June 6, 2008
Sometimes you just have to step out on faith and know that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. There were a few nay sayers, that thought I was nuts for trying to take Ansel to the Belmont, "it would be 100 degrees, there would be over 100,000 people... blah blah blah... what are you thinking ???" Well I was thinking I was going to make his dream come true and I would do my best to make that happen...
Last week I had sent an email to every Belmont Park email address I could find, letting them know about Ansel his past, being a jockey in the 20's and 30's, race horse trainer etc, his age, and that I was bringing him to see the race... I didn't ask for anything special, just advice on handicap accessibility what area I should buy gen admission tickets for... I didn't hear back from anyone... my plan was to head to the track on Friday get the lay of the land, buy our tickets for what ever area looked doable with Ansel and his scooter, figure out where to park Sat AM, and I was prepared to join the 100,000 plus masses that will buy General Admission tickets and stand in the sun for first come first serve places... ( I had an umbrella and special stick to attach it to Ansel's scooter. Other friends of our's from Bend, Amber Scott and her dad Gib Daniels were flying in late Friday night, staying at our hotel and joining us at the track for the possible Triple Crown Victory, GO BIG BROWN !!! so I was also getting their tickets also.
Yesterday, Thursday, we flew into Providence, RI. rented a car and drove down to Long Island. We checked into our hotel near the JFK airport and got all settled in. In the morning we'd drive out to Belmont Park and make a plan for Saturday and watching Big Brown run for the Triple Crown.
Our tickets… I didn’t notice until after the fact that is says right on the tickets that they were $200.00 each. I’m still in awe. Ansel was very impressed with the video monitor that was in each booth. He was able to see the replays on it. They are designed so that you swipe your credit card into them and place your bets from the box seat with out having to leave the box. They even had waiters coming around taking drink orders…
Honoring the past Triple Crown winners
Last week I had sent an email to every Belmont Park email address I could find, letting them know about Ansel his past, being a jockey in the 20's and 30's, race horse trainer etc, his age, and that I was bringing him to see the race... I didn't ask for anything special, just advice on handicap accessibility what area I should buy gen admission tickets for... I didn't hear back from anyone... my plan was to head to the track on Friday get the lay of the land, buy our tickets for what ever area looked doable with Ansel and his scooter, figure out where to park Sat AM, and I was prepared to join the 100,000 plus masses that will buy General Admission tickets and stand in the sun for first come first serve places... ( I had an umbrella and special stick to attach it to Ansel's scooter. Other friends of our's from Bend, Amber Scott and her dad Gib Daniels were flying in late Friday night, staying at our hotel and joining us at the track for the possible Triple Crown Victory, GO BIG BROWN !!! so I was also getting their tickets also.
Yesterday, Thursday, we flew into Providence, RI. rented a car and drove down to Long Island. We checked into our hotel near the JFK airport and got all settled in. In the morning we'd drive out to Belmont Park and make a plan for Saturday and watching Big Brown run for the Triple Crown.
Well, last night (Thursday) about 8:00PM, my cell phone rang with a blocked number, I answered, and this lovely lady identified herself as Cathy Moreno from the Belmont Park front office... she asked if I was still planning to bring Ansel to New York... Oh yes, I answered, we are already here in New York, checked in to our hotel near JFK. I told her I was planning to come to the track today to scope things out and see where things were, and make a plan for Saturday... She asked if I would bring Ansel to her office in the morning when we arrived and meet with her... she said to tell the parking attendants that we had an appointment with Cathy Moreno and they would show us where to park.
When we drove in to the Park this morning and as I told each person (parking attendants and ticket takers) that we had an appointment with Cathy Moreno... each one treated us like royalty and escorted us all the way to the Club House... our cheap little blue economy rental car was parked among black limos, black Porsches, Ferraris and rolls royces... you get the picture. To us country bumpkins from Burns, OR walking into the club house was like walking into Windsor Castle (to me anyways) the whole place was a buzz with Big Brown... We were shown to her office, she was a charmingly elegant business woman and she reminded me of "Carolyn" that used to be Donald Trump's assistant. She was so warm and welcoming, She was incredible...
She asked if it would be okay for Mr Marshall to wait at her office, while she showed me some seats that were available. (Now bear in mind this cowgirl, me, who can ride the hair off of anything on the ranch, has never been to a horse race in her life) I didn't really understand what it meant to be in "the club house". She took me to a box seat above the winners circle, and asked if I thought we would be comfortable in these seats ? I looked at her and said "well... how much with they cost?" she said you are going to be our guests and there will be no charge." I explained that we had two more friends joining us from Oregon, and she said that would not be a problem. She said we could use the box all day today and tomorrow. It was ours to enjoy...
I cried, Ansel cried... and she said it gave her a great deal of satisfaction to give these tickets to someone whom they meant so much to.
OH MY GOD... you can not believe how cool these seats are... OH MY GOD... I still can't believe it !!! I cried and shook my head in disbelief. Ansel was very choked up all day too... and said over and over again... "I can't believe I'm really here, it's like I'm dreaming. Thank you darling for making it happen"
She asked if it would be okay for Mr Marshall to wait at her office, while she showed me some seats that were available. (Now bear in mind this cowgirl, me, who can ride the hair off of anything on the ranch, has never been to a horse race in her life) I didn't really understand what it meant to be in "the club house". She took me to a box seat above the winners circle, and asked if I thought we would be comfortable in these seats ? I looked at her and said "well... how much with they cost?" she said you are going to be our guests and there will be no charge." I explained that we had two more friends joining us from Oregon, and she said that would not be a problem. She said we could use the box all day today and tomorrow. It was ours to enjoy...
