> My Weekend began aboard a plane bound for Chicago.
Upon boarding the plane I literally ran right into the larger than life Mike Ditka, apologized, took his picture, and then ran over his foot with
> my oversized wheel on luggage. I scurried to my seat, the ones in the
> back of the bus of course – no way was I sitting anywhere close to the
> legendary coach of the ONCE famous Bears!! (They got soundly
trounced in their pre season game on Saturday night)
> Friday morning I awoke to the ghastly sound of the infamous wake
> up call, where I bounced out of bed (not) and made my way down to the
> lobby to meet Caton (Bredar). She fancied an early start as
> well.
First stop the Stidham barn where my good friend Hilary had
> lined me up some of the easiest rides in the barn (so easy they would
> have made Jon White look like Chris McCarron).
> Fitness tested, I was off for coffee and a good old natter. While up
> on the front side it was discovered my mount for the legends race had
> been scratched. Lunch was my first thought – my second was that of
> disappointment.
This is when I first met Ron Faucheaux (pronounced Fo-
> Shay), an up an coming young trainer of the highest calibre with a 50%
> win rate to back him up! He had the only horse on the also
> eligibles. I had to ask his name twice and make sure I wasn’t talking
> to a high school kid (baby face is not the word).
He agreed to run his horse so I could ride, funny I never thought I would wear the black
> diamonds so synonymous with leading owner (Frank Calabrese) ever
> again!
Incidentally, he also sponsored the race and has donated over
> $200,000 to the permanently disabled jockeys fund over the years. Love
> him or hate him you can’t deny his generosity buried deep, deep down.
> In there is a heart of gold (sorry to let that out Frank!).
> The Dining with the Dynasties was a great success and Nancy Lasala did
> her usual brilliant job of organizing everything. Everyone involved
> had a great time, although I don’t know whose idea it was to feed all us
> old fat jockeys before we were supposed to ride! All I could do was
> look at my pasta primavera longingly.
Great to see the proper legends: Pincay, Cordero, Bill Boland, Pat day, Fires, Guidry, Ron
> Turcotte, Patti Cooksey, just to name a few (I was after all just a sub
> filling in for the injured Gary Stevens). If my resume was even one tenth of his somebody else would be typing this).
> Race time. After using a shoehorn and some Vaseline to slide into my
> old faithfuls (britches and boots), myself and Patti (Cooksey) warmed up
> by running up and down the perfectly manicured jocks room back yard
> (fenced off for good reason – to keep us IN).
Warmed up and weighed in, myself, Guid, Earlie and Otto (Thorworth, subbing for Jean Cruget)
> had our plan of action, and we shared it with the “young
> Guns” (Karlson, Graham, junior, Castanon, and young Michael Baze). It went
> as follows:
“If you can touch the person next to you, your too damn
> close!!!….safety first”!
> I had already received my instructions from the effervescent Steve
> Leving – stable manager for the Calabrese empire. They read as follows:
> “I claimed this one, and it was a bad claim. Perfectly sound but needs
> a change of tactics (just what a jock wants to hear) there is speed in
> the race. Oh I want you to take back to last and save ground (I was in
> the 11 hole – no prob!).”
> Upon leaving the jocks room I decided the only two people who were
> really having fun were Patti and I, so I decided to hop on James Graham
> and ride him to the paddock. In hindsight I may have been better off
> riding him in the race!
> We all made it without incident to the gate, other than my buttons on
> my britches kept popping open.
DDDDRRRIIINNNGGG, and there off!
> Karlson to the lead as expected, with fires in hot pursuit. I took
> back and got tucked in aboard Hez a Harley Man. My god, he was
> pulling my arms out of their proverbial sockets! Feet on the
> dashboard, down the backside we go – not very fast I might add – Karlson
> doing her best to walk the dog and boy did she, (my dear old dog at a
> hundred and nine could walk faster than that).
