While I am certain California beaches and New Jersey beaches are not comparable
(Robert Duvall had something to say about this in Apocalypse Now), if you
continue driving about 10 minutes past Mth on Rte 36, you will come to the
Atlantic Ocean and a fairly clean beach at Seven Presidents Park. Not quite as
captivating a surf and turf scenario as is found at DelMar or Frankstream Park,
but I guess about the best we have here in the Northeast.

In the early 1980s, the ocean could be seen from the third floor of the
grandstand. Alas a quarter of century of tree growth and you can no longer see
the surf from your grandstand seat.

Also in the early 80s, Tuesday racing was an event at MTH as it was a dark day
at NYRA and many NY horseplayers made the trip south. A lot of stake races,
like the Salvator Mile, were carded on Tuesdays. Two of the top MTH trainers at
the time were Harry Wells (Colonial Farm) and Tony Bardaro (Bright View Farm).

In 1985, I was a low percentage low volume trainer who had a decent run of luck
at Keystone Park over the winter/ spring. (I had a "good" vet who was later
indicted). I put in for 5 stalls at Mth and was shocked when I was granted
them. It turns out that Robert Kulina employed me as a buffer of sorts-- my
stalls separated two trainers, Bill Cunningham and the late Virgil "Buddy"
Raines, who couldn't stand the sight of each other yet insisted on being
stabled in the same barn each summer.

"Buddy" (we called him "Pop" around the barn) was a little tough on me. He was
in his late 70s at the time. I would guess he was at work each morning by about
4:30 AM. When I would amble in, usually between 5:30 and 6:00, he would always
make a point of looking at his watch and shaking his head in disgust.