Racing Memorabilia

[bigmack]

I've never collected a darn thing in my life but have been on a spree of late getting collectables from the game.

I'm a sucker for anything Secretariat as well as a number of others.

Curious if others collect and what item(s) are the creme de la creme

[csperberg]

I bought some old Belmont stakes race coasters on Ebay and a 98 Belmont Stakes clock in the same package. It didnt cost me very much like $20 some bucks and I got a copy of Investing at the Race Track book with it. First pressing hard cover still had someones sheets of notes they must have used when handicapping cards. The book was from like 1980 and the notes the way they were yellowing because of age looked like they were from 1980 as well..lol.

Four of the Belmont coasters came sealed and they were from the Marlboro Cup.
Two were the Jockey Gold Cup
One Woodward
and One Fall Championship series

I also went on a quest to find a picture or painting of the 1875 Belmont Stakes winner Calvin, my name and my wife and I just moved into our home and I am going to remodel the basment into a horse racing themed bar/rec room. This is what got me on starting a horse racing collection. So first I asked NYRA they didnt have anything and refered me to the National Musuem of Racings historian. They didnt have anything either and they refered me to the Keeneland Library. They didnt have anything either, I found that kind of strange that not any picture was on record for that horse. The Keeneland Library did send me a nice package with all the information they could find on the horse. I got a complete race record on him, and I also got a few reprints of some 1875 pubications in regards to that Belmont stakes. They also sent me the Keeneland DVD for free.

I then went on a hunt to see what other freebies I might fangdangle. I just started e-mailing all the tracks I bet on and basically told them how much I enjoyed wagering on their races and I was looking to remodel my basement into the horse racing bar/rec room. I told them I didnt live close to a track and was hard for me to get out and pick up these sorts of items so I asked if they had anything laying around they might want to give away.

Well needless to say I got alot of responses back and almost every one of them said just send us your address and we would be glad to send you out something. There were some no respones, and only one that responded requested anything and that was Gulfstream they wanted me to send a prepaid envelope in order to get a 2006 jockey poster I passed on that.

I only wrote to like 15 tracks and 11 of those sent me free junk. I got all sorts of things from the tracks. Like hats, tshirts, blankets, racing schedules, post cards, posters, pens, bar glass, race programs, book, wall clocks, calendars, money clip, real photos from the wire of stakes races at Los Alamitos, even got 4 season tickets to the club house at Suffolk Downs for this year. I might of forgot a few things I just ended up getting a decent sized box filled with all sorts of things. Some of the posters I got go back to 1990. Got some other nice posters as well, 25th anniversary of Secretariat winning the Triple Crown, nice Seattle Slew poster, some smarty jones ones one woodbine sent me was by some artist I looked it up online it was a $30 poster. Yeah the strange thing was most tracks sent me stuff with other tracks names on it. Calder sent me a bunch of calder stuff, but also sent a saratoga shirt and 2 saratoga hats. Strange but I didnt care.

It may all be useless promo items and what not, but when you dont live by any tracks its pretty cool that they send you a bunch of stuff and dont have to pay one dime for any of it, and some of the packages I got got them over $10 to ship. I just figure at least I can always say I got something at least from the tracks, it will look good in my basement when I get started on it, it didnt cost me anymoney, and in the future I might have something to pass down to my son or make a little money on down the road.

I regularly check out horse racing memorabilia on Ebay. Did you see a few months back when there was a bunch of racing tropheys and stuff from someone, I dont recall the names of everything or everybody involved.

I did also try to bid on a unused 1974 Kentucky Derby Ticket, the year I was born, as well as other memoriabila for that derby. It seems to get bid on pretty good being it was the 100th as well. So I keep getting snaked out and I really dont want to get into an overbidding war with someone.

Thats my take on my adventures of collecting. Nothing extravagent in my collection, but have a collection started non the less. I expect to add some things of real value eventually when the right opportunity presents themselves to me.

[bigmack]

Nice post

I stay on top of stuff on Ebay as well.

