Today's Eureka Trip

Two posts of Eureka pics. This one and the one just below this one.

My favorite sign above. Left click to enlarge.

You were expecting photos of horses breezing, right? N-o-t-a-b-l-e b-y t-h-e-i-r a-b-s-e-n-c-e.

Year from now I'm joking about today, another day in the horse business. It started off well. 6:45 a.m. Internet Weather checked out and we're off. The little birdie is saying, should have called racing office. Nah! What's the worry. GM Lee Smith said "track open all the time, come down any time."

Forgot to take a shot of the star of the day, the temperature gage on my truck. Enthusiastic readers of this blog will recall our cooling system troubles on the 1979 F-350 and the repairs at Midway Ford directed by yours truly. Today was the first test with a horse trailer. Thank you 45 mph winds for keeping the gage just to the left of the big "H". Our speed varies between 40 and 55 mph depending whether we're going uphill or down to keep the engine from blowing. The first comedy of the day.

We arrive at 12 noon 175 miles from home. Trainer Steve Jones says "Tim (Track superintendent Tim) is filling a few holes in the track but, it'll be open soon. Lee Smith, GM says "Tim is filling a few holes. Should be open soon."

I walk the horses in the 45 mph wind and notice Tim is watering the track, thank you very much. Just watered and graded track in pristine condition today, just for our arrival!

2:00p.m. Tim is still alternately watering and grading the track. The enthusiasm is subsiding somewhat. This is taking longer than expected.

3:00 p.m. ditto. Tim is still at it. RR figures now it'll be 4 pm and decides to take his daily run while waiting. Stops in at the cattle auction. Pictured the auctioneer and the gallery.

4:00 p.m. RR back from the run. Tim is still grading the track. It suddenly occurs to RR, something is up here. 4 hours of watering and grading?????? The Belmont is being run at Belmont, right? Do they intend to open this thing back up? Trip to racing office. Rita Osborne, the nice racing secretary--I don't know, go next door and talk to the Stewards about it. Stewards: "we had a horse go down Saturday and they said if we wanted to race this Saturday we'd have to regrade the track." Me: Is Tim going to reopen it? Steward: "I'm sure he will if you tell him you shipped in. We're friendly here. Go down and ask him when he's going to open it."

I go to the edge of the track as Tim goes by in his water truck and yell at the top of my voice as he speeds by "are you going to open it back up". I see him look back at me with an expression on his face that I'll remember. "No, not today".

I know Tim. I suddenly put this all together. They've again blamed Tim's track for a break down. There's no one getting on Tim's track until they race Saturday.

I withdraw my papers from the racing secretary. "Guess we picked the wrong day". "You sure did. The track has been open every day."

Below the initial pics. Next post the final pics. Left click to enlarge any that interest you.













Barn R, our barn, below.














Racing Office! More photos below!