theshadowtbd
theshadowtbd
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Apr 26, 2020 (6 years) |
6 years | 1 | 1 |
- Forum role
- Member
- Member since
Apr 26, 2020 (6 years)
- Last activity
- 6 years
- Topics created
- 1
- Replies created
- 1
Bio
Why "theshadowtbd?"
The "tbd" stands for thoroughbred as in Thoroughbred Horse Racing. Because, no matter to which social media or email address you attempt to subscribe, just plain "The Shadow" is already taken. Thus, the "tbd." Why "The Shadow" you ask? That's what they called me at Arlington back when I was barely more than a yearling and sticking closer to my father than a torn tip sheet on his shoe.
Dad and I made most Saturday's and also took advantage of the free admission for the 7th, 8th and 9th during the week. For the most part we stayed together except when Dad would go to bet and I would save our clubhouse seats. Later, I often became his runner. (I still am sometimes!) Otherwise we pretty much stuck together whether it was to rush in to watch the closed-circuit replay or enjoy a celebratory beer,
So, Dad came to be known as "The Mayor" as in "The Mayor of Arlington Park" and I as his shadow became, naturally, "The Shadow." Nobody really calls me that these days except on occasion when I bump in to the old-timer railbirds. That rarely happens anymore, though, now that we're all betting at home on our accounts.
As a youngster, Dad asked me if I wanted to be a jockey and I was all for it until I saw Willie Shoemaker get dumped at the gate in a 6 furlong race in the goo at Arlington. After the race he spilled out of the rescue station wagon near the AP finish line and I saw his green and white silks had transformed into a splashy, dripping gray and so then I was no longer as enthused.
I'm pretty sure I missed that Saturday in '68 when Dr. Fager set the mile world record. Think I missed Buckpasser and Damascus, too, but I'm not exactly sure.
I did see Secretariat and the 16 year old Maxwell G who was still winning races for Hazleton before his mandatory retirement (Maxwell G.'s not Hazleton's). They buried the "trifecta" in an elaborate funeral before the ninth race in that decade too... saw that! I saw Cigar but missed the first Million. Saw it on TV and sped over on my bike to Arlington after the race to catch the last few. My years of sitting in the clubhouse taught me the finish wire angle and so I "knew" that John Henry nailed it.
It was about this time that I began calculating my own speed figures a la Beyer. Yes, just as Andy did I researched months of results charts, tabulated an eye-blurring number of final times on accounting paper, and calculated my own pars and tables. I had to. As the bull-ring Sportsman's Park was my first venture in to speed figures I was pretty sure that the 2 turn sprints and 3 turn routes would not fit the Universal Parallel Time Charts and Beyer Pars. It's not that hard ... just find the value of 1/5 of a second at a certain par and distance by dividing 1/5 into the total number of 1/5's and move the decimal to the right 2 places ... never mind, it is complicated! Let's not even talk about the Beaten Lengths Adjustment Chart!
Nowadays the DRF Beyer's are just fine but I do have insight on whether a Beyer figure is "right."
The tents were great after the big fire. And I did see the "Miracle Million" while at the same time manned a booth to gain petition signatures to support rebuilding "the grand old lady." The new facility is fantastic but can we go back to a natural dirt surface?!!!
I continue to love horse racing to this day and can be found watching races on TV even when I have no money on the line. Over the later years I probably spent more time at the betting facility at the Arlington far turn rather than at the track itself...at least for wagering. In fact, my Dad and I have been to Arlington more to watch the morning workouts from the track apron (so peaceful and beautiful in the morning!) than to go for afternoon wagering.
These days, it's almost entirely exclusive account wagering for me. I finally jumped in after I discovered that the inter-track betting facility on the Arlington grounds had begun charging a surcharge on winning wagers ... for Arlington! Due to new Illinois rules, the on the grounds facility that once paid the same prices as the track in plain sight from the upstairs balcony, was now charging "juice." That on top of the surcharge Arlington already charges it's paying attending fans!
Nowadays, the more the better. I love playing the New York circuit, especially Belmont. Gulfstream is great, but I normally just play it's Championship meet. Santa Anita and Del Mar are good but I don't really go for the long stretch at Los Alamitos. Oaklawn is pretty classy but I really like the spring Keeneland meet. Toss in an occasional flyer at the Meadowlands and Mohawk trots and I have more than I need. Let's hope we return to our standard racing dates after Corona.
The late Chicago Sun Times horse racing columnist and thoroughbred trainer, Dave Feldman, identified with and called us racing enthusiasts the BDH or Broken Down Horseplayers. Well, I'm an enthusiastic and inveterate horse player but not yet anywhere near broken down...yet!
I woulda, coulda, shoulda done this blog thing a long time ago!
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