[Revidere]

I'm going to give you 2 horses. When Bold Forbes got me hooked back in 76, my father offered to take me out to the track. The date was Sunday, July 25, 1976 (not that i remember what I ate for lunch today). The stake that day was the second running of the Tom Fool a 7 panels. Since Bold Forbes, I had followed Cordero and saw that he was riding El Pitirre a son of Gallant Romeo for Laz Barrera in the Tom Fool vs. Honorable Miss. I remember him running pretty well against Forego in the Nassau County (2nd) and latched on to him. He broke on top, started to fade back to last and my dad gave me the "el Puzza" look (He stinks in italian). Turning for home, he re-gathered and won the race. My $7.60 felt like a million bucks and I had another horse who I would follow. Laz raced him against Forego, Hatchet Man, Intrpid Hero, Honest Pleasure and he always tried. He was more successful in grade III or high allowance races, but he always tried. In the summer of '77 we went down to Monmouth and Laz shipped a few down and was there schooling some in the paddock. I saw this chestnut with a huge blaze and asked if that was El Pitirre. Laz looked at me and said "How did you guess that?". I said I'd recognize him anywhere. He brought me back to the barn and introduced me to Life's Hope, Excepto, Blue Times and I got to hot walk El Pitirre. He was such a gentleman (Both Laz and El Pitirre). He loved to lean on you when you walked him. Laz said he just wanted to make sure you were close to him. In the early 90's after I had drifted away from the game a bit, I reached out to the Bloodhorse and they told me where to find him. I re-united with El Pitirre at a farm in Louisiana. Bananas Foster and thoroughbreds! My wife and I went down to his farm not far from the Fairgrounds. He moved slower and was a bit stiffer but he still loved peppermints and still leaned into you when he walked alongside.

Here he is in the spring of 1994.



My "other" other horse is Jones Time Machine. She made a trek east when Ted Sabarese started buying accomplished runners and started a true racing team, with minimal focus on breeding. Purchased from D.Wayne Lukas, she ran a good second to Dance Number in the '82 Dark Mirage at Aqueduct, giving ground late. It was her early splits in California which caught my eye. 42 4/5 for a half was routine. Freakish speed. She stopped in a lot of her races but she was small and fast. Oh, and she was a Utah bred! I also liked her silks, as they were similar to mine. So when she showed up weekly (it seemed) on the Racing from Aqueduct show I was hooked again. After a call to trainer John Parisella, I received an invite to the barn at Belmont and got to meet her and her mates. He gave me a stable shirt and JTM hat. If you're a NY racing fan these names should roll off the page... Cheap Seats, Chieftan's Command, Fray Star, Am Capable. Subsequent purchases included stakes winners Simply Majestic, Fight Over, General Practitioner. In a reversal of the Jones Time Machine transaction, Lukas purchased the talented mare Pine Tree Lane from Sabarese in 1986. She ended up at River Edge farm in California and recently passed away. Her daughter from Mr. Prospector, Blue Jean Baby won the 1987 Colleen and Sorority at Monmouth in style just like her mom. ON THE ENGINE.

Jones Time Machine @ Aqueduct-1983





Thanks for reading. It was fun to rekindle these memories at the New Year.