Fifteen Years
Here we are again. Fifteen years ago, we packed up much of what we owned and drove north to Saratoga to start a daily newspaper.
It was chaos.
Cup of Coffee: Wandering
“You’re running a little late this morning…?”
That was my first greeting Thursday morning in Saratoga. It was 6:33.
“You’re just getting to work now…?”
That was my second greeting Thursday morning in Saratoga. It was 6:46.
Let the games begin.
On the Way
The car is half packed. Ran out of daylight yesterday, so now an Espresso machine, two bags of shirts and a Saratoga Special jacket sit in the hallway while my Subaru Outback waits in the driveway.
Saratoga Countdown
The wave is about to crash. Saratoga has started to consume us. I wrote this for the Irish Field last week.
Barclay Tagg called. The Kentucky Derby trainer doesn’t call often, actually, ever. We made small talk, he eventually got to his point, correcting a story that I (luckily) didn’t write and then we made more small talk.
“You ready for Saratoga?” Tagg asked.
I hesitated, really, didn’t say anything, just let it hang there, a throwaway line that wouldn’t go away.
“Yeah, I guess none of us are ever ready for Saratoga…” said Tagg, answering his own question. “It just happens, no matter if you’re ready or not.”
And that’s a wrap
It was 1999 and I trapped Russell Baze in a clubhouse box at Saratoga. The 41-year-old jockey had been inducted into the Hall of Fame that morning, presented a trophy that afternoon and was flying back to northern California in the morning. If people are down to Earth, Baze is the Earth, humble, low-key, just a regular guy wondering why he was being interviewed.
It’s been a quiet week …
The singing started about a half hour before the show and it continued for well over an hour after the show.
Welcome to Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park is in hard times. Handle’s down, fighting politicians, competition everywhere, down to three days a week, a track from a bygone era needing a lifeline.
Or, so I hear.
Being AP a great ride
What are you doing Thursday night? If you live anywhere near Wilmington, Del., get to Theatre N and see “Being AP.” The documentary chronicles the last season of jump jockey Tony McCoy’s career.
McCoy, if you don’t know, was the dominant jockey in English/Irish National Hunt Racing and arguably the most dominant athlete of his time no matter the sport.
Three-paced
Everyone talks about pace.
In racing it’s early pace, fast pace, slow pace. Pace makes the race. That kind of stuff.
One Day. Two Tracks.
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.
