30 years ago today I visited the Pimlico racetrack for the first time.......after watching STRIKE the GOLD win the derby in Cobblestones and collecting a handsome payout, we decided it was the right move to drive down to Baltimore and double down. Myself and Rocco Deprizio caught a ride with my friend Angelo and his cousin Frankie.......we left Brooklyn at 7:00 am......stopped for breakfast and still got to Pimlico before 10:00.......parked on some shines lawn for $5 and dragged our two coolers of beer onto the infield.......we formed a 4 man circle and claimed a patch of grass and settled in for a long , hot day in the sun........A Rock Band playing in the pit between races.....7 colleges in a 10 mile radius around the track and vodka lemonades as the official drink ( black eyed Susan’s) made for quite the ambiance......around 4:00 they started coed Chicken Fights and quite a few bikini tops were lost in the scuffle.... and through it all we stood our ground amongst the 93,000 maniacs in attendance........I was 26 back then , fresh out of the Navy and in great Drinking shape, but by post time these college kids made me feel like an old man.....8 hours of pounding beer and occasional vodkas in the sun can do that to ya.......Hansel ended up winning and I gave back everything I had won two weeks prior, but it was an incredible day.....3 weeks later I was on the Pete Johnson Belmont trip and that’s a story for another day.......... I sit here this afternoon in the safety of my yard and drink my beer and tell stories to my dog...... I sent it in on Concert Tour boxed with Midnight Bourbon..... but as I reflect on the places I’ve been..... I thank the good lord for watching over me.
1 comment:
Hope you certainly do write a nice little diddy, when Belmont comes up, about Pete Johnson's - great days!
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