I Always Hated Christmas Day

[richiebee]

This hatred has nothing to do with me being a Russian-Hungarian Jew, or having
an aversion to large family gatherings, or my feelings about religion in
general.

I always hated Christmas Day because of the fact that almost everything was
closed..from the largest businesses to the neighborhood taverns to the local
bagel shop. These closures, to me, were a nagging inconvenience and forced a
departure from my daily routine.

As recently as maybe five years ago, I especially regretted the fact that I was
given a day off from work and the racetracks were closed, although I seem to
recall that one or two tracks (for some reason I am thinking Calder) used to
put on a Christmas Day card 15 or 20 years ago, though I might be wrong about
this.

In the past couple of years, I have stepped back from the racing game, which
totally consumed me from the early 1980s, when I dropped out of law school to
take a job as a $90 per week hot walker at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans,
until about three years ago, when, although working, as I am now, on more
conventional jobs I was preoccupied with racing, reading as much as I could,
posting here, waiting eagerly for the Saturday entries to be posted on
Wednesday afternoon.

No matter what was going on in my life or in the world at large, no one was
happier than me as long as I had my advance DRF PPs, maybe a meat loaf hero
from Majestic Deli or some street food from one of the many food carts near my
office, and was able to commandeer an empty conference room and do some serious
studying. I would attend the races live on Saturdays, schedule annual Saratoga
trips, etc.

A couple of years ago I began pulling back from Racing. I tend to become tired
of things quickly, so maybe after nearly 40 years in the game I was becoming
bored. The problems in Racing, and the constant discussions and reminders of
those problems...most importantly the knowledge that many (not most)
thoroughbreds are to some extent abused and/or neglected, that thoroughbreds
are still being sent to the slaughterhouses, the conveniently mostly ignored
poverty that many backstretch workers endure, the drugs, the supertrainers, the
last second tote changes, knowing most of us are playing against syndicates
armed with much more information than we have, the lack of central
leadership...most of these have been well documented.

In a moment of clarity last week, speaking with Frank D, I told him that Racing
was my favorite restaurant for many years, but recently the food (the day to
day Racing product) and the service (the way horseplayers are treated) has
really taken a turn for the worst. Under those circumstances, to continue going
to said \"restaurant\" does not make sense.

Is anyone still reading? My point is that we in New York State and in New
Jersey, and soon probably many other states, will be looking at weeks and weeks
which will turn into (my opinion, hope I am wrong) months and months of
Christmas Days. I will continue to work remotely on my full time job and my
part time hustle, although we all agreed to take a 20% salary haircut on the
hustle job so that no one would be laid off, at least for now.

Back to Racing: As far as I know, and I think an announcement is pending, the
Santa Anita Derby and eventually the Florida Derby, are still scheduled to be
run (I am very skeptical about this). If indeed these races are run, we can
take the Derby points standings after those races and construct a hypothetical
Kentucky Derby field for a race to be run in May, as originally scheduled.
Maybe TG will post an advance set of KY Derby sheets for the \"Mythical May\" 2020 Derby.

Once the top 20 or so are identified, we can all have some fun posting some
(mythical) articles about the Derby runners and personalities, i.e. \"Nadal
works 5/8ths in 55.2; Baffert Concedes \'A bit faster than we were looking
for\'\", or the trainer of a woefully slow outlier in the field saying \"The horse
is doing really well right now, and besides, the owner always wanted to have a
horse in the Derby\". Or maybe even \"Maximum Security and Country House to lead
(Mythical) Derby Post Parade; Gary West Says He will only Participate if
\'Maximum\' is in front of \'Country\'.\"

As to how to actually run a mythical race which will exist only on the TG
message board, and can only be watched from Living Room Downs, this I do not
know...

MOST IMPORTANTLY... I hope all T-Generates, those I have had the pleasure of
meeting, and the larger number of you who I only know through the message
board, come through this crisis healthy. As to some of the more optimistic
posters on this board who I have been a bit testy with recently, my sincere
apologies, but my belief is that until we learn more about what we are up
against, I consider optimism a form of misinformation.

[johnnym]

Me.Bee

Being a Italian Catholic I love Christmas.
Starts with the lights going up then the tree the family coming in town Christmas Eve dinner the whole build up for the little fat guy.
Having little kids there is a Disney cartoon with Donald’s nephews, they wish every day was Christmas. Needless to say in the magic world of Disney they got there wish and every day was Christmas it took a week of this until they were bored with Christmas.

