There were two graded stakes going that Saturday and one was the United Nations. I forget what was the other but Pat Day was in both as his only two mounts of the day. This is quite a while ago but I remember John and I loading up on Day's horses and they both won as non-faves. We beat the hell out of that Monmouth card at the windows. And we were tippling some beers and feeling no pain.

After the second stakes win by Day and before we collected John and I went out back to the path the riders walked to get back to the jocks' room. We knew that Day was a devout Christian but I never expected my son to do what he did.

When Pat Day was coming down the path John looked up to the sky, stretched his arms out to the side and yelled out, "Praise Jesus! He has delivered me from sin and put me in the presence of Pat Day!"

Unbelievably, Pat Day trotted over to my son by the railing and told John that Jesus had delivered him from sin too. Pat told John that Jesus was with him every moment of the day. John told Pat that Jesus had sent him to Monmouth Park to be in the presence of Pat Day and that he was going to forsake loose women and alcohol for evermore. Pat Day blessed my son and praised Jesus again before trotting off to the jocks' room. I never said a word. And that's when John burst out laughing and we went to collect.

1997 or so. I was rocked!!!

Some moments at the track are hard to believe. It was some years back but I remember that day in my old addled mind. You had Pat Day in religious rapture.