Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, we were “Off to the Races”! My father and his older brother owned a stable of harness racing horses. These horses drew a two-wheeled cart and raced at either a trot or pace, never a gallop.
My parents used to take me on a Friday night and I would sit and people watch in the restaurant. Some of the raceways included Saratoga Springs, Monticello, Yonkers and Roosevelt, all in the New York area. I loved the atmosphere; lots of cigarette smoke, gossip and talk about the horses. Even the trainer of the Habib horses would make an appearance. What a blast!
I think my favorite horse was Tar Tan. Tar Tan was the neurotic horse of the bunch. Gorgeous, huge, striking and only ran well in the rain! Go figure. The Habib family had a horse psychologist (didn’t know they existed) to try and figure out what the story was with Tar Tan. It didn’t help – he never changed.
My father, Joe was a quiet man, he only had something to say when it was necessary, but when he did talk, you listened. That was a special time for me with him, we had something in common that we could talk about non-stop. He would sit with the racing form and explain to me the different odds and who he thought would win the race. I loved that time and appreciate it all the more because we lost him in the early 70s.
The brooch shown above reminds me of him.
