by Gordon Waterstone

I’m already exhausted and we’re just starting what is always a whirlwind week in Lexington. It’s the second week of action in the Bluegrass and while racing doesn’t resume until Friday afternoon at The Red Mile, the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale got underway Monday night (Sept. 30) for the first of five sessions.

The weather over the past couple of days has gradually gotten better as the last remnants of Hurricane Helene/Tropical Storm Helene are pretty much gone. Monday was a decent day in Lexington but there were still lingering clouds, and the temperature hit the mid-70s. The earlier predictions of cooler temps have changed a bit as highs all week are expected to be in the mid-to-high 70s.

It’s hard to believe we are into October. This week we have the sale, we have racing, and we — I — have a full dinner slate on my schedule. Somehow, I have managed to receive an invitation to dinner every night through Friday. I still have Saturday and Sunday open so if anybody…

I neglected to give big props to the track crew at The Red Mile for getting the surface in race-ready shape for Saturday afternoon’s (Sept. 28) card. With all the rain and wind that hit the area on Friday that forced the cancellation of the day’s racing, I wasn’t optimistic about Saturday. But I was thankfully wrong and we saw some great racing.

There was a nice on-track ceremony during Saturday’s races to honor Mike Arnold, who passed away last March. Condolences have to go to the family of Cathy Rutherford, who owned, trained and drove horses for many years at many tracks, including those in Kentucky, and worked as a paddock judge at tracks including The Red Mile, Oak Grove and Shenandoah Downs. Cathy passed away on Saturday at the age of 58 after a battle with breast cancer.

On a lighter note, I was amused Saturday afternoon when I saw starter Mike Moss and starting car driver Erick Hager getting a door dash delivery. Mike later told me they hadn’t had a chance to eat lunch so they enlisted security to find them some food. And thanks to Andy Cohen for sitting with me in the grandstand for a few races while watching the rainy races.

I already told you that Tom Charters would be MIA this year in Lexington after breaking his arm in a fall, but also not making the trip to Kentucky this year is Jeff Gural. Like Tom, Jeff was injured in a fall at his Pennsylvania farm in August, suffering a pair of breaks in his pelvis. Also, like Tom, Jeff has been extremely kind to me over my career, and I will miss seeing him this year. Meadowlands COO/GM Jason Settlemoir also isn’t coming to town but he isn’t injured. Jason won’t be coming as he told me he received an invitation to a party hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, who he once hung out with years ago when he was in Lexington.

I had dinner Saturday night at Malone’s Palomar with newly-elected Communicators Hall of Famer Judy Wilson and David Manges, the son of our great friend Randy Manges, who passed away last December. David has traveled here from Dallas to join in on the celebration of his father’s life at a cocktail reception that took place Monday night prior to the opening session of the sale at Fasig-Tipton.

After an afternoon of watching football on Sunday, I made my way to the Stable of Memories AKA The Round Barn at The Red Mile for a great gathering for dinner and music and the official opening of the new display of trophies and memorabilia from Brittany Farms. Brittany owner George Segal and farm manager Art Zubrod both gave nice opening remarks. Kudos to Ex-Boss Kathy for putting together a great night, and y’all should try and find the time to head over to the Round Barn to give it a look.

I had a really nice conversation Sunday night with Red Mile president and CEO Joe Costa. Jerry Silva also came over to say hello and we talked a few minutes. I saw Elizabeth Caldwell and Tina Duer together so I went over to chat with them and pick their brains about France as I’m leaning heavily toward making my first-ever trip to the Prix D’Amerique in Paris in late January.

I sat at a table between Hambletonian Society heavyweights Moira Fanning and John Campbell, and I think after all these years I finally can say I’ve reached the pinnacle. John did a bar trip and he asked if I needed anything, and I said I did. I am so honored that the GOAT of drivers would do that for me.

Speaking of the GOAT of drivers, about a guy who is certainly making a case for himself: Dexter Dunn. Dex was one of several drivers who made the two-hour road trip from Lexington to Hollywood Dayton for the card that featured four $250,000 open stakes for older horses. Dex brought his broom with him as he swept the four races with Twin B Joe Fresh, Jiggy Jog S, Abuckabett Hanover and Logan Park. In all, he won six of nine drives on the Dayton card, which followed up a three-wins, five-seconds afternoon in 12 drives at The Red Mile.

