Shanahan,

Great to see you and all the friendly, "happy-go-lucky," "ready to party" friends and people I've met down there in Arkansawww at the track. When Mizzou lost that evening, the entire crowd at the SILKS bar in the Oaklawn casino performed a Woo Pig Sooie Hog Call specifically for me since I was cheering for the Tigers.

Seems like we have carved out a good spot on that second floor to enjoy the races, enjoy the scenery, and drink a few St. Louis related products with a fun group of people. The large crowds, the large field sizes, the large prices to start the season, and the lack of bot teams accessing the pools make it all sound awfully similar to what my elders described about racing decades ago at nearly every weekend at tracks all around the country.

As you know, I'll be back very soon!