Society LA is on fire
- Thread starter Wild
- Start date
My old man fortunately has money...I kinda fell far from the tree, and don't. lol
So the decision is entirely up to him until he's so old that it isn't. And thankfully, he still has "most" his wits about him, although he does tend to worry unreasonably and assume the worst about everything.
But, the grandkids are getting older. The oldest will be graduating from college soon, and the youngest is starting high school next year. So once they are out living their own lives, they might live elsewhere, and that might open up the possibilities.
Lmao. Who can blame him. I love betting the ponies. Stay the fuck out of Louisville though. It's becoming St Louis and Baltimore, which is why I live in a small town 20 minutes across the bridge in Indiana.
He's not just a handicaper. He's an owner/breeder who has had remarkable success despite spending relatively little on it (compared to most owners/breeders) as a hobby. Him and his partners have had multiple graded stakes winners, and their big claim to fame are taking a $8k claimer, and turning it into a Breeder's Cup and Eclipse Award winner, and also having a horse they bred run in the Kentucky Derby.
Fucking awesome. Who are the horses that won the BC and Eclipse, and ran in the Derby? I'm a huge horseracing fan. I do a KY Dervy thread here every year. It's about time to start the 2025 one.
View: https://youtu.be/usOuIc3EKIM?si=AiPA_urshdbHTJ_l
I catch him rewatching this all the time. I ask him, "Do you think Reraise will win this time, Dad?" And he says, "I think we got a chance." Every time, lol
He also had Olympic Prospect in '88 and '89 that led at the quarter pole both years only to fade, but we swear he would've won both years had it not rained and been an off-track. So winning in '98 with Reraise was awesome for him.
The derby horse was Twinspired who got put into the Derby after finishing second in the Blue Grass in '11.
For context for those who don't know horse racing, an Eclipse Award is basically a Horse Heisman...or since Reraise was a sprinter and not horse of the year, more like a Horse Biletnikoff Award.
Reraise ran a great race there. Pushed hot fractions (21 flat and 44.2 half) on the lead and stayed on to the wire. I bet your ole man was proud as hell that day.
Me and Wild may be twins switched at birth. Fellow Hoosiers!The spreadsheet is narrowing down!
Too proud in fact. We often joke that he has more pictures of horses up in the house, than of his own kids, due to all the winner's circles pictures.
His response is, "You guys are in most of those pictures too." He's not wrong. I have pictures of me in the winner's circle at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in my Little League uniform as we rushed straight from the diamond to the track.
Depends on the timeline tbh.
We’re taking care of my in-laws, both of which have Alzheimer’s & I have my son who’s a sophomore in hs. Depending on how long my in-laws last & where my son ends up will likely determine where we go. Also if I’m still working or not will play a role.
My wife doesn’t want to be too far east but I’ve been browsing SC & TN.
If staying out west, Idaho is up on the list & her uncle lives near Gardnerville, NV.
That's great shit. Does he still have stake in some horses? Or involvement in running barns or training?Too proud in fact. We often joke that he has more pictures of horses up in the house, than of his own kids, due to all the winner's circles pictures.
His response is, "You guys are in most of those pictures too." He's not wrong. I have pictures of me in the winner's circle at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in my Little League uniform as we rushed straight from the diamond to the track.
SC or TN either one would be great places. Just stay away from Nashville. The traffic is absolute hell, and it's as liberal as where you want to leave. Get 45 minutes east, west, or south of there and you'd be golden. Personally, I love SC. The low country (around Charleston) is one of my preferred retirement destinations.
For TN I was looking at the county areas between Knoxville & Chattanooga near the Smoky Mountains.
For SC, somewhere near Myrtle Beach. Coastal Carolina University is one of the places on my son’s college list & he’s also big into golf so that area fits for him. It’s also near the water which is a big plus for me. I’m not looking for beach front but something a few miles off the water with a few acres & easy boat access. VIR & Road Atlanta are also both day trips 😂
Yup. Had a horse run last weekend that finished 3rd in a Maiden Special Weight where they ran 108 and change.
He goes to the sales in Kentucky every year still, etc.
When I go to the track with him, I hardly get to talk to him because he knows EVERYBODY! That is not a overstatement. Jockeys, agents, trainers, TV people. It's a constant parade of people walking over to talk. He's friends with the presidents of tracks, to the point where I think one or two contacted him to make sure he was safe in the fire.
His biggest connection is to his most utilized trainer John Sadler (Flightline's trainer). John is a great guy, and was my first boss, as my dad sent me to him to "learn the value of a hard day's work" when I graduated high school. So I mucked stalls and walked horses for a summer and learned I wanted to work where there was air conditioning. Hopefully John makes the HoF some day, he's earned it. And he takes care of his horses. They live better than I do, lol
You can find some waterfront places on canals that feed the Atlantic for reasonable prices. That’s what I would want as well.
Amazing. Sadler is a great trainer. What an experience that must have been. We used to take our daughters to the backside of Churchill Downs when we had ‘ownership’ thru a Syndicate (it was just a way of getting an owners pass & access to the backside of Churchill), and we’d take them in barns to feed the horses peppermints and carrots. Memories man. The horse industry is special. Your dad has lived a blessed life.Yup. Had a horse run last weekend that finished 3rd in a Maiden Special Weight where they ran 108 and change.
He goes to the sales in Kentucky every year still, etc.
When I go to the track with him, I hardly get to talk to him because he knows EVERYBODY! That is not a overstatement. Jockeys, agents, trainers, TV people. It's a constant parade of people walking over to talk. He's friends with the presidents of tracks, to the point where I think one or two contacted him to make sure he was safe in the fire.
His biggest connection is to his most utilized trainer John Sadler (Flightline's trainer). John is a great guy, and was my first boss, as my dad sent me to him to "learn the value of a hard day's work" when I graduated high school. So I mucked stalls and walked horses for a summer and learned I wanted to work where there was air conditioning. Hopefully John makes the HoF some day, he's earned it. And he takes care of his horses. They live better than I do, lol
Absolutely.
Which is why CA's attempts to destroy the industry is heartbreaking for me personally. Activists are going nuts trying to get it banned, comparing it to dog racing which is not even close in the treatment of the animals. And given the financial situation, it may not have long in CA unless they get some on-site sports wagering or something.
If Del Mar ever shuts down, that will be what gets my dad to move probably. He's been a fixture there with a box on the finish line for almost 40 years now. They shut that down and he'll say, "Time to put me in a home. Just make sure whatever home you put me in has TVG, and keep a few dollars in my account."
You get that man around Lexington KY and he would be in heaven. Beautiful area and Keeneland.