Saw this today and got a bang out of it. Particularly where it says:
"Don't be misled with technical jargon"

http://cgi.ebay.com/Winning-Horse-Racing-Tips-MONEY-BACK-GUARANTEE_W0QQitemZ330016018370QQihZ014QQcategoryZ 35226QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Overlay]

I don't know if the Sport of Kings Society is still active, but they used to specialize in stuff like that, especially track programs and mutuel tickets. I think there's been mention of them in previous threads on the board.

[46zilzal]

I have a Richard Stone Reeves print that I would like to sell. My late wife gave it to me but I have not been able to frame it. Too much emotion associated it with it. Anyone interested contact me privately. I used to have his Triple Crown programs but it paid for a trip to see my late father recently. Still have the Marlboro Cup program.

was a member or the Sport of Kings for years but don't know if it still is going. Clara Migley, the president, passed away.

[46zilzal]

then there is this print as well. This one of Lady's Secret is signed and numbered.

[46zilzal]

I have one of Red's shoes that his groom gave me in November 1985. Have it mounted.

[freeneasy]

win, place and show tickets on chriss mccarron's last ride. wish i had one on pincay's last ride, eddie delahousey, shoemaker, cordero ect. things like that make for a nice collection

[bigmack]

http://www.steinersports.com/ssm/control//category/~pcategory=10140/~browseCats=BEST_SELLERS;jsessionid=E13F7CE1A38778 36A6421270C3633AB4.ssm1

http://horseracing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=horseracing&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horse-races.net%2Fderbyglass

http://www.bug-boys.com/

[46zilzal]

Programs: have every Breeder's Cup the first twenty two years. Going to sell them one day.

[bigmack]

Programs: have every Breeder's Cup the first twenty two years. Going to sell them one day.
Keep me posted -

Condition?

[46zilzal]

they have been tucked away since day one. Haven't even looked at them in awhile so they should be good.

[Loosehorse]

At a Charity auction about 2 years ago, I bought FORESTRY's stallion halter.
I should have sold it before they named, and started training The Green Monkey.

[KingChas]

Tribute to an old friend. :(

[KingChas]

Anyone having problems with avatars or resizing pics on PA. (Ala me.)
I used this site and instead of e-mailing after it resized I just saved pic as is to my pictures.Worked better than paint...etc. Good Luck
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

[bigmack]

Anyone having problems with avatars or resizing pics
Haven't seen many better than image optimizer -
http://www.xat.com/internet_technology/download.html

[Maverick58034]

Occasionally I go antique shopping -- well, to be honest, the little lady forces me to go antiquing, espeically when we go out of town. Anywho, at one of them I saw some horse racing stuff and my interest was immediately perked. While I doubt they are worth anything, I got a few Derby glasses ( promos given out on Derby Day, I think they still do it ). Anyways, I got ones from 1973 and 1977, as well as some other years. They sit comfortably in their new home on the top of my fridge.

[bigmack]

I got ones from 1973 and 1977
Mav does the 73 look like this?

[kitts]

I have a win ticket on Shoemaker's Last Ride. The track was mobbed. You had to get in line after the race was official to get a bet down for the next race and they did not have advance betting in those days. The temps they hired as extra clerks were just flummoxed.

[bigmack]

Last race for Shoemaker at the Santa Anita finishing 4th, aboard a horse by the name of Patchy Groundfog. Bill Shoemaker rode in a record 40,350 races.

Good use of flummoxed in a sentence:
Flummoxed by the surreality of history and the mind-boggling changes unleashed by the 60's, many writers in that era became minimalists,withdrawing, turtlelike, inside their own homes and heads.

[OTM Al]

I've only really got 2 pieces of memorabilia, but I like them both very much. I have a 1964 Derby glass that used to sit on the shelf above the sink in my grandmas house. When I was little I was facinated by the names of all the champs from the years gone by listed on the back. After she passed it was the one thing that I made sure I took with me. The other is a postcard you can find on Ebay fairly frequently showing the Sheepshead Bay race track. Got it because that's where I live now. Too bad its been gone for about 90 years.

[bigmack]

showing the Sheepshead Bay race track.
Nice. What's there now?

[OTM Al]

That's the one! Best I can figure it was right near the Neck Road train stop. Mostly residential there with a few businesses over by Ocean Avenue. Nice neighborhood.

