Green Shoots

[richiebee]

I had to pass by JFK on Friday, and made some extra time to stop in by Parx Ozone.


The Belt Parkway appeared as if it had been cluster bombed, causing bone jarring
driving conditions on the way East. Of course there were huge backups as our NYC
DOT guys were out on \"Pothole Patrol\"; just at the time I was driving by them,
they had ditched their shovels for hero sandwiches.

I hadn\'t been to AQ since Calendar Day, and on that day I just grabbed a bunch of
calendars and bolted. Yesterday I had the chance to look around the place, which
in five or six months will be overrun by busloads of Chinese grandmothers if all
goes according to plan.

Aqueduct, like every other part of NYC which has not been cleared (which is every
part of NYC which isn\'t traveled by Mayor Bermudaberg\'s precious bicycles and
tourists)is covered with mounds of snow. The apron in front of the
grandstand, in long gone days overrun by weekend crowds of 25,000 - 35,000, is
now covered with piles of construction debris. Contractor\'s trailers cover the
grassy knoll which used to be part of the pleasant small park behind the
grandstand. The quality of racing was about what we\'ve come to expect during
the \"Wayward\" Hayward/Campo regime.

I am here to say there is hope for the future. To meet a guy like the man we call
Covel, who obviously loves the Game and exudes a quiet confidence in what he will
be able to accomplish in Racing, is to believe that there is a future for Racing.
Covel was savvy enough not to entrust me with his Blackberry, where he had stored
some photos from his visit to Lane\'s End Farm, knowing that I would have been
searching the device for insider information, but we had a fascinating
conversation about Racing. My only concern is that some of the young guys in
Racing, like Covel or Mike Repole or Bobby Flay, are too young to realize how
great Racing was at Belmont in the 70s or how magical Saratoga was before
greediness replaced greatness.

You can not spend a few minutes with Covel without hoping he will enjoy success
in Racing.

[covelj70]

Richie,

Incredibly kind of you to say and I certainly hope I can live up to those lofty aspirations!

Thanks again so much for a great day!!

Good luck to everyone today.

I am playing in the NHC Round 1 NHC qualifier.  Right back on the horse (pun intended)!