Jason--  why you are torturing me and yourself with this talk of  The Spa? For me, the best on the board is a drive down to Timonium to watch some of the shippers from Penn National during the Maryland State Fair. Not quite Saratoga, huh? :-)

Seriously, doesn't Saratoga and Del Mar have something instructive to suggest the rest of the industry, by way of shorter meets with better horses and packaging the racing as part of a "total experience"? Not that I think the setting for either the Spa or Bing Crosby's "Where the Surf Meets the Turf" capable of easy replication, much less emulation, yet the elements which make each successful might be a better guide for the Frank Stronach's and other supposed and would-be track owners, yes?

That said, I get a charge out of watching the claimers. Never know when you might spot the next Lava Man :-) Speaking of which, he now looks a lot closer to retirement than Evening Attire does.

Thank god! You guys have me hooked and it just about killed me to go a day without my blog fix.Hey Jason does it ever feel good to say I told you so about EA.Class ALWAYS tells.Really excited about Winning Colors baby running. She looks alot like her dam.

I used to go to Saratoga every summer since I used to live n the Albany N.Y. area. It used to be even better in the 60's and 70's before they had to change things to protect the horses form the people. I saw Buckpasser, Dr Fager,

Darby Creek Road and others. They were only a few feet away with no fence. I moved to Texas 18 years ago and have not been to Saratoga since. I do feel nostalgic when I see it on TV. Great racing, great horses and lots of fond memories.

Jason, I'm going to do the Del Mar deal, broken bones or not. Won't make Saratoga this year first time since I was a little kid. Del Mar is close trip so can do. Heard Saratoga has a new restaurant row Hattie's will be on track and a few others too. Fried chicken bad for you but oh so good. My buddies Aunt goes to the Anna House Benefit said it was moved to a new place this year. Nobody can replicate either track, Keeneland is an awesome place too, you live right there so you know. It has short meets too. Liked Churchill before the renovations for history.

Wanda: I am with you on that one. I thought it was just my computer until I realized no one else was blogging. I am glad they are up and running. I guess we could have worse habits.

JOANR--

YOU SAW BUCKPASSER AT THE SPA-- DETAILS, P-L-E-A-S-E. As Jason and others are undoubtedly sick of hearing, Buckpasser my all-time favorite and the great grandsire of the 19 YO  off-the-track guy I get to ground handle when the mid-Atlantic eventing season rolls around.

Did you per chance see Buckpasser whip the Belmont Stakes winner, Amberoid, for the second time in 1966 in the Travers, equaling the 1 1/4-mile Saratoga mark of 2:01 3/5 and becoming the youngest-ever millionaire in the process? Best horse to have never started in a Triple Crown race-- dang quarter cracks.

Bryce,

And that was when a million dollars was really something special. My Uncle saw the Travers in 66, if no answer from others, will see if I can get him to comment for you.

Great to be back at the Spa. The "Days of Awe" are almost upon us. Should finish up my handicapping but hooked into the movie "Mash" on AMC. Besides I'll have to revise everything anyway if they take races off the turf.

Hit'em hard everybody!

yES, I was there for the Travers in 1966 and I saw Buckpasser in the paddock, walking around the trees and I have a picture of him there. theni saw him win the race and was thrilled to see him become the youngest millionarie. I am also think he would have been a triple crown winner, since he was unbeatable when he returned after the quarter crack. I have never seen another horse able to come from behind when looking hopelessly beaten and win. I was also at Belmont to see him win the Suburban in 1967. Went there just to see him. I still check the charts in the Bloodhorse each week to see who carries Buckpasser blood. Many winners today still have his blood running in their veins. He is indeed my all-time favorite.

Two stakes on the opening card including a Winning Colors filly in Ocean Colors and some other up and coming maiden winners in the Schuylerville, and some NYB sprinters like Stormin Normandy, Gold and Roses and Mohegan Sky heading the High Rock Spring. Saratoga is promising to be huge, definetely if there is a Curlin, Big Brown showdown in the Woodward.