I did the math and Dex banked purses of $568,250 at Dayton and $188,799 at The Red Mile. With total purses of $757,049, Dex’s five per cent fee on the day was $37,852.

I’m so glad Mark Weaver took some of my action on Garnet Barnsdale cashing on more than four first touchdown bets on Sunday’s NFL games. Garnet hit three on the afternoon games but he came up empty trying to score any winners on wagers involving his beloved Buffalo Bills, who got blown out by the Baltimore Ravens. I knew Garnet was toast when the Ravens’ Derrick Henry ran for an 87-yard TD a minute into the game.

I woke up bright and early on Monday as I wanted to do a morning doubleheader at The Red Mile and Fasig-Tipton. I moved briskly during the morning as I was going to need to go home, write this column, and then head back to Fasig-Tipton for the 5 p.m. cocktail reception honoring my great friend Randy and then the sale at 7 p.m.

When I arrived at The Red Mile at 8:30 a.m. I saw a group of about 15 Amish congregated near Nancy Takter’s barn. They walked away and I saw Nancy and Marcus Johansson sitting at the table. I talked hockey with Marcus and Karl with Nancy (she said Karl is good to go in Sunday’s Kentucky Futurity). I am impressed too with the great relationship Nancy and Marcus have after having been married to each other a few years ago.

I began to walk and Andrew Harris went by and said hello, and then I made my way over to see what was happening at Bob Stewart’s barn. When I first started doing the Backstretch column my first stop was always to see Bob, who was always joined by the late John Cashman. When I got to the barn Monday, I told Bob I was stopping at “The Gossip Barn” because that’s where I always received some great inside info from he and John.

Chuck Sylvester was there and we said hellos, but it was brief as he was studying a catalog page with Nick Salvi. The page was open to Hip 428 — selling on Wednesday afternoon — a Walner colt named Nicksin. Bred by Jeff Gural, along with his wife Paula and Monica Bencal, Nicksin was indeed named after Nick Salvi. Nick’s trying to put together a syndicate to purchase his namesake and he was working hard on Chuck.

I earlier told Nick that I’d consider it, but I was pretty sure that if the horse was like the human, he would need to be gelded soon. Nick wasn’t amused when I said that.

I saw Mitchel Skolnick, who introduced me to his son, Jake. Ernie Hendry came by and reminded me that the Detroit Lions play one of the two Monday night games and the Tigers begin their playoff series Tuesday afternoon in Houston. Jack Darling also went by me, and when I asked if he was with an offspring of Bulldog Hanover, he told me no.

When I was leaving The Red Mile — and I was leaving hungry because the breakfast area was again deserted — I saw Peter Gerry driving in. Peter is in search of a trotter he can drive in an upcoming amateur race at The Red Mile, so if you have one he can “borrow,” please let him know.

I then made my way up Newtown Pike to Fasig-Tipton. When I walked in, I saw a group by the Diamond Creek Farm consignment. Lo and behold, there was Marcus Johansson. I first asked if he had a twin brother who I had just seen at The Red Mile, and then asked how he beat me there. Also, there was farm owner Adam Bowden and his top-notch assistant Caroline Vazquez.

I walked away and paused a moment by the Kentuckiana Farms consignment, which led to me being asked by a young lady working there if I needed help and if there was a horse she could show me. I told her I wasn’t there to buy but to only gossip. I then made my way around the walking ring and stopped to talk to recently-elected Hall of Famer Bob Boni. We talked horses and baseball, and then started to walk back up toward the Diamond Creek barn.

Howard Perlmutter and Sarah Lauren arrived and Howard asked Bob about a horse. But that’s all I am going to say about Monday morning at the sale as I can’t divulge who was looking at what horse since I don’t want to give away anything.

That’s it for today. Gas prices haven’t changed as everywhere is in the $2.80 range. Hope I can get in a short nap before heading back to Fasig-Tipton by 5 p.m. Hope I can report next time on how great things went on the opening-night session. And how great it was to see my longtime sponsors, Steve and Cindy Stewart of Hunterton Farms/Hunterton Sales Agency. I know where to find them.