Jim "The Hat" Bradshaw

[RichieP]

so Jim and a couple of buddies used to fly in a small plane to tracks from time to time. One day they took off for Fairgrounds and Jim and a friend were in the back drinking a bit of bourbon. All of a sudden the pilot (forgive me I cant remember his name) comes in the back and takes a swig of the booze!

Hat asks him "who the hell is flying the dang plane?" He answered the auto pilot was on. Hat yells at him " get back up there and fly the dang plane and when we land Im gonna kick the crap outta you!"

Of course they landed safely and Hat went and ………………..

LOL

[Lt1]

Hi Richie how you doing my friend. Thanks for this story. I hope you will share some of those you told us up at the Spa. Had me laughing my butt off.
Tim

[HatsGirl]

Richie P, that is was great story. I had heard it, but had forgotten all about it.

[RichieP]

Hat used to love playing New York racing and as he put it "taking that smart NY money"!

He went to the simulcast one day and when he got home he told me he played Belmont and lost bad. Told me he had unfinished business there! A week later he called me up wanting to play but I told him it was raining and he said PASS til it was nice out.

Couple of days later weather was gonna be nice and he told me during our nightly phone call to get the pp's for the next days card and to call him early and we'd go over the card beforehand. I called early and LeRoi answered. I said hi and she said" Richie he has that look in his eye, Ive seen it before! We should play his horses in daily doubles and pick 3's and include his "other horse"" When she put him on the phone he went over the whole card giving me ONE horse in every race and in a few of them gave me his "other horse", telling me to "play them Rich"

Ok so the card runs and he goes 7 for 9 with his horse and in one of the other 2 races his "other horse" wins. so 8 out of 9 and a few were double digit payers too! I called the house later, before speaking with Hat LeRoi asked me how I did I told her I played my own horses and while wining a few bucks ….... LeRoi laughed telling me I was a stubborn … said if we had played them all in doubles and pick 3 's we could have won enough to buy a car! This was true!

Hat comes in and gets on the phone" told you Rich we were gonna get them good"! He hit like 3 or 4 cold pick 3;s , doubles, win bets everything! He cleaned up and when he asked ME about my play and I told him what I had done he paused for a couple of seconds then said " Rich I like that you follow your own path but today you're a dumb sonofa…..! LMAO I told him he's right


I really miss Jim and our talks which to be honest were much more about life and being a good person over horse racing. I am Blessed to know him


Richie

PS - Hi Tim! We are doing great, Karen says hi and cant wait to hook up again at the Spa

[HatsGirl]

Oh Richie, I loved that story. Thank you so much for sharing. I remember the last 7 weeks before he passed and he was in the hospital, that you would call, and brighten his day. When they thought, that they may be able to do radiation on him again on his 5th cancer, he said he might have to change his name, from "The Hat", to "The Cat", because it looked like he may have 9 lives.


I miss him so much. He would call me, and say "uh Mac", "I may have gotten you in trouble with LeRoi". I would say, "Dad, why did you do that"? He would say "I really didn't mean to", and just laugh. This would happen about every week.

[Lt1]

Hey Rich that was one of the great stories that you share with us at the Spa. I can almost hear Jimmy giving you heck. lol. Say hi to Karen and hopefully we will meet at the Spa again this year.
Tim

[Lt1]

Rhonda your dad was one tough son of a gun.
Tim

[Bill V.]

The thing I will always remember about all my talks with Jim and Leroi was
they never played the game of talking negatively

I had so many questions about past members of Pirco
Some who left under good terms and lots who left for greener pastures
and pots of gold using Jim and Doc's programs under their own brand.

They always spoke with respect and or no comments

I appreciate their high road life choices
they earned my total respect

Bill "Binder"

[HatsGirl]

Thank you so much Bill "Binder".

[HatsGirl]

You are right Tim. Sort of a long story: Dad & I use to watch Everyone Loves Raymond. One time, Ray wrote an obituary for his Dad Frank, but Frank was not deceased. Frank found out, and liked what Raymond had said. Dad & I were talking, and he wanted to know what I would say in his obituary. I said, "well, I have to say how smart you are", Dad says "OH YES". I said, "I have to say how good lookin' you are", he says, "that's a must". Last but not least, "I have to say you are the toughest SOB that I know". Dad say, "you have got to say that".


When he had been moved into hospice, he kept hanging on, and the nurse did not know why. When it was just Dad & I in the room, I went over to him, and took his hand. I said "Dad, you are the toughest SOB that I have ever known, but you have to let go". "I am going to let go of your hand, and when I do, I want to you to take The Lord's hand, and go with him, he is waiting on you" I was praying so hard, to be as tough as my Dad, and not cry. I left go of Dad's hand, and stepped back, and he quit breathing. I went to tell the nurse, "I think my Dad just died". All hell broke lose, and they came running in, and yes he was gone.