My early racing days and misspent youth were largely spent at Sufferin Downs in East Boston. In those days , we all thought Joe O'Shea's 3yo star Rise Jim would trounce Spectacular Bid LOL.
During the summers, if The SEVENS Pub proprietor Jack Kiley was willing, we would jump in his Cadddy and head north to the Saratoga of New England: Rockingham Park.....where we would feast on the gourmet offerings of the Track Kitchen.(open to the public).
JK would treat his busted out gang to Clubhouse seats and unlimited Heinekens.
I thought this was horseplayer heaven.

Thus, I was a wee bit tardy getting to Saratoga. It wasn't until I relocated to Pennsylvania circa 1981, that I would pull onto a Nelson Avenue front lawn and park my 71 OLDS hung over from a wedding reception the night before.

Unlike my date from the previous evening, it was an instant love affair. My fling that weekend only lasted 48 hours but I would be forever Hopeful. And I would keep coming back.

Bob