[bigmack]

near the Neck Road train stop.
A few good articles:

http://arrts-arrchives.com/mbbr5.html
http://naid.ucla.edu/coneyisland/articles/horseracing.htm
http://horseracing.about.com/library/blnytracks.htm

[46zilzal]

how about this for a rare one?

[46zilzal]

little nag winning a mini-sprint as a maiden.

[bigmack]

how about this for a rare one?
Here's a vid of the race

http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/pharlap/video/AguaCaliente.wmv

[46zilzal]

Here's a vid of the race

http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/pharlap/video/AguaCaliente.wmv
GOOD ONE. Longden finished up the track that day 10th aboard a horse named Bahamas

[OTM Al]

Those are some good sites bigmack. Did a bit of net research when I moved to the area 4 yrs back. That stairway at Neck Road is still there. We still have Lundy's as well but its only a shadow of its former self and the building has been divided up with a couple different restaurants, boutiques and even a tattoo parlor. Usually gets a few health violations every year, so I can't say I've ever felt the urge to eat there. Fortunately there are a couple other pretty good places to eat on Emmons Ave, Randazzo's being one of the best. The OTB-Restaurant I usually go to is just down from there as well. With a car, its a pretty quick jump onto the Belt Parkway over to Aqueduct and a little further to Belmont. Just wish the trains were a little more direct to get to each, but can't complain.

[bigmack]

Emmons Ave, Randazzo's being one of the best.
I want in. Hows the Lob Bisque?

http://www.randazzosclambar.com/

Great review:
You could catch your dinner on one of the fishing boats that sail off the pier in Sheepshead Bay, or you could take a shortcut across the street at Randazzo's. Since 1920, this unpretentious clam bar has been dishing up fresh seafood raw, fried or cooked under its famous spicy tomato sauce. The giant plate of lobster pasta -- chunks of pinky-white sweet meat, royal-red sauce and slithering noodles -- can feed two people for less than $20. Beloved by locals, Randazzo's even has a to-go window facing busy Emmons Ave. Order a half-dozen raw clams or oysters -- plucked from the avalanche of shaved ice and pried open before your eyes -- and eat them on the canal's pedestrian bridge. Hearty chowders and fried calamari pile on the flavor, while the old-school Brooklyn-ese waitstaff piles on the other kind of flavor. Are you still in NYC? Yes. Are you still in the 21st century? No way.

[OTM Al]

Tasty! I must say that the lobster Fra Diavlo is exceptional however. Its a fun place to hit for dinner if I have a good day at the OTB. Sadly, my favorite local dive bar Captain Walters, which was just down the street on the corner of Emmons and Ocean got closed a couple years ago, so now we have to venture into downtown Sheepshead Bay to Wheeler's to drown our sorrows after a losing day (hey who am I kidding, we usually go there no matter what happened. Going there for dinner tonight as a matter of fact.)

[OTM Al]

Here's some great pictures of the neighborhood

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/NEIGHBORHOODS/sheepshead/bay.html

My building isn't in them but its right across the street from the Holocaust Memorial park. In that shot looking out across the bay, if you turned to the right you'd be looking right at it. Great neighborhood. Just moved down from Ave U and E 15th in March. Loved that place too, but this is even better.

[ranchwest]

I have a PEB poster from the Lone Star Jockey Challenge of a few years ago signed by all 12 of the jockeys. One of the jockeys was Chris Antley, since deceased.

[Maverick58034]

Yep BigMack thats the glass. I saw a ton of decantors for sale too. I think some were full... but I'm not totally sure what they were full of :)

[bigmack]

Hot diggity dog
http://www.secretariat73.com/urlimages/Belmont%20Nail%20Boxtop.jpg

[46zilzal]

Nice rendition by Stone

[csperberg]

Does anyone know anything about an artist by the name of C. Fred Sitzler? In doing some serching online I couldn't find much detailed information on him. Apparently he has done some horse racing art and at the Smithsonian photograph archive catalog lists 55 records for one C. Fred Sitzler http://siris-juleyphoto.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=121299U8H9O37.3240&profile=julall&uri=link=3100006~!19000~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=alpha&menu=search&ri=3&source=~!sijuleyphotos&term=Sitzler%2C+C.+Fred%2C+artist.&index=#focus
I also saw a painting of Native Dancer done by him on the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fames website.