I cried, Ansel cried... and she said it gave her a great deal of satisfaction to give these tickets to someone whom they meant so much to.
OH MY GOD... you can not believe how cool these seats are... OH MY GOD... I still can't believe it !!! I cried and shook my head in disbelief. Ansel was very choked up all day too... and said over and over again... "I can't believe I'm really here, it's like I'm dreaming. Thank you darling for making it happen"
Our tickets… I didn’t notice until after the fact that is says right on the tickets that they were $200.00 each. I’m still in awe. Ansel was very impressed with the video monitor that was in each booth. He was able to see the replays on it. They are designed so that you swipe your credit card into them and place your bets from the box seat with out having to leave the box. They even had waiters coming around taking drink orders…
Honoring the past Triple Crown winners
This whole thing is rather amazing... we spent most of the day at the track... we were like kids in a candy jar... Lots of folks talked to Ansel... many of the NYRA employees spoke to him... they recognized that he likely was a jockey from days of yore... and were very very kind and attentive to Ansel. They would ask if he knew the old greats, Johnny Longden, Eddie Acaro, Georgie Woolf, Red Pollard...and for each one, Ansel had a personal story for.
This gal that is visiting with Ansel was security at a turn style between the Clubhouse and the Grandstand area... but it wasn't apparent to me that the other side was the grandstand. After she was done talking to Ansel, I asked her innocently "what was so top secret on the other side of the turnstile??? and she said "Honey, you're on the top secret side! The grandstand folk can't come over here..." ahhhhh, and then I began to understand how special our seats were.
The two ushers from our box seat area... fussed and fussed over us. Gave us their names, and assured us they would be there to greet us and help us in any way tomorrow. Both of them were former jockeys... very small in stature, Portuguese and now probably in their late 60's.
This gal that is visiting with Ansel was security at a turn style between the Clubhouse and the Grandstand area... but it wasn't apparent to me that the other side was the grandstand. After she was done talking to Ansel, I asked her innocently "what was so top secret on the other side of the turnstile??? and she said "Honey, you're on the top secret side! The grandstand folk can't come over here..." ahhhhh, and then I began to understand how special our seats were.
The two ushers from our box seat area... fussed and fussed over us. Gave us their names, and assured us they would be there to greet us and help us in any way tomorrow. Both of them were former jockeys... very small in stature, Portuguese and now probably in their late 60's.
Oh and then there was the issue with parking... as we were leaving Ms Moreno's office, I asked if she had a suggestion on parking for Saturday, she smiled reached in her desk and pulled out an orange parking pass, signed it and handed it to me. You'll park in this lot she said. So at the end of the day when we were leaving the track, I wanted to find the parking lot that our pass was for, so that I'd know where to go amongst the 100,000 other people. It turned out to be the Owner's lots next to the Club House. Holy Cow, talk about being given the red carpet.
Now that we have the parking pass and seats for tomorrow... we don't have to get to the Park at the crack of dawn... and don't have to wait in line to buy tickets, hike a mile from a general parking lot... or fight to keep a spot where we can see. I still can't believe it. Oh it was funny to call Amber this morning 20 minutes before they were leaving for the airport, to tell them we had box seats in the Club House. I was crying, I was so in awe, she couldn't hardly understand me. They are from Tumalo and Amber and her kids are who normally take care of the horses when we are gone from home. Gib is Lula Stirewalt Gibson's widower, she passed away two years ago. Her parents, Jim and Effie Stirwalt were Ansel and Martina's best friends from the Spray, OR area.
Now that we have the parking pass and seats for tomorrow... we don't have to get to the Park at the crack of dawn... and don't have to wait in line to buy tickets, hike a mile from a general parking lot... or fight to keep a spot where we can see. I still can't believe it. Oh it was funny to call Amber this morning 20 minutes before they were leaving for the airport, to tell them we had box seats in the Club House. I was crying, I was so in awe, she couldn't hardly understand me. They are from Tumalo and Amber and her kids are who normally take care of the horses when we are gone from home. Gib is Lula Stirewalt Gibson's widower, she passed away two years ago. Her parents, Jim and Effie Stirwalt were Ansel and Martina's best friends from the Spray, OR area.
Sigh... God is soooo cool !
A misc race on Friday
checking out the beautiful grounds, see the art work in the fence ?
I was intrigued by this couple that was trolling by in a Boston Whaler... look who's lounging and who's doing the piloting??? 
Sunset at Chicago Midway - 
Some things just work out the way they are supposed to… Big Port, Porter Lynn’s Dad is 87 and is in failing health. He had quadruple bypass surgery a few days before we arrived, so it was nice to be able to see him, and pray with him and just be there at this time of uncertainty. Had there been cattle to gather, we likely wouldn’t have had the time to visit Port Sr. in the hospital. My own parents passed away several years ago. Big Port and Averyel adopted my boys and I into their family long ago. I credit him with teaching me the basics about working cattle and riding a cow-horse when I worked for them at their feedlot in Payette, Id.
