New York
The last time I covered the Belmont Stakes Smarty Jones was going for the Triple Crown and the whole nation seemed interested.
Robert Yates, who covers Oaklawn Park and thoroughbred racing for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and I flew into LaGuardia and checked into our hotel, which was about 15 miles from Belmont.
Robert insisted I drive since I had lived in New York (yeah, in 1975!) and the first day driving to the track was no problem.
We made it through the maddening traffic and onto the track without getting lost and only had to do one U-turn. I missed the entrance.
We got our interviews finished and decided to write from the hotel instead of at the track and we were doing fine until we hit a traffic detour for construction.
Minutes later we were in the wrong lane to make the exit, and we were jammed in the wrong lane at about 75 mph.
That day we ended up in Mid Town so I drove down and showed Robert Little Italy, China Town, where the World Trade Centers had stood, Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building.
The second day we got to the track fine and on the way home hit the same detour and this time I made what I thought was a brilliant move and took an exit that wasn’t an exit but a different highway and a few minutes later Robert was getting a tour of Harlem, Spanish Harlem and eventually Central Park.
On the third day we got to the track fine and on the way home someone (still me) took another wrong exit and this time we ended up in the Bronx in front of the old Yankees Stadium.
One night we drove in to the city for dinner at Carmine’s on the West Side and when we got back to the car, five minutes late, I had a parking ticket that cost $72.
Everything was going fine on the day of the Belmont until the feature race and jockey Stew Elliott moved Smarty Jones a little too early, and other horses had been on his heels the entire trip trying to unsettle him, and he finished second.
People left the track crying because of his gallant effort in the loss.
It wasn’t until 30 minutes after the race, when I was trying to write, I realized one of the tickets I had thrown away was a Pick Six and had five out of six right.
I haven’t been back to New York since, and not sure if I really ever want to visit the Big Apple again.
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I enjoy your yearly coverage of Oaklawn and horse racing in general. Wally, you’re one of the best. I’m sure the day will come when we have another serious Triple-Crown contender, like Smarty Jones, come through Oaklawn. When that happens you’ll be back on a plane heading to LaGuardia for the Belmont Stakes. Also, thank’s for the update; all these years I thought old Yankee Stadium was in the Bronx, not Brooklyn.
If Wally didn’t complain about someplace he went THAT would be news.
One of the best?
John – you need to read something other than Weekly Reader.
If Tom and Leroy didn’t comment on someone’s blog that they obviously don’t like, that would be news!
If you don’t like it, don’t read it!
Tom-
Don’t get your feelings hurt. I’m sure you’re another Wally minion, but he’s terrible. I’ll disappear when this bozo is gone. He’s an embarrassment to this state. He’s become lazy and doesn’t care to be interesting any longer, much less knowledgeable.
I just want his space to go to someone who will do something interesting with it and stop embarrassing Arkansas with his 3rd grade gibberish nonsense.
Posting here what most people feel about Wally seems like a logical place. If the DemGaz wants to help their bottom line they’ll listen. He writes like an uneducated inbred, but it’s more about him being out of touch and uninteresting that bothers me. i want more from my paper than this idiot can offer.
Leroy,
My feelings aren’t hurt at all. Actually, I only read Wally’s column on Sunday’s when I get the paper, and occasionally on this blog. So I am not another Wally follower, just an occasional reader.
I am sure the DemGaz will take your comments on here to heart and fire Wally, all because you call him a bozo, an idiot, an embarassment, lazy, uninteresting, and refer to him as an uneducated inbred. Those are some pretty harsh words you call him, all because you don’t like his column. I don’t think your 3rd grade name calling is going to do you any good. Maybe you should try throwing sticks and stones instead.
It is what it is, my friend. The guy is an embarrassment.
I’m glad you enjoy his column though. Maybe you should pony up and by the daily paper to support him.
I’m not real worried about the Demgaz firing Wally over my comments. He’s become lazy and his column is horrible. It’s just a matter of time.
Maybe you should reread my post again. I never said I enjoy Wally’s columns. Just because I read them on occasion doesn’t mean I always enjoy them or agree with him. You say Wally is lazy in his column, but you my friend, are lazy in your reading.
Is this the Tom Sears who is football coach at Hoxie, in NE Arkansas? If so, he should be fired for writing such stuff! Hopefully, it is not.
Lisa,
No, you are incorrect. I am sure there is more than one Tom Sears in the U.S.