Al's Toga Blog 2013 - Page 11 - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

Grits · 08-20-2013, 12:11 AM

LOLOLLLLLLLLLLLLL The other night, when I looked up, I said, "what's he draw his number with, a crayon"?

Don't miss him, Al. Don't miss him.

BillW · 08-20-2013, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiffleball whizz

Horse racing royalty betting in EWR.....priceless

Renting out a house for 2 weeks is epic.....if you do your homework a 6 bed house for under 2k for 2 weeks is very possible....

Instead of thinking about Saratoga I wonder how much a house in the Lexington area is for the October or april

That might be difficult. We were in the $3.5K range for 9 days. Of course we were within walking distance of the track.

OTM Al · 08-23-2013, 07:30 AM

Got back in town last night. Drove to work in the morning so I could start up directly. That was an adventure. Driving in Manhattan is not fun and the backup from the GWB still cost me half an hour when trying to get up 87.

Was going to go to the Travers Festival party last night but that fell through. Good thing it did as a deluge hit right about the time it was supposed to start. Instead had dinner at Brook Tavern. To be honest, it's ok, but liked the restaurant that was there the last couple years much much better. We had the white bean humus dip to start, and that was pretty tasty, but very little on the menu appealed, so I just got their burger, which was nothing special. The wife had the Thursday special fried chicken which looked good, but it came with potato salad and cole slaw, two things I despise, so that was out. Prices are pretty good, but menu small and kind of bland.

Clear skies this morning and both today and tomorrow look like perfect days, sunny with a high of 78. Going to go shopping this morning I think. Still haven't tried to find that jacket I want yet and have a buch of coupons from Banana Republic that I need to use as well. Got picks today in the 1st and 10th only, but think I'll make a close study to the Timeform and watch the odds a bit as well.

Grits · 08-23-2013, 10:27 AM

Al, have fun. Enjoy the racing, the shopping, the great weekend!!! And, of course, dine well. I'm kinda glad I'm home now and not in the huge crowd tomorrow. Gotta get busy downloading my TimeformUS and my Bris sheets. Good luck!

OTM Al · 08-23-2013, 11:27 AM

Just got back from a very successful trip. Had some very good coupons and just got over $1000 worth of stuff for less than $350. Even bought myself a ridiculously priced pair of sunglasses. I feel very cool at this moment

JustRalph · 08-23-2013, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Just got back from a very successful trip. Had some very good coupons and just got over $1000 worth of stuff for less than $350. Even bought myself a ridiculously priced pair of sunglasses. I feel very cool at this moment

Grits · 08-23-2013, 01:00 PM

LOLOLOLOL. Got it down pat!

OTM Al · 08-24-2013, 08:20 AM

Another perfect day in the making. It's bright, clear and chilly this morning. The annual Running of the Morons has gone off. They were jummping over the fences, crawling under turnstiles, literally running out of thier shoes, and running over each other. A broken arm and a deep cut have already been reported. This is something NYRA really needs to put an end to before an injury becomes life threatening.

Last night was good fun. First I have to say I actually hit a race yesterday! Wasn't great but bet about $100 yeaterday and manageged to get all but about $3 back, so a vast improvement. Have a few picks today. Just need one.....While that race was running in fact, we were sitting at the clubhouse for Saratoga Polo. This was a lot of fun and I'd been trying to get there for several years now. Last time we tried it rained 5 minutes after we got there and it was cancelled, but this time we got a lovely night and front row seats.

OTM Al · 08-24-2013, 08:22 AM

The cellist on the right of the picture was there for the anthem. Very nice. Had a little munchy cheese platter while we watched and of course betwwen the 3rd and 4th chucker we participated in the long time ritual. I am just about to stomp that divit!

OTM Al · 08-24-2013, 08:29 AM

Afterward we went into town to have a light dinner. Got a pizza at Max London's. We got the sausage pizza. Very good sausage. Place is a little loud and not a fan of the modernist look of the place, but I understand they have done some revamping on the menu and it has improved a bit.

