Book mark October 4th
 

As a society we all share common memories. Sadly, the ones that most punctuate our recollections surround disasters. "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" "Where were you on 9/11? or from my parents day: "Where were you when WW II was over/started?

I call these bookmarks as they reference our lives with a common event in our shared history. Authors Hammond Keeney and Raiffa in their book Smart Choices, state that these are heightened by a psychological ploy they call "The Recallability Trap" (p. 203). When emotion fuels a memory, it is much more vivid.

October 4 1989 ranks as a bookmark in my life and as we approach the twentieth anniversary of the passing of one of the best equine athletes of the twentieth century, Secretariat. I was aware, from friends at Claiborne, that Big Red was suffering from laminitis. I had just visted him that past November and noted that he was definitely off on the front while attempting to cantor through his spacious paddock outside the top spot in the stallion barn.

As if it were yesterday, I had entered a store to buy the Racing Form and discovered the headlines of his euthanasia. Sometimes it is hard to believe just how traumatic that event ranks within my store of bookmarked days. The beautiful Fall colors at Claiborne, the way the grooms were so proud to take me to his stall, the way we treated him with peppermints, his massive size ....all were unlike any thoroughbred I had witnessed before or since.

Realizing that Mrs. Tweedy would be overwhelmed with responses, I waited until January to send my favorite photo of him to her through the Jockey Club in New York with my condolences. Never thinking a thing about it, I was amazed that three weeks later I received a hand written response from her thanking me for the photo and then included her favorite photo of him as a mature stallion. She commented that Red "was doing his best to destroy the fences (cribbing) there at Claiborne."

Best horse to come out of Doswell Virginia, the US and arguably the world over the last 50 years.

Bookmark today Oct 2nd Bud Abbott's B-DAY he would have been 104 years old.


I hope Bud that you and Lou are still making them laugh wherever you are

Thanks for sharing those Secretariat photos and your memories with us, Tim.

It's been said many times but yes, truly, Secretariat was the standard all thoroughbreds would be measured against.

I mentioned this often over the years about Secretariat but I was at the race on July 4, 1972 --on one of my first dates with the girl I'd eventually marry -- when Secretariat made his racing debut.

Of course, he wasn't Secretariat then but I do recall that race and wound wind up going to see him live in most of his races, missing just those out of town, and taking mrs. reckless with me, reminding her of our July 4th date at the track for many years after.