by Gordon Waterstone

What a gorgeous Saturday morning in Lexington! Even arriving at The Red Mile and finding nary a bagel at the Hunterton Farm-sponsored breakfast table didn’t faze me.

I guess you can say that the Bagel Breakfast Bonanza was like the one-and-done era of Kentucky basketball under former coach John Calipari. It didn’t work for Coach Cal and bagels being one and done didn’t work for me.

Chris Tully told me that the butter croissants were delicious, but I was still hesitant. Thankfully, Chris went and put a couple of croissants on a plate and brought it to me, and I can confirm they were very good.

I got home Friday night about 9:30 p.m. after having dinner at Ramsey’s with Judy Wilson and Kim Rinker and her 97-year-old dad, Don. I let our server Taylor know that Don was 97, and she remarked her great-grandmother was 96. Don lives in Springfield, OH, so I told Taylor that the secret to Don’s remarkable life was that he always made sure to eat at least one dog and cat weekly. Yes, Taylor laughed mightily.

I need to make a couple of PSAs at this point. A black, high-heeled shoe was found out on the street, so whoever got home and found herself wearing only one shoe, you can pick up the other with Chris in the She Shaq by The Deck and Tree of Knowledge. It is believed the identity of the person missing the shoe is known, but to be safe and ensure it goes to the proper owner, I’ll leave it be.

Also missing is one of Nancy Takter’s UFO bikes. Nancy sent word out Friday night that the bike was missing and whoever had it to please return it, and Tony Alagna quickly answered that he was the culprit and he was holding it for ransom. I checked the Alagna barn Saturday morning and the bike was nowhere to be found, and I then confirmed in the Takter barn that the bike, which had been sitting outside the barn early on Friday’s card, was still missing.

Hard at work on The Deck Saturday morning were the USTA’s Rich Johnston and Cheyenne Christman. USTA photographer Mark Hall was also around. I was talking to Nick Salvi when Mark came over and thanked Nick for the beautiful weather this week. Nick told Mark it wasn’t all him and that he had help from his favorite local weatherperson Bayne Froney. Nick said he had watched Bayne earlier on the morning show and she predicted a high of 81 on Saturday and 85 on Sunday. And total sunshine.

I had eaten my two butter croissants separately but Don Campbell came by and had one in each hand. I was most impressed with his double-fisting talent to down those croissants quickly.

Dan Coon came upon the scene, and while he was taking all the credit for the great racing surface that led to two world records on Saturday’s card — not including the world-record-long inquiry that slowed things down a bit — his brother Greg arrived.

Greg is sitting out this year as the starter for the Grand Circuit meet. Instead, usual starter Mike Moss is in the seat, and it’s the first time Mike has ever started during the two-week stand of major stakes races. It’s nice for Mike as he is retiring following Sunday’s Kentucky Futurity Day card.

Sitting in an apron box were Tara Horsman and Murray Ferguson, who had made the trip from Toronto. I first met Tara long ago at The Red Mile and for several years she stayed with me during the Grand Circuit meet. Tara, who is an outstanding artist, and Murray have had some success with horses in Kentucky the past few years.

I’ve been remiss in not noting the work of HRU photographer Dave Landry this past week. He and I have crossed paths several times, but he’s always in search of a great photo so we haven’t spoken long.

I’ve also been remiss in not noting my Swedish peer Karsten Bonsdorf’s publishing a daily column similar to Backstretch With Gordon. I’ve done the Google translation and read a couple of Karsten’s columns. But as my former co-worker Greg Schuler always tells me, Backstretch With Gordon may be often imitated but never duplicated.

While heading home to write the early portion of this column Saturday I made a phone call to Paul Ramlow at the USTA. He’s my “Brother P,” just as I am his “Brother G.” Paul is also a big Detroit sports fan, mostly the Red Wings and Tigers, so I called to ask his thoughts about the incredible run the Tigers have been on.

One person I realized I’m really missing is Dave Brower, who was always plugging my column on the broadcast. Glad to see his sister, Laura, involved in partnerships with Anthony MacDonald. Also, where in the world were the Wingfields this year?

