I know what you're thinkin' we're in Nola, Louisiana Derby weekend, and once upon a time, friends coming into town, holding drinks in both hands, We Were just getting started!
We were the modern version of gladiators back then!
For me those days have long passed me by.
I prefer my evenings relaxing, handicapping with the dogs at my sides.
I will admit, I was wild back then, for example in New Year eve 1999 kissing in the year 2000 at the VIP Party for Pamela Lee Anderson V.I.P show New Years Eve bash.
I escorted two ladies to that party, one of them being Pamela Lee's body double.
Those were the days!
I didn't have to worry about Delta Figures, Zeta Figures, 4 star works and more, plus more important didn't have two huskies at home waiting to grill me about where I been, without them.
Big weekends like Louisiana Derby, Blue Grass weekend, Kentucky Oaks and Derby always hectic with not only picking winners, analyzing works and identifying and publishing videos, but with friends coming in town.
Them were the days when you promised yourself you wouldn't be going out, staying up late, as one had to get up early, do works, etc and as you are walking out of the track, and you run into a friends and you are 'kidnapped' into having drinks, next thing you know its 2 in the morning.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, we got some news.
We are headed up to Keeneland next week tour ol' Kentucky Home. We have had Amy Kearns there getting videos and giving us reports, dissecting Turfway, but in the meantime she is all tore up!
"Keeneland doesn't look like Keeneland." she wrote in a text, accompanied by a descriptive visual aid.
The Clubhouse entrance is blocked off due to construction and will be for the meet, all the way to the Sales pavilion.
They are enhancing, an already phenomenal, paddock.
I can see why Amy was all torn up. She's been attending Keeneland all of her life, the horror!
Keeneland's meet will go on as planned, and the racing on the track and turf course, won't miss a thing.
If the paddock at Keeneland is as breathtaking as the new Churchill one, it will be worth the wait.
We are also going to be simultaneously start at Churchill Downs in the morning as our march to the first Saturday in May comes into focus.
You won't find Maximus, Proximo or Commodus, at least in human form, but this Colisseum type paddock will certainly attract all racing fans and onlookers this spring and summer.
I actually look forward to go and be in the 'colisseum' and hear the roar of the crowd when we saddle, with our partners. Bo Cruz, whom is slated to run at Churchill Downs this spring.
So, we have Keeneland and Churchill in our backyard coming up.
Therefore, this Triple Crown has the makings of a doozy with all new bells and whistles, but that's not all.
As Belmont is under full construction, Saratoga will be hosting the famed Belmont week.
Yes, the Spa in June.
This is not going to be a typical Triple Crown or Spa season, for sure, but we are not, yet, done.
The week after Belmont, I and the Huskies, Joe & Rudy, will be trekking across the country (We will chronicle with pictures from America the Beautiful) to Carlsbad, California, a stone throw away from Del Mar.
As we pack here in Nola, my daughter, Gioanna, my eldest, who also runs all our results and data entry is relocating to our new palatial estate in North County as of April 1 (Absolutely not an April fools)
My youngest Alessandra and her husband Adam, already live in Southern California, and are responsible for the workouts and results data entry on the back end Racingwithbruno and BrunoWithTheWorks, making Racingwithbruno, literally, a family affair.
Its great having family around, as also my brothers and their families are in San Diego area, but there is more:
This summer, Brian Lauzurica and I, will be tackling Del Mar right into the Breeders Cup in November, It will be my return to a track I spent 25 years of my professional life.
My first race experience was in 1984 at Del Mar.
Thus, we got you covered from coast to coast, Amy in Kentucky/Keeneland along with Jason our Churchill correspondent, Mike Miakisz in New York, Laz and myself in California. Who has it better?
For myself, we will keep our place in Kentucky and venture back for spring 2025 and start the process all over again.
The horses will take center stage, once in the day, gladiators entertained the droves, this time only horses and definitely no lions.