After the meet we went in and retrieved tons of staw, and hay, plus pitch folks and rakes. Big score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me and that Saratogian were prolly on some. HAHA 16 yo guy with a 40 yo something woman. Learned alot!

I have so many warm memories of Saratoga. Many of them were in the dark months, as I lived in SS for a few years. There is a magic there that few other places have. But then, maybe my memories are clouded by too many scotch and vichys.

When we lived upstate we would always go to Saratoga to wine, and dine in the winter. It was a great town even without racing.

My favorite tale is the "potato salad adventure". Years ago, when the infield was open to the public, my friend, and I would go as often as we could. Beginning at the starting gate for the shorter races, and run like hell accross field to the finish line. One day we both boxed 159 in the tri. Our three choices were way out in front, but the crowd was huge near the rail, so in our excitement we jumped up on one of the picnic tables for a better view of the finish. We hit the triple, and it was BIG. Only then did we realize that a nice family of four was picnicking at the table we were dancing on, and we were literally jumping on there salads, and chips. We threw pops a bunch of cash, and apologized profusely. Next weekend, we visit the infield again, and see the same people. Pops buys us a beer, and says that was the most exiting time he'd ever had at the track Just watching us. What a game, what a game.

When I was invited up to the booth to watch Tom Durkin call a race... I still remember the winner - Mountain Ridge. Very cool.

Last year was the best time I ever had at the Spa. I didn't get rich, but I came awful close on a few different occasions.

I went up the Friday before Travers. Had an OK day, enough to break even. Got to watch the great Ginger Punch run a thriller in the stake race and got to live vicariously through the poster Islander, who Samyn and I bumped into earlier that day outside Albany. In the finale, Islander is alive to a MONSTER pick 4, somewhere in the range of $60k. He has a single, the 2, Hidden Glance. Our seats are just off the far turn, about the 3/16th pole. It was a marathon turfer, 11 furlongs if I remember. Turning for home, Hidden Glance is making a big run on the turn, and as they run past us, he looks like a dead winner. I have a pick3 worth reporting to the IRS coming home, Samyn has a juicy double, and Islander is about to break the bank and is promising us all a lobster dinner. The horse on the lead was a Frankel runner who had the look of a career maiden, always quitting in the stretch with a bad case of seconditis. Well, on this day, he felt like running, and hit the wire a nose hair in front of Hidden Glance. We saw Islander the next day looking like a shell of his happy self the day before. Said he didn't sleep much the night before. Haven't seen him on the board since except to say he made it home and back to Canada OK. I hope the guy is doing well and if he's lurking, he posts and says hi.

Travers Saturday was a tough day. Caught a 10-1 first time starter to start a pick 3, rest of the ticket was a dud. Bet Blazing Dynamo to win at 20something-1 and got beat by 88-1 Slambino in the shadow of the wire. The Travers itself was as thrilling as my first, which was Unshaded's win in 2000 that 1/8 pole has already told us about. I liked Colonel John, Samyn was all about Mambo in Seattle. I played Colonel John to win, boxed him an exacta and keyed him in the tri with Pyro to be the place/show horse. Samyn and I are screaming our horses down to the wire in a great stretch run that Colonel John got by a nose. I had the win, exacta and tri and broke even exactly for the weekend. That race was literally the fourth or fifth photo finish my horse was involved in. I won every one that weekend. A horseplayer can only hope for that kinda luck all the time.

Like I said, I didn't get rich, but I sure did have fun trying.

I still have the program from one of my first trips to Saratoga. August 4th 1979. It was the forth day of racing. They ran the Whitney that day. Darby Creek Road, State Dinner, Star De Naskra, Island Sultan, Special Tiger, Text, Cox's Ridge and The Liberal Member. Temperance Hill was entered in a maiden race that day. I remember taking the Trailways bus from the Port Authority bus terminal and handicapping the card on the way. Most vividly, I remember the paddock and the horses being saddled under the trees. The paddock wasn't enclosed and you could get up close and personal.

KP, I remember that day very well, didn't islanders horse lose in a photo for all the marbles?

I was shooting for a $600 pick 3 with the #2 Hidden Glance so I remember the beat well.

Yes, Don, lost by the slimmest of margins. Probably the toughest beat I ever witnessed.