RIP Matt Graves

[FrankD.]

I lost a good friend and all around great guy who loved the game this past week.
A lot of the back yard boys met him a couple years ago when I brought him by to meet JB.

Matt and I were friends for 30 years or so, many Friday afternoons at Jessica Stones & big race day mornings at the Albany Tele-Theather. He is the one that turned me on to Tomillison’s back in the day when his mudders/turfers books were considered heresy! Way before mainstream DRF he tried to gain credibility by handing out his sire numbers book to members of the press. Matt would give me one every year and you had to look up the sire and dams sire of every runner to come up with the Now published number. Caught a pick 6 for 20K on a $108 ticket on a wet fast Aqueduct speedway back in 91 off his wet track numbers on the speed horses.

https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Longtime-TU-track-writer-Matt-Graves-dies-at-70-12531898.php

[jp702006]

Sorry for your loss Frank.

[johnnym]

Sorry Frank. God Bless

[Fairmount1]

A great story teller it says in the article below.  I see why you would be good friends with him.    

\"Always have to use the saver bet.\"

https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Graves-leaves-a-legacy-of-humor-and-wit-12532244.php

[Tavasco]

Fairmount1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A great story teller it says in the article below.
>  I see why you would be good friends with him.  
>

IMHO, Fairmount makes an excellent point. Friends of a feather flock together?  Frank I also enjoy your story telling. As for Matty RIP. Get health checked up now!

[gohorse]

Frank sorry for your loss.

I just lost my father a suddenly a few days ago.I herd him fall in the bathroom he was able to answer my questions at first but then stop breathing and had to do CPR while on the phone with 911.  This is the hardest thing I ever had to deal with.I can not get this experience out of my head.

 My father played the horses his whole life. He would watch TVG all day. I can,t even turn it on now. He first took me to the Monmouth park when I was 5 years old. I wasn\'t even allowed to go in the track back then. My mother would have to stay out side with me. All I could do was look through fence. I even remember the first horse I told him to bet his name was Mr.Brick and of course he won and have been playing the horses for 53 years now.

My father would go just about everywhere with me. If I was out working in the middle of the night he would always call me to see if I was OK. He would always worry about no matter how old I was. I am going to miss all that so much.

I thought that by writing about this it might help me. My dad did not have life insurance and my friends put this GoFundMe page up.

https://www.gofundme.com/richard-knopps-funeral-assistance

 Jerry if this is inappropriate for your board I will understand if you take it down.

Thank you for listening to me.
Kevin