Gordon Waterstone

Lexington, KY — Star pacers Bulldog Hanover and Beach Glass arrived shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday after a 10-hour ship from Ontario, so of course my first mission on a chilly Friday morning — 45 degrees — was to find the pair. I did, and I’ll give an update later in the column.

Racing action got underway yesterday afternoon at The Red Mile and while the sun was shining, a pretty good wind from the north made it feel much cooler than the 70 degrees. When I arrived at the track shortly before post time, the first thing I heard was Dave Brower talking with Gabe Prewitt about Backstretch With Gordon on the simulcast feed. Thanks Dave and Gabe, I appreciate the plug, and I’m sure my sponsors, Steve and Cindy Stewart’s Hunterton Farm and Hunterton Sales Agency, do as well.

I stopped first yesterday to see Bessie in the general office to pick up a program and then made my way up to the judges’ stand. It’s a precarious walk to see them but I made my way up the steps and across the roof. Judges PJ Cooksey and Jeff James were there, as well as Beverly, who puts up the running numbers and helps out in any way if needed. PJ has a Thoroughbred background being a former jockey, and Jeff, well Jeff I’ve known for more than 40 years since back in my days working at Hazel Park and Northville Downs.

Jeff is considered one of the greatest drivers ever in the Windsor-Michigan area. With more than 4,800 career driving victories, Jeff is a member of Michigan’s Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Back when I started at Hazel Park I hired Jeff’s former wife, Susie, to be one of my assistants. I was so thrilled earlier this year when Jeff — who has been retired from racing several years — called me and told me that he was returning to the sport as a judge. His first gig came at Oak Grove before moving to Lexington for The Red Mile meet.

I stopped in to watch the second race with announcer Gabe Prewitt and it was a bit chilly in his booth. The wind was howling and I told Gabe it felt more like winter so I was heading downstairs to sit in an apron box in the sunshine.

I plopped myself down in a box next to Jenn Bongiorno, who was sitting with Debbie Daguet, and I congratulated her on reaching the 1,000-win milestone in her training career. Jenn was holding her seven-month-old Frenchton Marty Jay Byrde, named after the character Marty Byrde on the TV show Ozark. The Jay is in honor of the father of Jenn’s boyfriend, Brian Sears. Jenn told me that The Red Mile was the eighth racetrack Marty Jay Byrde has been to.

John Fodera came over and sat for a few minutes and then Nick Salvi came by and joined me for a few races. I watched as Zanatta, a Bongiorno-trained horse with Jenn’s brother Joe driving, finished second to Twin B Joe Fresh in a Bluegrass division for 2-year-old filly pacers and I told her that second to that filly was pretty good. Trainer Chris Ryder has yet another star in his stable in Twin B Joe Fresh, and I walked over to the gate so I could congratulate him after he left the winner’s circle and an interview with Dave Brower.

“She’s got some engine,” Chris told me.

I then saw Jeremy Wilson, who runs the gift shop at The Red Mile. Stop in to see Jeremy as he’s got plenty of great items available, and he told me he was expecting some new things to arrive later. If you didn’t bring cooler weather gear, stop in to see Jeremy as he’ll take care of you.

Last night I attended the Kentuckiana Farms party at the Malone’s Banquet Center, which is across the street from the community where I live. The party was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. so I left my place at 6:58 and made it in plenty of time. I thanked Bob Brady and Ken Jackson for the invitation, and then spent some time talking to Nick Salvi and Frode Fladen, who has made his way to The Red Mile for the first time in three years. It was great to catch up with Frode, a native of Norway who lives in Oslo but also spends time in Florida.

Bob Brady had told me that they had caught nearly 500 crappie in Cave Run Lake that Malone’s cooked up for us. I hit the buffet line with Dave Brower and after filling our plate with crappie, huge jumbo shrimp, beef sliders and more, we sat ourselves at a table with Jimmy, Christina and Nancy Takter. Thursday was Jimmy’s birthday so I wished him a Happy Birthday! Joe Sbrocco then came over to join us, and soon came Judy and Buck Chaffee. Judy sat next to me so we chatted a bit, and they showed me a photo of a new barn they are building on their 200-plus acre farm in Paris, Ky., just north of Lexington. Judy also told me that Buck has some business dealings next week in Guatemala so they will be heading there next Thursday (Oct. 6), so they’ll only be at the yearling sale at Fasig-Tipton the first three sessions.

