Toga Party 2014

[burnsy]

Backstretch this morning.....check it out.....Happy Alabama Day!

[badcompany]

Free T-shirt tonight at the Racino. The race itself is pretty competitive. I don't see a big fav in there.

[badcompany]

Here ya go, Burnsy:

Victorian Pool in the State Park.

Took this one on Thursday.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by burnsy

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...d9a293205965f4

If that's the Union Ave gate at the top of the stretch....That gate is always open. And sometimes it is left unguarded. We pulled in there once and parked right off the turn. As we headed toward the grandstand, a Pinkerton guy comes up to us and asks who we were. My buddy shows him some kind of credential and he waved us on.
We could have been anybody. Or nobody....Odd.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by thespaah

If that's the Union Ave gate at the top of the stretch....That gate is always open. And sometimes it is left unguarded. We pulled in there once and parked right off the turn. As we headed toward the grandstand, a Pinkerton guy comes up to us and asks who we were. My buddy shows him some kind of credential and he waved us on.
We could have been anybody. Or nobody....Odd.

Yeah, years ago anyone could walk back there. Unfortunately, the world has changed. Bad Company hope you hit the harness that's a big night over there.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by burnsy

Yeah, years ago anyone could walk back there. Unfortunately, the world has changed. Bad Company hope you hit the harness that's a big night over there.

Ya know whats interesting about that point is that Meadowlands and Freehold where I had horses I took care of race, security was very tight. Anyone not credentialed was barred from the backstretch.
Ironically I was able to get on the backstretch at Belmont with not even a "hey who's this?" when I went with a friend who had credentials. "He's with me" was all it took.

[joeprunes]

Thanks ted and mike for 3 days having all those tables at toga this year.
Bad turnout,too bad noone turned up. I had a great time with darrly,jeff and dave. Even got lucky and went home a winner. Come on guys these guys put out for us if you can make it next year it will be great.Some of the people came early in the week,sorry i missed them. Lets make next year a good one. We have all winter to pepare....Good luck at the windows.

[BettinBilly]

I was very sorry that I could not attend. I had every intention to get up there, but this Summer has been absolutely BRUTAL with regard to my work schedule. I was unable to swing it. Summer is my busiest time in my career, but I have been able to swing Saratoga. Not yet this year.

Next year, I will do everything I can to shuffle things around and make it up there to meet you guys. I look forward to Saratoga every year.

If I get lucky, I may make it up there yet this year the last weekend in August. This way it won't be a total bust for me.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by joeprunes

Thanks ted and mike for 3 days having all those tables at toga this year.
Bad turnout,too bad noone turned up. I had a great time with darrly,jeff and dave. Even got lucky and went home a winner. Come on guys these guys put out for us if you can make it next year it will be great.Some of the people came early in the week,sorry i missed them. Lets make next year a good one. We have all winter to pepare....Good luck at the windows.

Man, I feel bad and I'm sorry to hear that. I am there all the time and I thought the tickets would be gone. People that travel here should get first shot. Plus, its my own fault. I have a lot of friends and know a lot of people but I am kind of a loner at heart and have trouble meeting new people I don't know. If I knew this was the case I would of showed up. I walked by there a few times but didn't know who I was looking for and chickened out....sorry folks. I'm outspoken and have opinions but I'm really kind of shy in person. If you guys do it again I'll show up.... embarrassing.

[Rookies]

Originally Posted by burnsy

Man, I feel bad and I'm sorry to hear that. I am there all the time and I thought the tickets would be gone. People that travel here should get first shot. Plus, its my own fault. I have a lot of friends and know a lot of people but I am kind of a loner at heart and have trouble meeting new people I don't know. If I knew this was the case I would of showed up. I walked by there a few times but didn't know who I was looking for and chickened out....sorry folks. I'm outspoken and have opinions but I'm really kind of shy in person. If you guys do it again I'll show up.... embarrassing.

I'm not shy by any means, but tried on Sunday, I believe and Red Knave was the only one I knew and we did have a good chat. Tried to hook up with Grits, one day (only day ever... The cold one) I was under the weather and missed her on the back half of the weekend twice.

My prob too is that I'm in a pool pick in almost every race, so heading back at the designated 10 minutes to post time, is a test from the grandstand to the tent. Will try again in 2015!

Loved the whole Spa experience again and we're all sad we"re home !

[Grits]

Rookies, hopefully, you took any remaining cold days with you. Couple of those have been really tough!! Sorry we missed our annual visit. Maybe.. same time, same place, next year. Thank you for your notes. Take good care, and be well.

[Mike at A+]

We hit the tent on Thursday and sat with Don, Ted, Ted's mom and Mike from Canada with his two sons. Was a tough week for us betting but since we've been back I've been on fire quadrupling my bankroll since Sunday. Missed a big pick-4 Monday ($2,929) when In Speight Ofitall ran a clearly beaten second in the 4th. leg but I had both doubles with the $45.20 8th race winner St. Albans Boy ($138.50 and $190.50) so I can't complain.

[Zaf]

Thanks to Ted and PA for providing the tables on Friday and Saturday. I had a blast hanging with Joe Prunes Jeff Dave Ted Barbara etc. Miss all my friends who couldn't come from days past. Hope you are all doing well. All the best

Z

[badcompany]

Hard to believe Saratoga has come and gone. I was hoping for one last hurrah over the Labor Day weekend but I'm too busy to make the trip. Just as well. I don't want to, once again, deal with the depression that accompanies having to leave Saratoga.

Good to see Joe, Zaf & Crew , Red and Ted.

Hopefully next year more guys can make it.

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by badcompany

Hard to believe Saratoga has come and gone. I was hoping for one last hurrah over the Labor Day weekend but I'm too busy to make the trip. Just as well. I don't want to, once again, deal with the depression that accompanies having to leave Saratoga.

Good to see Joe, Zaf & Crew , Red and Ted.

Hopefully next year more guys can make it.

Closing Day at Saratoga is to me the "anti Christmas.
it's worse this year because of a few factors I could not make it up there.
This ends a streak of 22 years I had attended.