Memory lane

[Any1Left]

30 years ago i went to florida for two weeks and went to calder and POMPANO EVERY DAY,,,,,,,,I FOUND THE CALDER GROUP THAT RAN RACING to be the best ever as every day in the feature they had a 80 year old presenting the winning blanket and the announcer would give his name and thank him for his service to the racing game and the jockey would shake his hand in almost every case,,,,,,,,,,,,Now in harness racing if someone retires or a group is in the winners circle i rarely see a driver acknowledge the people in the winners circle and for the life of me i never understand the cold attitude drivers have to its fans as no sport on the planet do the athletes not thank the fans and the greatist tribute ever to the fans was when the best horse racing has ever had Tom durkin thanked the most important people in the game ,,,,,The fans as he called it and you can watch that great moment on you tube,,,

[Junebug990]

I agree with you on this to a point. We had a race named for my Granddaughter at Freehold last Year. Austin Sieglelman couldn't
have been nicer. We had a group in the winners circle and he crouched down so everyone could be in the picture. He also gave us the
whip after the race. I also sent the program in the back and all the drivers that were in the race signed it. The announcer that day John
Hernan (Don't know if the spelling is correct) did a great job. We had the blanket put on the horse and he made some nice comments and
wished her a Happy Birthday. It will be a great memory for her. I also taped the race so she will be able to look back on this one day.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I agree with you on this to a point. We had a race named for my Granddaughter at Freehold last Year. Austin Sieglelman couldn't
have been nicer. We had a group in the winners circle and he crouched down so everyone could be in the picture. He also gave us the
whip after the race. I also sent the program in the back and all the drivers that were in the race signed it. The announcer that day John
Hernan (Don't know if the spelling is correct) did a great job. We had the blanket put on the horse and he made some nice comments and
wished her a Happy Birthday. It will be a great memory for her. I also taped the race so she will be able to look back on this one day.

What a great experience. That should be the standard, the minimum, that track ownership/management does for fans, patrons, clients, etc.

[Any1Left]

Thank you for those posts as that is what i need to read as the way that WEG drivers drive makes me think that the lack of respect they have when driving for the last true fans of this sport is as low as they can go and every needless hole given up just shows me a poor class of people we have but that FREEHOLD post was GREAT AND THANK YOU,,,,,,,,,,, JUNE BUG,,,,,,,,,,

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I used to spend the winter in FL at Pompano and the training centers until the Meadowlands started with their late-closers and built up a strong winter program/meet. Back then they raced t-breds at the Meadowlands until they converted the track and the harness racing came back to town. The game, the sport, was very, very different back then. Pompano was the winter capital of harness racing, and it was hopping. Even the Meadowlands would offer free admission to people after Nets games, concerts, whatever, and the front paddock brought the game right up front and center. Not just the driver fights, but the good stuff too. LOL.

[Meadow Ford]

Fifty plus years ago I won a county fair race.
I picked up a 5 or 6 year old boy from the winners circle. I put him on my lap and took a trip around the track.
Parents and kid were happy as could be.
If I did that today, I would be worried about being sued.
If it was a little girl I would be worried about being arrested as a child molester.
No kidding I  would not do it today.

[Any1Left]

Great point GRANDSTAND on driver fights as it is a must as it tells me it is honest when they fight as in any sport the harder they play the more they will fight and that is great for this sport but today everyone is a friend and that kills racing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BILL GALE and DOUG BROWN fights were great and ROBERT LACKEY AND Ron waples fights produced good racing and it is so important,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Last year it looked like TRAVIS CULLEN and DOUG MC NAIR would be at war but this never happened and the fans were robbed

[Grandstand Handicapper]

During the Oaklawn meet, every time D. Wayne Lukas wins a race and he's heading down to the winners circle, he takes a kid from the crowd into the winners circle for the picture. He buys the photo for the kid, introduces himself to the parents and tells the parents where to pick it up by the end of the day. It's become such a tradition, the kids now stand around waiting for him. Now there's a real ambassador for the sport.

[Any1Left]

We have AMAC as he wins big and everyone gets destroyed and even if they win its like a trainer telling you a horse cost 60 and it only cost 20 and if you make money paying 60 it does not say that you were not cheated,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I am a LUCAS FAN now BIGTIME,,,,,,