Rodriguez, you're lucky enough to have a box at the track, you're protected almost all day. If, like most people, you purchase a $3 grandstand seat, you may have to get creative to keep yourself cool.

Some suggestions: Explore the track's upscale Jockey Club, linger in the breezeways or buy a snow cone.

"If you're lucky when you go to the track, it'll be cloudy for most of the day," says van Praag. "Of course if you're lucky, you'll win some bets, and all of a sudden you won't care if you get sunburned."

Through Aug. 9. $3. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. (707) 524-6340. www. sonomacountyfair.com.