Racehorse grooms, once judged in a USA Today readers' poll as holding "The Worst Job in All of Sports," are emerging from the shadow of obscurity into the sunlight of long-overdue recognition.

Bay Meadows, California's pioneering racetrack, has been this aging fan's delight for nearly my entire lifetime. Now, barring an unlikely last-minute reprieve, it is marching inexorably toward May 11, the final day of its final meeting.