Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK black) to escape the police.

2018-20

T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 Do the race - run from police.

to die.

1936

L. Pound ‘American Euphemisms for Dying’ in AS XI:3 200: Went to the races.

of an endeavour, (properly) underway.

1956		‘James Updyke’ [W.R. Burnett] It’s Always Four O’Clock 117: People came jamming in; and we were off to the races.
1984		B.J. Friedman Let’s Hear it for a Beautiful Guy 53: ‘Fucky, fucky,’ the older one whispered in his left ear; ‘Sucky, sucky,’ her sister said in his other ear; and for fifty dollars he was off to the races.
2018		W. Kramer Hard Stuff 214: [I] had him pick me up a couple of bags, too. I was off to the races again.