Speaking of my gravitation to intelligent people, I can’t say enough about the stalwart known to the board as Uncle Bill. FrankD.’s caricature of Uncle Bill on the board left me with no idea of who Uncle Bill truly is as a person. He has a deadpan quick wit that is unmatched in the backyard although richiebee is awfully close. His attention to detail including the TG numbers, trainer intent, and other factors on the races each day were thorough and very accurate. His opinions and knowledge on facts make a “know it all” like me realize I have so much left to learn in this life. He is highly intelligent and he knows an enormous amount of information that I’ve never heard about racing. His stories about Paycheck Watkins and Potato Chip, (his two best friends on the backside in the 70’s I’m guessing) were almost as funny as the one about how when the circus came to town and all of his elephant $hit he gathered for his garden in Jersey was robbed from him in New York City. Uncle Bill is the King of the backyard. The women love him and I have the pictures to prove it prompting FrankD’s double chair photo booth idea. One lovely friend I’m guessing lets him in the track early each morning to set up the Thorograph spot and he has an excellent manner with people. Sunday he helped a young family with seats and a table rather than allowing them to sit on the ground. His stories about the Jerkens’ barn, exercising riding, eating at Angel Cordero’s house and on and on are exactly why the track has always felt like home no matter if it is at Fairmount, Oaklawn, or Saratoga. For six weeks, Uncle Bill is at home and shared one of my favorite sentiments about times I’m at the racetrack: There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here!! Uncle Bill, you made my trip and the entire experience Plum Awesome!! I had some great times offtrack in Saratoga also but there was nowhere I enjoyed more than with you and FrankD’s backyard scene, a TG mecca.

As a CUBS fan, you all know how Saturday ended in the finale. One of my legitimate best bets of the day was Rooftop View, out of the mare Wrigley Ivy, took the lead late and I was cheering this one to victory when Irish Prayer broke my belief momentarily in all things good about the Irish, prayers, gambling, and life. Cubs fans have been through this before and we are resilient. Rooftop View just missed. I knew despite the near miss personally, I would be back one last time. Sunday, I was feeling creative from the first race. In race 3, my long planned last race of the trip before heading to St. Louis, I was lucky enough to snag a TG top figure horse by 2 points at 7-1, (on a track that didn’t favor speed or the rail I later saw which was perfect for this horse luckily), leaving me down just over $400 for the weekend after gambling, Bud Light, Heineken, food, and three nights on the town! I’ll call that a victory if that’s all it cost me to have three days in the backyard with some of my favorite people I’ve ever met if for no other reason than they are serious, serious horseplayers that all have a comprehensive approach to handicapping that many readers of the board may not completely appreciate!!