Waiting to watch Ocean Colors run today in the Schuylerville. The romantic in me wishes she was trained by D.Wayne who trained her sire Orientate and her mamma, my favorite all time filly Winning Colors. (also loved Serena's Song,

Lady's Secret and Flanders).

Anyone ever been to the races in the virgin islands? Now that's an experience any lover of horse racing should live.downthere they race alot of low level horses from florida and other u.s. states.they also race rejects from puerto rico commandante trackand some nice native bred horses.

Liked the Ocean Colors filly but liked Cameron Crazies better. Straight 50 across on her, made a little, 17 to place I think 8 to show. Not sure I miss Saratoga with the rain today.

Was so happy to see Cameron Crazies come in second today. Was hoping she would win. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Wayne from when he was starting out here in NM so many years ago. He was always kind to me, a young shy girl who loved every horse, not just my families. Hope Ocean Colors is okay, love her, just not her trainer.

Winning Colors filly didn't run very well yesterday,hope it was something minor.It would be sad if she didn't have the right stuff bred the way she is. Looking forward to the Whitney and the Go for Wand on the 26th.These races are part of theroadtothebreeders cup challege and I'm sitting at the 500 mark so I need some points!

JONAR-- Katsan--

JONAR--  WOULD GIVE ANYTHING FOR A COPY OF YOUR PHOTO OF BUCKPASSER IN THE TRAVERS PADDOCK, SO P-L-E-A-S-E, NAME YOUR PRICE, AND YES, I AM BEING TOTALLY SERIOUS AND SINCERE WITH THIS REQUEST

I play precisely the same game you do when it comes to looking to present-day runners for Buckpasser in the pedigree. Tell you what, they make wonderful event horses when their racing days over. Hearts of gold and honest to a fault, willing, smart, take care of both you and themselves over the cross country jumps, love the stadium jumping phase, and like any good eventer, tolerate the dang dressage ring.

My now eventer guy, Bryce Be Quick, is from the the first crop of Wheatly Hall and the last foal of his dam, Egregious. Wheatly Hall was Gary Stevens' mount (finishing 6th) in the 1986 KY Derby, a Jack Van Berg trained horse lost to history until Gary remembered him with great fondness in his book "The Perfect Ride". Wheatly Hall is Buckpasser 2X  Sire-Sire's-- Norcliffe-Buckpasser.

By the time I tracked down Wheatly Hall as a petitioner out on Van Berg's ranch in California, his secretary called to advise he had been put down the previous summer. Heartbroken I had missed the chance to see Wheatly Hall, I instead made the pilgrimmage to Paris, KY and the Claiborne Farm breeding shed where Buckpasser had both his beginning and met his end, as well as paying my respects at the Farm graveyard where he was given the rare honor of a full body burial. The goose bumps are coming back just typing this. When the tour guide asked if I would repeat what it was I said over his grave marker, and I replied "best horse to have never seen a Triple Crown starting gate", the guide simply replied "no argument from me", and then began to tell some great stories about handling the notorious Buckpasser offspring Con Game in the Claiborne breeding shed, Con Game being one of the  many successful girls he stamped, with Con Game being the Dam of at least two G1 winners I can readily recall, Seeking the Gold and Fast Play. If you are a t-bred nut like me, Buckpasser is a horse to always be remembered and honored, both for his routine come-from-behind exploits on the track and for his considerable and enduring impact via the breeding shed.

Katsan-- would dearly love to hear your Uncle comment on seeing Buckpasser-- I have collected countless newspaper articles and would greatly appreciate adding a first-hand account.

Thanks to both of you-- you have made my proverbial day and then some.

Bryce, I drifted to another story. Will call my Uncle, or talk to him when we go up, he's in his 80's and is hard of hearing but still has a mind like a steel trap. Will write it down and then enter it he doesn't do that dot thing as he calls it. Will see if he has any photos, not sure but I'll try.