When I think back on that early May morning phone conversation five years ago, I am still surprised I got through so easily.

The note was slipped to me at the press table. It was from a fellow journalist covering the 1999 University of Connecticut men's basketball team in its first national championship year. But this night, the game is a blur. All I can think about is the note. It would transform me from a lifelong horse racing fan to the owner of a Thoroughbred.