Horse Race Crazy

I spent a most unproductive but very entertaining afternoon watching the horse races from Saratoga. I've visited the city of Saratoga Springs but it was not during the race meet. Part of the entertainment was ESPN's crew of Kenny Mayne, Randy Moss and Janine Edwards. Kenny made sure that Longacres was mentioned. Kenny is from the Seattle area originally and grew up watching races at Longacres. The track was sold a decade ago to Boeing who used the land to build office space on. Fortunately Ron Crockett built a new track, Emerald Downs, about ten miles south of the old track. Anna and I attended the 70th running of the Longacres Miles there last Sunday. A jockey who originally apprenticed at Longacres came north from California to ride one of the California horses entered in that stakes race, the richest race in the northwest. his week he was at Saratoga to ride Lost in the Fog in the King's Bishop Stakes. The horse won its ninth race in nine starts. Russell Baze is the 2nd winningest jockey of all times; only the retired Lafitte Pincay won more races. I should mention that Jerry Bailey rode Flower Alley to victory over Ballamy Road in the million Dollar Travers Stakes. Jerry Bailey is one of my favorite jockeys. A fun afternoon for me that I do not consider wasted.