Down the back side we go. I am now firmly positioned on the rail with still a double
> handful. All soughts of thoughts are flying thru my head. Past the 3/8
> pole, still waiting, then at the 1/4 pole my horse deflated like a
> cheap Wal-Mart Ballon on Valentines day – and I was in full out scrub
> mode (so much for saving the best for last, wheres the wire I thought).
> I hear a little peep to my inside at the 1/16 pole. You could have
> knocked me over with a feather as it was Guidry (famed foe his 8 wide
> moves) sneaking up my inner of all places. Didn’t get by though. We all
> hit the wire – or it hit us. Inez Karlson four in front of Earlie who at
> 63 years young still has IT!
The rest of us behind and looking for oxygen. He said take back, right? Never a word about passing a horse
> (just kidding Eddie Arroyo – senior state steward).
> Young Guns Win!
> Saturday morning-million day. Up not so early today, but certainly
> ready for a bonanza day of international Proportions. We had some rain
> during the night and the inner turf course was labeled as yielding,
> whereas the outer and million lane was labeled as good – let the games
> begin!
> The Irish are coming, The Irish are coming. And yes they did with
> Kieran Fallon and Jamie Spencer on a day trip from England looking
> quite spritely I may add (Pretty sure they didn’t sit at the back of the
> bus!)
In true European fashion the boys walked the course accompanied
> by yours truly. I offered Kieran my high heels but he declined as he
> said no man would ever walk in high heels as well as Michael
> Dickinson (soo true).
> James “Lucky Charm” Graham took the first graded stake of the day for
> my dear old friend, Larry Demeritte, with a flawless ride over the
> outer turf course, in great shape by that race (GIII Stars an
> stripes)
> The Secretariat was a tour de force by the great white (dapple grey)
> hope Paddy O Prado, who seemed under a KJD Drive at the 3/8 pole, sprout wings at the 1/8 pole and fly home the easiest
> of winners, making his trainer (Dale Romans) quite vocal in
> comparing him to Kittens Joy.
> The Beverly D perhaps over shadowed the million in a lot of
> ways when Eclair de lune stormed her way to victory in the 21st
> running of the race by 1 1/2 lengths over a determined Hot Cha
> Cha. But the best was yet to come.
In a standing ovation as Mr. D. walked down slowly from his box, I have never seen soo many people
> cheering for a more deserving person than Mr. D. The race named for his
> late wife. He said, “I would rather win this than the Kentucky Derby” in a very emotional post race interview – Hooray, I say!
> The Million was won in extraordinary fashion. More like bullet from an
> AK47 than a race horse. Named for revolutionary French composer Claude
> De Bussy, Debussy was supposed to be Gosdens second string in the
> Million, but went things went Awry when his stable mate Tazeez broke in
> the air (in typical Euro Fashion) then seemed to run off down the back
> side with Richard Hills a mere Passenger aboard.
Gio Ponti, however, seemed to have no such difficulty and endured what some may say was a
> questionable ride from Dominguez. I say he rode him like the best
> horse (he was odds on after all). He moved up down the backside,
> went very wide, opened up and seemed to be home free – but remember, even
> John Henry couldn’t produce back to back winnings of the million.
But it was young Norwegian born William Buick who provided the
> spoiler for John Gosden Aboard Debussy. Now, no one is going to say his
> ride was questionable as he won, but just think by how far he could have
> won if not having to alter course in mid stretch after being boxed
> in. If that’s the case NO ONE would have any argument that Gio
> Ponti was just beaten by a better horse -even if he was a second
> stringer!!
>
> Brilliant Weekend had by all. First class all the Way. THANK YOU!
>
> Notes:
Eclaire de Lune arrived back in Del Mar safely Monday.
>
> The Gosden Pair of Debussy and Tazeez – 1st and 3rd
> respectively in Million – left AP for home on
> Monday morning.
>
> Composer Claude De Bussy wrote a song called Clair De
> Lune – Now if that’s not divine intervention I don’t
> know what is!
>
> Thoroughly Enjoyed working with Caton and Jill
>
> Zoe was very tired Sunday morning!
