Class - I could not agree more. It's not the gambling aspect with regards to the greats - it's the exictement and being "a fan"...

For me, the first great was Cigar...when he came to Arlington, it was if the Beatles were there - you couldn't get 12 deep to the paddock, it was electric!

Having a place in HOt Springs, Smarty was certainly a hero and a cult - as is AA - but you are sooooo right, sometimes its about being a fan. Anyone who has visited one of the farms in KY cannot come away with a different feeling about our great sport, and particularly about the great ones who play without pay...