Horse Sense: July 2009 Archives

On the eve of the 2009 Saratoga race meet, it's easy to get caught up in the cacophony because, while the pace is hectic--it's the most fun sort of hectic into which the human soul can be thrust.  For me--and others of like mind--this joyous madness begins way back in mid-April, when the Thoroughbreds first start to move back to Saratoga from their winter "snow bird" perches. 

Forget the First Saturday in May:  each day that brings us closer to The Last Wednesday in July finds the decibels in our heads growing louder:  every minute that ticks by, we become more and more crazy with joy.  The horses are our rock stars:  the Sallee and Brook Ledge vans, their buses filled with potential. 

The weeks leading up to the meet is a time of wild planning, as NYRA prepares to move an entire corporation north for six weeks.  This is a monumental feat--talk about being organized:  basically, NYRA moves Belmont Park up to Saratoga for a month-and-a-half.  In the midst of this packing frenzy is the necessity of being uber-together, to assure that not one paper clip or betting voucher misses its ride up the Northway.

The Saratoga meet is like a big, wild-eyed vacation for hundreds of thousands of people and animals who, just last week--may not have known each other.  But if you're a fan of this sport, you trek to Mecca once a year to pay your respects, renew acquaintances and bow to the pari-mutuel windows.  For six weeks every year, everyone is a friend or at least a potential temporary confidant.  It's difficult to keep your head on straight...while this is good madness--it's madness, nonetheless.  How to get Zen and stay there? 

I have two friends of whom I am very fond, Bella and Madeline.  Both are uniquely beautiful:  Bella, a dark, sleek brunette, and Madeline, a beautiful redhead, have a lot in common.  Both are professional athletes.  Both are big, strapping girls with large, dark eyes.  Bella is a bit older than Madeline, but both are equally fit, sculpted and perfect-of-face.

My two friends are very dear to me, as they're not afraid to express their emotions openly, to wear their hearts on their proverbial sleeves.  They love deeply, give their opinons loudly and put their entire beings into their jobs.

Bella is better known as Bella Attrice; Madeline is Catty Madeline, and both are, of course, Thoroughbreds.

These two may very well know each other, but one thing I know for sure is that they share a life motto:  "Stick Your Neck Out"...