Catch up. Sorry for no posts – no time. Horse racing is like a job. Up early (5:00 am) to start handicapping process. At 7:00 off to the track to reserve my spot in the back yard. Breakfast at 7:30. More handicapping, make my salad, read the paper. Maybe a 30 minute nap. Off to King’s Tavern at 10:30 to check in. Back to the track at 11:00 to get scratches and eat my salad. Races start at 1:00. Out of the track at about 6:45. Off to dinner somewhere with someone (or getting take out for myself). Time for bed.
Thursday: Did OK on day two with two winners. Small crowd (relatively) and nice and relaxed at the track. Weather was hot but not unpleasantly so. For dinner I had fried chicken from Hattie’s again. Bad me – too much fried food.
Friday: John and Lino from Marshfield arrived as did Michael from New York. Good weather again. Tough day betting wise but I bailed out with a $21 winner in the last race. Dinner was at the Brook Tavern (owned by the Wishing Well) with John and Linda. The Wishing Well owner was there and he sent over complementary deep fried pickles. I had six Duxbury (MA) oysters – small but scrumptious; delicious veal chop with mashed sweet potato; vanilla ice cream. For dessert Lino had a wonderful flourless chocolate cake that was to die for.
Saturday: Weather holding well. Huge crowd, long lines. Hit the first race and then got shut out the rest of the way. First losing day. The oddity of the day was a maiden (non-winner) winning the featured Jim Dandy handicap. Saw some friends from Baltimore. For dinner I cooked up my own pasta (ziti with lines) and Newman’s Sockerooni sauce. Tasty. Early to bed.
Sunday: It’s 6 am and raining steadily. The rain is supposed to continue for two days. Not good. No fun in Saratoga when it’s raining, but we will soldier on. My friend Bob arrives today. I called him and gave him the option to cancel and maybe come next weekend, but he is coming anyway. Pizza is the plan for tonight. Genarro’s.
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You never can tell in Saratoga with those rain fronts coming through, at least they will keep the humidity in check. Have fun, pick a good mudder!