We walked a bit afterward. The streets were jammed with people staring at the kind of acts I'm used to walking past in Manhattan. At least no one seemed to be picking pockets of the tourists....We then stopped in the new bookstore. Got a neat little poster of the city of Saratoga around 1889 and a copy of 150 Years of Racing in Saratoga by Allan Carter and Mike Kane. Not a long book but it looks fun as they tried to find some of the lesser known, but no less interesting, tales of racing in Saratoga. I'll let you know what I think.

OTM Al · 08-24-2013, 06:43 PM

What a day. Don't know attendance but that place was as full as I've seen it. My picks were awful but did get a thrill today as I was in the winner's circle during the Travers and King's Bishop as designated guard for Marylou's chair. Quite a production that. She's such a wonderful and gracious person with a smile and a hello for everyone. Said hello tho the buglers as well as I wondered who was going to be playing tomorrow......Followed Mr. Phipps out when it was time to make the breakout.

Early I caught up with a friend, who those in the tent on Saturday will remember me saying "Hey I know the guy that owns that horse" when he won by a nose at 23-1. I knew he went $200 W/P on it but then he told me he had the exacta for $50 and the tri a few times as well. Talk about cleaning up. Horse is running again tomorrow in a resticted stakes. Don't see him doing much there but who knows.

Not going out tonight. It was slammed last night and will be worse tonight. Going to go to a party instead. Should be fun. Then back home tomorrow and back to work Monday.

OTM Al · 08-31-2013, 10:51 AM

Back in town for the final weekend. Sadly the weather is no where near as nice as when I left. Very wet and humid out and the sky looks to add to the moisture. Track looked pretty wet coming in so guessing very limited turf today. Beats being at work though. Going to try to catch up with jdhanover later today as well. Looking forward to dinner tonight at the Merry Monk as well. Looks fun.

Rookies · 08-31-2013, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Back in town for the final weekend. Sadly the weather is no where near as nice as when I left. Very wet and humid out and the sky looks to add to the moisture. Track looked pretty wet coming in so guessing very limited turf today. Beats being at work though. Going to try to catch up with jdhanover later today as well. Looking forward to dinner tonight at the Merry Monk as well. Looks fun.

Damn Al. I'm in story telling mode now. However, I usually open with letting people know it was absolutely far and away the best week we've ever had weather wise. That week that crossed over with PA was simply magnificent, warm, but not hot and humid and zero precip.

I tell people about the Spa in terms of the area too, as in:

"This place is not simply a racetrack. It is one of the slices of heaven on earth. There are other places in North America just as majestic (Bar Harbor, Me, Williamsburg, Va, Big Sur, Ca, NOTL, On), but this fits on the short list.

All of my posse are always eager to return next year until they're looking up- not out.

OTM Al · 08-31-2013, 04:51 PM

A book review, which saves me the effort

http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/stor...a-lost-history

I did like it too.

OTM Al · 08-31-2013, 08:47 PM

Back home from dinner. Much cooler now and comfortable. Still simply cannot win here so probably no more betting next two days. Did mange to connect with jdhanover for a little bit and I very much enjoyed meeting him. Was intending to stop back by but ended up going home early and taking a nap. Just wiped out from the last week. Thank goodness it was probably the easiest and quickest trip up of the whole summer.

Went to the Merry Monk as planned. It's still new so not much in decor and seemed a little understaffed, but have no complaints. We started with the Flammkuchen, which is kind of like a little flatbread pizza. We both had the Carbonnades Flamande which is a beef stew over mashed potato. That was very good. Didn't try desert or have any mussels so will have to go back. They also have a large beer selection. I wasn't totally happy with the one I picked, but that was on me.

Giveaway day tomorrow and I've been drafted to help. It is a very nice stein with pictures of the horse of each decade for the 150 years which the Museum assisted the NYRA staff putting together. I'm sure Zast will find something snarky to say. For the first time this year someone finally called him out and ended with the line "Luckily, I don't think many people pay any attention to you." At least the bitching and moaning from the press has been at a minimum this year.