Greetings of the Season

Here is a wish for a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and healthy New Year.

C y'all down the road.

Dave

A Christmas Story of Another Kind

Hi There,

Yes...It's been a while since I’ve had anything interesting to say, but I wanted to give you my spin on what I consider a Christmas story of another kind.

On Wednesday December 12, there was an announcement posted on the USTA Online Newsroom (the website of the United States Trotting Association) that I am sure that many may have missed. It was the obituary of a racing man by the name of Michael Foley.

I had never met Mr. Foley, but based on his everything I have heard about the man, I am sure he was well respected in the New York area-racing scene. In his later years, racing and horses became his reasons for getting up every morning.

Sadly, as he began to lose to his infirmities, he had no choice but to let that part of his life go. In September, he said goodbye to the last of his horses, Paul’s Laughing.

Without taking too much from the statement, his daughter, Ms. Patti Hill related, “That horse was his life insurance policy. He always said that if he had to give the horse away, he wouldn’t be far behind.” He died less than two months later.

Now, in what appears to be an unrelated event, last week, South Salem, New York’s Carmen Ciccone completed a sweep of the year 2007 by winning the American Harness Drivers Club’s Fall Pacing Series Final. He was there, driving in defense of his championship from the Spring Series.

It was a close call for Ciccone to have even gotten to the races, not to mention the final. As late as few weeks prior to the start of the series, Ciccone was without a horse. His Chip’s Treasure, who had taken him to the spring final championship, had raced himself up and out of the AHDC conditions.

At the eleventh-hour, Ciccone finally found a suitable teammate, but with so little time, he was not sure how competitive they would be. After a cautious beginning, they completed a solid series with a win, a place, and a show, starting in three of the five legs. His horse proved to be a reliable and honest racehorse after all.

After a daylong barrage of ice and snow, a slushy Meadowlands racetrack became the stage where Ciccone and his mount made a perfectly timed move at the three-quarter pole and stormed down the stretch, en-route to an impressive final victory.

I had the honor of presenting Ciccone and his parents (his biggest fans) the Championship trophy in the Winner’s Circle celebration, somewhat abbreviated due to the weather conditions.

While I am not one who usually believes in such things, I had the strangest feeling that someone or something else was with us as the photograph was taken. I dismissed it to cold temperatures and the fact that I was freezing my...uh, you get the idea.

Later that evening, as I was busy updating the club’s website and preparing a release to the USTA, it occurred to me that Ciccone had at one point mentioned that the horse, who somehow became available at the last minute, had been given to him by a friend who had fallen ill. The pieces were beginning to fit into place.

Ciccone's mount was Paul's Laughing, the horse that kept Mr. Foley going until he could go no longer. The date of the final, Thursday December 13, just one day after the posting of Mr. Foley’s announcement.

I am sure that when the Ciccone's get that Winner’s Circle picture from the Meadowlands and take a good, hard look, they will find Mr. Foley in the background, with the broadest smile of all.
Happy Holidays to one all.