Belmont Saturday
Here we go again.
Baseball and Horse Racing
Two assistant coaches – Cubs hats, shirts, sunflower seeds sailing – leaned on the chain link fence, fingers clutched through the mesh as kid-pitch rookie league limped through the fifth inning, or the sixth, could have been the 20th for all I know at Franklin Park Field #3 Thursday night.
One Hall of Famer on another Hall of Famer
While digging around my computer looking for notes, memories, nuggets about the Belmont Stakes – from Silver Charm, my first, to Smarty Jones, the worst, to American Pharoah, the best, I found my favorite quote about Mike Smith.
Summer Time
Where did spring go? The Kentucky Derby and Preakness are over. The Iroquois and Fair Hill have come and gone. The Belmont looms. Saratoga is around the corner and coming fast, the first Special of the season will be in your hands. Time flies.
Who’ll Stop the Rain
Cloudy. Cloudy. Showers. Showers. Showers. Showers. Showers. Showers. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Light rain. Light rain. Light rain. Light rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain.
Recruitment
Good luck and safe trips to all 22 horses owned, purchased or managed by Riverdee Stable and Clancy Bloodstock this weekend. That’s right, 22. From Nashville to Louisville to Unionville.
Saturday Turnaround
Fog. Woke up at 5 in the morning and drove 45 minutes to Dulles Airport for a latte.
Saturday Morning
The coffee’s made, that’s the only thing moving around here. It’s dark. Horses mill around outside the door, I can only hear them, that’s all, strolling, heads are down.
Weekends
Big weekend last week.
Birthdays and Racedays
I turned 48 Monday. I’m OK with that. Happy to be here. As we get older, some lament another birthday, wishing to be younger. I don’t wish to be younger, wiser, perhaps, but not younger. I think about our friends who aren’t here and think about how much they would want (their family and friends would want) another birthday, just one more birthday, then I don’t dare wish to go back in time, I try to cherish a day, a day in the now. Not my specialty, but that’s what I try to do. The highlight of my birthday was when Miles stood up and gave a toast to his dad, now that was a birthday present.