Personally I love any holiday when the stores shut down and society can stop and smell the roses.

This extended holiday is becoming a bit like the Disney cartoon..

Humans are creatures of habits and when those routines are messed with for whatever reasons it affects each individual differently. Half glass full people look at it one way and the half empty people look at it a different way and no one likes to pass time waiting on the big bad wolf..

Somehow we all wound up here in the land of uncertainty all with a common enemy for a change. I have no doubt this holiday will end as well hopefully sooner than later and we all come out on the other side with a new appreciation of life and towards our fellow people. Hopefully we all learn some lessons in life and we all take personal holidays after this and stop and smell the roses.

Speaking of Roses the ones I like bloom on the first Saturday of May and due to these  circumstances. Rumor has it they are blooming in September this year I hope they are right.
Yes nothing in life stays the same and the good ol days are called that for a reason because we are creatures of habit.

I was told, John the more you try to bring yesterday’s memories into today’s world the more frustrated you will become as that turns into today’s luggage.Made sense to me..

I have no doubt we will come out of this, I just hope when we start rebuilding we recognize what we are building as I sure don’t want to be bringing that much luggage with me I like to travel light..

No apologies needed take care and gotta say the races really helped me get my mind of things..I’m sure it did for P-Dub😎
God Bless us all.
John

[FrankD.]

🐝

I slept in this morning and read your post before the coffee was done!
On cup 2 and after a re-read...... I’m looking at the news with Governor Andrew Cuomo ranting about New Yorkers not taking social distancing seriously and that the National Guard will be used in DC to keep space between the Cherry Blossom wanderers.....

Calder did race on Christmas & New Years Day for many years.

I as well once had that empty non racing feeling once upon a time but not on Christmas. It was on Dark Tuesday’s when NYRA ran 6 days a week year round and real horseplayers played horses 300 plus days a year. Yeah you could bet Fingers on Tuesday’s during their season, Maryland and Keystone- Philly Park- Parx or God forbid the Jug Head afternoon card at Yonkers! Usually it was fool around with a few C,D track races or go visit your favorite goomah bartender.....

If there was a lock down via a pandemic in those days? I would have definitely found Governor Mario Cuomo in Albany and presented a case for the Albany Tele-Theatre being an essential business.

No buddy, I don’t frequent our favorite restaurant much any more either. Eleven Spa days last year, the past 3 years total to maybe 38 ish, a number I would do every year out of 40 for many. I was down to 50-60 days a year, Saturday’s, big days with my handle plummeting every year.

This past weekend was an all time low. I did some microwave capping (where is BBB)
on the LA Derby card but never pulled the trigger on a bet.... I guess a September Derby, the real possibility of not having a Spa meet or a July Travers just doesn’t get the blood flowing here.

Good luck on your virtual TG Board Derby, I guess you could compare that to cyber sex..... That does nada for blood flow here as well! ðŸ˜,

FD

[richiebee]

johnnym Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Me.Bee
>
> Being a Italian Catholic I love Christmas.
> Starts with the lights going up then the tree the
> family coming in town Christmas Eve dinner the
> whole build up for the little fat guy.
> Having little kids there is a Disney cartoon with
> Donald’s nephews, they wish every day was
> Christmas. Needless to say in the magic world of
> Disney they got there wish and every day was
> Christmas it took a week of this until they were
> bored with Christmas[/b]

 
> John the more you try to bring
> yesterday’s memories into today’s world the
> more frustrated you will become as that turns into
> today’s luggage. Made sense to me..

Maybe it would have been better off if you had just accepted the apology?
 

OK, so explain this to me. In the first paragraph you are telling me how
special you felt about a certain holiday, apparently well into your adulthood.
That particular holiday celebrates an event which happened more than two
thousand (2,000) years ago.

Towards the bottom you seem to be saying, and I am paraphrasing, that
yesterday\'s memories becomes today\'s luggage, creating frustration for the
keeper or the reciter of those memories.

