The Many Loves of my Life

[Roger N]

Here is my list and those I have attended with TGJB.  I met P-Dub at last year\'s Breeders Cup.  I agree with Paul that I would like the opportunity to meet more of the guys on this board.  The short list of those I have met: JB, TGAB, P-Dub, Rich Curtis, Rezlegal, and SoCalMan2

Belmont Park (JB)
Saratoga (JB)
Meadowlands
Monmouth
Garden State
Gulfstream old and new (JB)
Calder
Hialeah
Oaklawn Park
Fairgrounds
Jefferson Downs (send me a PM if you want to hear a story that I am not posting)
Delta Downs
Sam Houston
Lone Star
Turf Paradise
Hollywood (JB)
Del Mar (JB)
Santa Anita (JB)
Arlington (new and the tents for Manila's Million win) (JB new for BC)
Hawthorne
Indiana Downs
Hoosier Park
Churchill (JB)
Keeneland (JB)
Turfway Park
Thistle Downs
Rillito
Woodbine

Roger

[sekrah]

I don\'t remember the Preakness either. Haha, it was a race early in the card at Delaware Park on Preakness Day.

[rhagood]

I was going to list Vincennes in Paris but didn\'t think anyone else would get it.
Missed the Arc by a week and they rotate tracks over there each weekend. Got dropped of by a business partner who lived in Paris that knew nothing about the races.  I had no idea they were trotters without the carts, totally lost and tried to bet simulcast of the only flat racing at a track called Nancy to no better success.  It was not a tourist track and trying to bet in English was an adventure and to think the Parisians invented Pari-Mutuel!

[rhagood]

First time there when stabled at the Fairgrounds in 1985, JD ran prior to the FG traditional Thanksgiving opening. Raced under the lights and I remember the jockeys being very tall. The running joke was about cleaning up the needles in the paddock and the batteries off the bullring track. Ran into Bum Philips (New Orleans Saints/Houston Oilers coach) there with his 10 gallon hat and reminded me of Hoss on Bonanza. I worked for Gerald Romero at the time (brother of Jockey Randy Romero) and their life story was loosely portrayed in the movie Casey\'s Shadow, Walter Matthau played their dad Lloyd Romero. Randy was the only jockey to ride in the All American Futurity and the Kentucky Derby. There were on the set as consultants so they told me.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3e/Casey%27s_Shadow.jpg

[eljayar52]

My first track Shenandoah Downs in Charles Town.1960. I was eight. The jockeys I remember: Larry Reynolds,Mason Gordon,Stanley Small,Jesse Davidson,Terry Lipham, Nick Shuk,Freddie Kratz,Jesus Martin(the only rider of color) and Eddie Cape, a man with an extreme hunchback. I was pretty impressionable at the time.

[Perfect Drift]

1. Saratoga (first trip 49er/Seeking The Gold Travers)
2. Belmont (first trip Gulch Met Mile)
3. Meadowlands
4. Garden State (new)
5. Monmouth
6. Atlantic City
7. Keystone/Philadelphia Park/Parx
8. Penn National
9. Pimlico
10. Laurel
11. Colonial
12. Fort Erie
13. Woodbine (old & new)
14. Keeneland
15. Turfway
16. Churchill
17. Kentucky Downs
18. Calder
19. Gulfstream
20. Louisiana Downs
21. Fair Grounds
22. Oaklawn
23. Balmoral (1990, still running night t-breds)
24. Hawthorne
25. Arlington
26. Lone Star
27. Turf Paradise
28. Del Mar
29. Santa Anita
30. Hollywood
31. Bay Meadows
32. Emerald
33. Arapahoe
34. Clinton Phipps (St. Thomas, Aaron Gryder was riding that day)
35. Gowran Park (Ireland)
36. Mountaineer
37. Charles Town
38. Delta Downs
39. Los Alamitos
40. Sam Houston
41. Stampede Park (watched 2005 BC there, no live racing)