Gordon Waterstone with Bulldog Hanover. John Sanucci photo.

So now I can get to this Friday morning. As always I headed first to the breakfast table but alas, there was no breakfast available. Instead, today’s meal offering is a barbeque sponsored by Bluegrass Staking that will get underway at 11:30 a.m. So I headed to the barn area to find Bulldog Hanover and Beach Glass, who as I said earlier arrived late yesterday afternoon. I saw Diamond Creek Farm’s Marcus Johansson and asked if he knew where the two pacers were and he pointed me in the direction of trainer Dewayne Minor’s barn three rows down. Marcus is a big New York Rangers fan and me being a big Detroit Red Wings fan, we talked hockey for a few minutes. Marcus was pleasantly surprised when I told him I was actually named after the great Red Wings star Gordie Howe as my parents were longtime season ticket holders and big fans.

I started to walk to the Minor stalls when I finally saw trainer Bob Stewart. I had made my way to his barn on my first backstretch tour on Wednesday but he was on the phone in his truck so I left and when I returned he was gone. I didn’t see Bob at all yesterday but I’m glad I caught him today, and we talked about how my first stop for so many years of Backstretch With Gordon was to see him and the late John Cashman Jr., who I always found in the Stewart barn. Bob introduced me today with Pollie Mallar, and I felt good when he told me he was a faithful reader of Backstretch With Gordon.

I told Bob I was heading to see Bulldog and he gave me some of the kindest words of encouragement as I headed off. I was able to easily find Bulldog, who was with Johnny Mallia, who has worked for trainer Jack Darling for about 15 years. Photographer John Sanucci was there so I handed him my phone to take the photo you see with this column, with Johnny giving Bulldog Hanover a banana, the pacer’s favorite treat. I had spoke to Jack Darling a couple of days ago and his first stop heading to Lexington would be Hollywood Dayton, where Bulldog Hanover will race in the $250,000 Dayton Pacing Derby on Saturday night. Then he would make his way to the Bluegrass.

Johnny told me that Beach Glass was in the next barn in a Lindy Farm stall and sure enough as I walked up trainer Brent MacGrath greeted me with a big hello. Of course I first met Brent in the Somebeachsomewhere days and I’ve done a few stories with him through the years reminiscing about the superstar pacer’s career and untimely death. I’m glad Brent is enjoying great success again with Beach Glass, a son of The Beach. Brent and his wife, Rhonda, live in Truro, Nova Scotia, and he showed me a video on his phone of the wrath of Hurricane Fiona, which recently hit the area. No damage to the house but there were many, many trees that were down that will take some time cleaning up.

I started to head back and walked past Linda Toscano’s barn, where she, Joe Holloway and Andrew Cohen were sitting. I laughed as Joe went one way and Linda went the other as I walked up. Hope they weren’t avoiding me! I chatted with Andrew for a few minutes and then went past back of one of Tony Alagna’s barn where I saw Jonas Czernyson. Actually, his dog came running up to me and Jonas was trying to stop him. I saw Jonas at the Kentuckiana party last night and we agreed that it was a good time.

Friday’s high is expected to reach 70 degrees, and Saturday it will be much cooler with a high of just 62 degrees. There is a chance that remnants of Hurricane Ian will make its way to Lexington but let’s hope it stays east and we stay dry. As for the coming days, it’s still expected to remain cool with highs only in the low 70s and chilly nights.

Gas prices haven’t changed.

Remember, racing on Saturday at 1 p.m. and then with an off day and no racing or sale on Sunday, Backstretch With Gordon will take Sunday off and return on Monday.

Enjoy the races today and if you can, head to the area by The Deck for the Bluegrass Staking barbeque.