So the explanation I am seeking is how in one post you can (a) quaintly recall
early Christmas memories (you are no Charles Dickens by the way), Christmas
being the holiday which celebrates an event which happened over two thousand
(2,000) years ago AND IN THE SAME POST state (paraphrasing) that memories and
by extension (my interpretation) the past in general are pretty much worthless?

I will turn it back to thoroughbred racing, but quickly, a good deal of
wagering decisions are based on the bloodline, the breeding of a particular
animal. A pedigree is basically a collection of information of stallions and
mares who have run in the recent and distant past. And of course we download
from DRF the \"past performances.\" This is why I was very much looking forward
to seeing the sons and daughters of Tonalist, especially long priced ones with
dirty form elsewhere, race at Belmont, a track where Tonalist was very
effective, maybe almost as effective as Ghostzapper was at the same track.
That\'s the damn thing about memories, and the past, they just escape sometimes.

Envy is not in my toolbox. Today I envy you because you will be going to work,
business as usual. I will be at home trying to set up a little network which
will allow me to work remotely with two offices. My wife will be home the whole
day. It promises to be a heck of a day, how\'s that for optimism?

I would give 12 rolls of toilet paper, six rolls of paper towels, 10 cans of
tuna and a case of cat food to be able to drag my ass to Manhattan today.

God bless us, indeed, and if you are out there....HELP! send us a cure for this
virus that restores a 401(k) and gives you a woody you can tow a boat with.

[johnnym]

Richiebee
I acknowledge, I’m definitely not a word smith much like many others on this board including your self always enjoyed your posts.
Thanks for pointing out something I all ready new about my self.
Actually trying to improve on this in my middle age..

I never asked for an apology, I also believe a man should not have to apologize for giving his opinion.

I’m sure the Fine people on this board don’t want to read a Jerry Springer episode on a horse racing web site..
We all handle stress differently..
We have never meet and if when we ever do I will gladly extend my hand and look you in the eye and say nice to meet ya.
Unless of course social distancing is not a thing of the past and becomes the new social norm..
Wonder what other memories, traditions may be a thing of the past?

Take care Richiebee I wish everyone the best including your 401k I have one as well..
I am done with this...
Andy Dufresne: Remember, Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies

Next week hopefully it’s the FL Derby and the Santa Anita Derby and my virtual TG derby board.
Yes Frank cyber sex doesn’t cut it with me either.
Respectfully
John.

[richiebee]

Acknowledged and understood. I’ve been thinking about that quote from “Shawshank” quite a bit lately.

[BB]

And now there\'s not even any going to the movies.

Speaking of movies ...

We\'ll meet again,
Don\'t know where,
Don\'t know when,
But I know we\'ll meet again,
Some sunny day.

Take care, Richie.

[TGJB]

Richie, nobody can accuse you of burying the lede. You’re Jewish? Who knew?

It’s interesting. For obvious reasons it may not work, but Oaklawn clearly was trying to become this year’s Derby when they moved theirs to May. And if they get to run then, it will work.

Great piece. Again. Everybody needs to take a breath, nerves are frayed, tempers are short.

[Dick Powell]

Hi Richie,
I\'m Catholic but not a big fan of Christmas. Too much hypocrisy and materialism. As for racing, I refuse to let the A-holes of the industry take away my enjoyment. That might mean I have to search far and wide - setting the alarm at 4am sunday morning to watch the Hong Kong Derby - for enjoyment. I feel for the young people that get into the game with enthusiasm and optimism. At least we got to see the game when it was at its peak.
Dick

[Boscar Obarra]

What just happened to racing (re closures and drug arrests), never mind the real world, could only have been imagined by the most clever of science fiction writers.

Where\'s Barry MalzBerg when we need him

[Tavasco]

When I read the title of RichieBee\'s Thread, I misunderstood it and thought it was about the 2013 Breeders Cup Juvenile Champion. Further, I thought maybe the crux of the matter concerned his stallion results. So off I went to research the same. I found references to an Irish Horse Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner.

How was it I couldn\'t find a reference to a horse I was sure had won the Breeders Cup Juvenile for Bob Baffert. My error was, of course, Christmas Day was really New Years Day. Son of Street Cry as well as a half to such Luminaries as Zenyatta and Winx.