I wasn’t scheduled to work my greeting job at the Stable of Memories Saturday so I was able to arrive at The Red Mile for the race card shortly before noon. I took a seat at an inside table with Lee and Denna Sattelberg, Patty Wright Robinson and Don and Kate Marotta. Ed and Cheryl Sayfie also stopped by to say hello so it was a nice, big gathering of native Michiganders. Tom Hicks also took a seat, but he doesn’t count as he’s not from Michigan.

Don was kind enough to buy me a Bloody Mary to kick off the day. We toasted to the Tigers, but alas as you all know by now, they lost to Cleveland 7-0. I went up to a second-floor box behind a group that included Myron and Stephanie Bell and Sam Bowie so I could watch the start of the Tigers game, but after going down 5-0 in the first inning, I knew I’d be good in shutting it off and sticking to watching the races.

I saw Art Zubrod and asked how he was doing now that the last of the Brittany yearlings have been sold. Art said he’s shed a tear or two over the last few days, especially seeing the farm’s trophies on display in the new exhibit at the Stable of Memories.

I saw Jenn Bongiorno in an apron box so I went over to say hello to her and Marty Byrd. Jody Jamieson was sitting there so I was glad I had a chance to chat for a few with him before he had to head to the paddock for his drive in race 8.

On Friday there was an incident at Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport when a private jet needed to go into the safety area, which forced the shutdown of the runway. A flight from Detroit to Lexington was diverted to Louisville, and Jody told me he was on that connecting flight to the Bluegrass. He said plans were to eventually fly everyone to Lexington, but he decided to Uber it the one-hour drive. I was so glad to see Jody drive R Dutchess to a 1:52.1 win in a $68,400 International Stallion Stakes division in his only drive of the day.

I popped over to see Nick Salvi in his box, taking a seat next door with Doug McIntosh. Nick introduced me to John Rallis, who I had yet to meet. John left after a few minutes, noting that he was going to make the hike upstairs to see Gabe Prewitt.

I was wandering around again and saw my former Horseman And Fair World co-worker Lynne Myers, who was with her husband Mike. Dr. Katie Flynn was also there. And then Ex-Boss Kathy arrived so it was like a mini-Horseman reunion between me, Kathy, Lynne and Katie. As I was heading out, I saw Bryan and Lella Montgomery, so I went over to see how Lella was feeling as she was under the weather Friday and didn’t make it to the track.

As noted in the headline, this is my last column for 2024. Actually, when the meet started, I was set on making this my final column ever. Upon the suggestion of Ex-Boss Kathy in 2003 I began to wander The Red Mile backstretch, which soon led to my memorializing all my journeys throughout the two-week Grand Circuit stand.

Despite a bumpy start — I found myself hanging with Nick Salvi too much, which led to Ex-Boss Kathy censuring me many times — Backstretch With Gordon has arguably succeeded. As I’ve written before, it’s not Pulitzer Prize material, but it was never meant to me. It’s simply light reading, some fact, some fiction, and a little bit of Indian Charlie mixed in.

I had told several people of my future intentions, and while everybody said I should continue, they understood that after 22 years it might be time. Truthfully, it was a conversation with Red Mile president Joe Costa at the Stable of Memories gathering last Sunday night that I began to rethink my decision. “You can’t stop doing the column as it’s the only way I know what’s going on around here,” Joe told me.

So, as this meet ends, I’ve left the door open to return in 2025. Thanks greatly to Boss Dave for the opportunity in HRU. Thanks to Associate Boss Debbie (Little) for her help as well. And congratulations to Debbie for her recent election to the Communicators Hall of Fame.

Thanks to my agents Nick Salvi and Amy Hollar. Advance notice though: If I continue in 2025 y’all are going to really have to get me a sweetheart deal.

And a special thanks to my sponsors, Steve and Cindy Stewart’s Hunterton Farm/Hunterton Sales Agency. Final numbers for the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale that wrapped up Friday night show the overall second-best gross and average in history. Final numbers show Hunterton Sales Agency with 79 yearlings sold for $8,384,000 — an average of $106,127.

Here goes the drum roll……… gas prices continue to be on the decline. Most stations are in the $2.70 range, but one local friend told me he found a spot at $2.62.