Quote from Lonnie on June 30, 2026, 10:39 AM

While I am not going to add a year to the tally, I am going to celebrate with a long birthday bash weekend!  What better way to spend it than with my son, my friends, and my horses!

Let's get the bash started tomorrow!

Wednesday (July 1, 2026): 

I'm picking a friend up on the way to (the former) glamorous Monticello Raceway!  We will be meeting Rich at the track, and we are going to root hard for Memento Mori, who will be making his Monti debut in the Open Handicapping Trot!  Leading driver, "Magical" Michael Merton, will hold the reins and the key, along with trainer Rob Harmon, to his success.

If you haven't been to Monticello Raceway lately, I have one word of advice for you:  DON'T!  It's a disaster.  And that's giving disasters a bad name!

On the ride home, we will be stopping at Mark Ford's Training Center in Middletown, NY, to visit Amy MacDonald and a horse named Super Way!  That should be fun!

Thursday (July 2nd):

A day of rest to recover from the extreme heat that we expect to suffer kindly in, and from the excitement of the prior day.

Friday (July 3rd):

On what would have been my Uncle Willy's 112th birthday.  My Uncle, for all intents and purposes, was my father-figure in my life.  Our bond was tight (like my son and me).  We were 1 and 1A wherever we went.  Never a day passes when I don't miss him (or my grandmother, "Grams" as all my friends and I called her).  I'll remember the road trip we took in September 1980.  The year I graduated from college, and held my first job.  I was a computer programmer for MetLife.  Right after work, we jumped in the car.  I was still wearing my three-piece suit from work.  As we drove through the Lincoln Tunnel, I changed clothes.  From a business suit into my "driving suit", and my most prized possession of the day.  A custom-made purple T-shirt designed to look like the driving silks of Clint Galbraith, the photo decal on the front of the great Niatross, and the words surrounding it, "The Super Bird".  On the shoulders read the letters "L G", instead of Galbraith's "C G".  We were driving up to Batavia, NY, to see the watch Niatross race.  It was incredible.  We were one of the first people to get there.  Thankfully.  You could see cars backed up for miles.  The place was so packed, they literally had to turn people away.  It was electric.  And when Niatross obliterated the 1/2 mile track World Record, winning in 1:55.0, the place went NUTS!  BTW, I still have that T-shirt.  I wore it to every race that Niatross was in in his three-year-old campaign that I attended.  I didn't miss many!  I was at Hollywood Park when he won and ended his three-race stay at Hollywood Park, winning the third and final leg of the American Pacing Classic in world record time for 1 1/8 miles.  I will dig that T-Shirt out, and while I certainly don't fit into it anymore, I will share photos of it one day.  But I digress.

Friday night, my son and I will make that same trip through the Lincoln Tunnel.  This time to see Super Way make his parimutuel debut in the Kindergarten Series at The Meadowlands after winning his two qualifiers there.  Meeting us at the track will be Carmelo and his girlfriend, perhaps a few other friends I have invited.  If the stars align, the entire New York Connection may be there if Rich can work it into his schedule.  He really needs to retire already!  😉😎🌴 

Saturday (July 4th):

Our nation's 250th birthday.  The nerve of them weaseling themselves into the midst of MY birthday bash weekend!!  I'll give them this day their daily bread (celebration).  Though I'm sure the fireworks are all for ME! 🎆🎇😉

Sunday (July 5th):

Our nation will take a day to recover before the REAL party the next day.

Monday (July 6th):

My birthday!

What better way (I may have to come up with better ways in future years.  Or not!) to celebrate than with a drive up to Monticello Raceway again!  In tow with me will be my son (my 1A), again recreating that timeless memory of driving through the Lincoln Tunnel after picking up Carmelo, and Rich (though he may meet us there).  Miss Lady May will be making her stakes debut in the New York Sire Stakes.  It's a birthday bash so big that Anthony MacDonald is bringing all of his girls (Amy, Ava, and Addie) with him to my party!  Aren't I special?  While he's there, he is also going to drive Miss Lady May.  Miss Liberty.  Miss Lady May.  How poetic!  What a great way to celebrate my birthday!

If you read this and are in the general vicinity (give or take 3000 miles) and you want to take part in any or all of my celebration, or just cheer on our horses and say cheers to me, come join me in my most excellent birthday bash weekend!