As for progeny, he is the sire of Maximum Security so maybe there was more than the John Servis diet involved in 2019\'s success. Today New Years Day is eating sushi and making baby horses somewhere near a Hydrogen Generating Plant on the site of an old melted down Nuclear Reactor in Fukushima. Maybe not too close. The brainchild of a Brazillian Wheeler Dealer who finagled the breeding right and went straight to Japan.

Yes, we are in a Pandemic, The stock market went south, the government is out of control, health care can\'t fix everybody and kids don\'t pay much attention to orders.

To quote Richie, \"Are you still reading?\" The point is there is a lot more horse racing than just the American Version. They raced in South Africa early last Saturday Morning EST, Late that night actually 1:00 a.m our Sunday morning there was a terrific card @ Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Including, masks, gloves and designer clothing. In between, there were about 35 races broadcast from Australia which is now as green as Ireland.

Today, Gulfstream simulcast is carrying a South American signal viva anticuchos.
The problem seems to be one of the data. No Racing Form PP\'s. No TG\'s what is racing without piles of data. Oh and the notion that New Yorkers are selfish and won\'t do what is asked of them  wha??? fake news a hoax

[Boscar Obarra]

Maybe time for TG to finally do HK

[moosepalm]

Richie, always a pleasure reading your musings on any subject.  You provide enough food for thought to feed a family of ten academicians.  In such a gathering, I would be relegated to the children\'s table.

I grew up with the raucous holiday gatherings of an extended Italian family, and dinner was a full day\'s work, and my eldest aunt, the matriarchal figure, would literally stay up all night cooking, and my grandfather would roast a full pig. Since the only English he spoke was a nuanced grunt, I had no way of ever ascertaining what part of the pig I was eating.

As an adult, with considerable shrinkage of family gatherings, I liked nothing better on Christmas Day than a drive in freshly fallen snow, with not a hint of commercial distraction, a very welcome relief after the mad dash on Christmas Eve to complete the shopping of a chronic procrastinator.  It is eerie to once again experience that solitude, now feeling closer and closer to desolation, as we had recently moved to the heart of a mid-sized city so that we could be closer to its pulse.  Now, there is barely a hint of a pulse.

Since this is a racing board, to your litany of complaints and observations about the nature of the game, of course you are right.  Except for a smattering of well-intentioned scattered efforts, there are few meaningful efforts made to reach the core of the customer base.  If 5-2 M/L horses (and legitimately so) can go off at 3-5, with most of the money pouring in as they near the gate, and we\'re talking about large pools, and the horse wins by double digit lengths, it will barely generate a \"meh\" from the front office if it fills the coffers.  The average horse player does not move the meter in such circumstances, but bread and circuses will be offered if it helps to sell bread and circuses. As for the treatment of animals and indifference to many workers, the sport is lucky it doesn\'t receive more flack than it already does.

To your point about optimism, if someone in a position of authority right now offers that as the company line, I\'ll want to see the analytics.  I won\'t understand them, but I want them on the table.  To my uninformed mind, we are extrapolating from 4 1/2 furlong races for two year olds at Finger Lakes to how they would perform in a mile and a half turf race.  Still as two year olds.  If this doesn\'t define a fluid situation, then stop using the term.  Having said all that, if some individual chooses optimism as his or her go-to emotion, I couldn\'t care any more about that than the color of the shirt he is wearing.  It\'s in the wiring.  However, if they insist that you be optimistic, too, then they should move on to the next house of worship.  On an individual basis, it\'s fairly benign, and some would say, even good for you.  I occasionally try it on for size if for no other reason than it\'s free.  

I guess the question of the hour is how much will Passover resemble Christmas, this year.

[Socalman3]

richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> As recently as maybe five years ago, I especially
> regretted the fact that I was
> given a day off from work and the racetracks were
> closed, although I seem to
> recall that one or two tracks (for some reason I
> am thinking Calder) used to
> put on a Christmas Day card 15 or 20 years ago,
> though I might be wrong about
> this.

I seem to recall that Hollywood Park used to run on Xmas day -- and their feature was a claiming stakes race -- not like the claiming crown -- it was a stakes race where all the horses were for sale -- I forget the exact tags -- but they were high and you got significant weight off for going in at the lower price.

[Chas04]

salvation lies within. On some de-stressing I have to say the protocols, procedures Gulfstream is making is nothing short of incredible. The new old guy guy sure know\'s what he\'s doing. What a horse Go for Wand was. One of may all time Favs.