3:55 am Friday to 10:00 am Sunday to go door to door for the Preakness. 54 hours to Seize the Day Preakness Style.

I jogged 6 miles at a trail next to the BWI airport like every year for this trip at 930 am Friday. I figured the "D. Wayne Off the Plane" angle should work for my gambling. We went back to the Maryland Live Hotel to clean up for the day.

We headed to Laurel Park on Friday to play the day's races specifically Pimlico. We had tickets to the infield tent Friday but our host couldn't escape his work duties in the Baltimore area so no big deal. From our trips up there I vaguely know some of the Laurel locals and saw a guy late in the day talking to one of the guys named Jimmy that I sort of know. He had some printed TG sheets and I struck up a "Do you use Thorograph?" conversation. Mike aka FLIGHTED IRON introduced himself and it is always fun to meet the folks out there that have been writing on the board forever! I think he (you) were a bit surprised when I said "I'm Fairmount!" LOLOL. Gambling wise I connected on the last P3 on BES Day and the exacta in the last. Takeout is a killer up there except the p5 but I still had reason to celebrate.

We hit the Crab Cakes, Haddock, Shrimp, etc hard that evening at a local place and prepared for Preakness Day!

Saturday morning I went hard again with 4 miles, pushups, weights etc to start the day. A little maintenance move to keep the mind sharp. We arrived early at the Turf Terrace on the infield. Stronach's show is much better than Churchill on the food front no doubt it about while we are in review mode. Started the day with a bang trifecta in race 1. Race 2 I was informed by text that the TG analysis nailed it but no one in the text group I presume used the horse. Around this time, two fillies approached our table asking us to assist with betting $50 into the last race. One of them was way too hot for me. But she kept coming back over asking for betting help, let's go do a shot, hugging on me. At one point she lost (physically misplaced) all her cash. She was out of her mind. I went and sat back at my table and told my friends who informed me "Just tell her to reach down into the top of her dress bc thats where she put it when we saw it last" LOLOL. And I was a hero for finding the cash although I didn't exactly "find" it. Her jealous friend torpedoed any chance with her after Preakness. Their tickets did CASH for the finale though. We walked out of Old Hilltop for the last time that it will be in a state that still looks like it is 1924 instead of 2024! Next year, it will be under construction during Preakness.

Up early again today to head to the airport and sat down at the Southwest Gate B2 to return to STL. Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway sat very near us and of course we struck up a conversation about horses very quickly. I did not know them whatsoever prior to this encounter. They had won the Southwest Stakes this year With Mystik Dan. We were there for the originally scheduled date of the Southwest but it was moved a week later due to weather. I asked them to describe what they were feeling mid-Stretch of the Derby and Mr. Gasaway stated briefly "I needed a defibrillator!" And Sharilyn was more than accommodating answering all my questions, sharing details, showing me a video of the Sierra Leona and Mystic Dan contingents as the horses ran the final Stretch run of the Derby. I was impressed with how well she understands the game including from a handicapping perspective. Racing should use her as an ambassador for the game rather than write stories about Zedan suing Churchill for a horse that regularly scratches on the ship.

Off the plane in STL and home by 10. I decided at that point that a horse just needs to be a horse as they say so I took a four hour nap to recover! Just finished up 3 miles now (late afternoon) to sweat out some of the Tequila shot that gal forced upon me and the approximately 17 Ultra's consumed at Preakness. I lost a few bucks on the weekend when handicapping was pretty sharp but just could not connect the big scores. Had a 2nd for a p5 in the last leg mid-day that would have paid very well but not to be for a profit in total on the weekend.

As for the Preakness itself, I never had Seize the Grey. Not sure I would have but will go back and check it out some more. But it was good to see Lukas get that seventh Preakness while Bob's horse finished Last and never even contended whatsoever. Interesting. . .

Triple Crown season for me is complete as far as traveling goes. Southwest attempt (moved to a week later due to weather), Fountain of Youth, Rebel Day, Arkansas Derby Day, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Days were all fantastic for me. Very lucky to know so many people that make these trips so interesting, fun, and easy to navigate. I'm already thinking about next year's trail. But a much needed layoff is in order until FourStarDave at Saratoga for another LIVE event besides Fairmount here and there.