I just can't find any really any detailed info on the guy, when he was born or if he is still alive even. I saw a couple of paintings online that sold for around $1,500 and another that was sale for around $2,400 or something close to those amounts. One that sold was a painting of a dog and the one for sale was of a fox hunt scene. There are art sites but they wanted you to be a member in order to view any records of sales and auctions they had and none of them were free. I managed to search through some auction archives at one auction house and they had one sale of his work, a portrait of a boxer that sold for almost $800.

So anyway how I got to wondering about C. Fred Sitzler was because my wife happened to stop at a garage sale and picked up a few things she thought I might like. One of them is a 5"x6" sketching of a horse done by C. Fred Sitzler. I can't tell information on the sketching, when it was done or of what horse it is suppose to be of or if it is even any horse of significance at all. Here is a picture of it.

http://i25.tinypic.com/zjgivd.jpg

I'm going to send some emails out to a few places to see if anyone else knows what the scoop is. It might turn out to be well worth the 25 cents she paid for it. It looks like much of his work was done in the 50's, maybe this is too. If anyone knows anything at all about the artist, maybe any ideas of who the horse could be, or even anything about this sketching let me know. Either way I found it interesting once I started trying to dig up info on this piece.

[csperberg]

I picked up what must be a late 50's - early 60's Tudor Tru-action Electric Horse Race Game at a nearby flea market today for $15. Maybe some of you older guys played this game when you were a kid. The company use to make all the electric football games back in the day, those are way more common. They also made baseball games too. I guess from what I can gather the horse racing, race car and track meet ones are much more rare. I couldn't find this exact model for sale online, but someone was trying to sell a different version by Tudor for $99. I found someone talking about the track meet one which it's box looked much like this one and they said it was about $50-$75. Best I could find about this particular one was a couple of pictures.

So I'm not sure of this ones worth but it's looking like it is worth more then $15 considering as far as I can tell all the parts are there plus the box. There is only some minor wear and tear and a little paint chipping. Not to mention it works still, I busted out a couple of races today with my son. We were racing them from the 1 1/2 mile marker and the white horse was winning in Secretariat style today. It came with a bag full of metal tab like things, but I am not sure how they are suppose to be used. I don't know if they are suppose to be weights or even how they are suppose to go on. There was no instruction book included and with little information online I am left guessing. It's all back in the box and will go take it's place on the collectors shelf.


http://i35.tinypic.com/ossi35.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/dgoy1k.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/25ywunn.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/2yplvsn.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/30kf2wk.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/2zhphsx.jpg

[JeremyJet]

Is anyone interested in a trade? I've got all sorts of stuff. Just ask.

I'm looking for American Racing Manuals and any Timeform materials.

JeremyJet

[classhandicapper]

I have some original Daily Racing Forms for the major races of Seattle Slew, Affirmed/Alydar, Spectacular Bid and a few other top horses of the time. I also have almost all the Breeder's Cup PPs. The only problem is that most have my speed figures and other notes in the PPs.

[chickenhead]

I found a gorgeous 6" x 24" original black and white panorama from a local track that is no more (Rohnerville, CA) dated July 4th 1913. Taken from the infield, gives a view of all the Model T's parked next to the stands, the grandstand filled with the fans all in their Sunday best, and at the far end off in the distance, you can see the sulky's headed down the stretch towards them. Built in 1866, one of the first couple tracks built in the U.S.

A cool photo, even for the non-racing fan.

[RaceBookJoe]

I have an original DRf from Secretariat's Belmont day and a next day newspaper clipping of the famous Belmont win pic ( Sec in the foreground , everyone else way back. I also have a horseracing booklet from 1925 ( never opened, still in a plastic bag ). Lastly i have what i believe is an original printing of Pittsburg Phil's "Racings Maxims and Methods".....printed on old style paper, possibly pulp, copywrited 1908. The book is approx 4 1/4 x 5 1/4. rbj

[Living Flame]

I collect anything relating to Man O War.:jump:

I'm also interested in any sort of old-time racing stuff, or anything relating to MOW's offspring.:)

I currently have no money to spend on such things, however, but i can dream!:(