About 10 kids and adults attended the first day of KTTC's great
local trip to Thistledown Racetrack. The morning began at 9:30
a.m. with breakfast during morning workouts sponsored by the
track HBPA, and Reverend Harris. TommyCuccinotta '06, Emma Shaw
'07 and her family, Wayne Brown, my father, mother and stepfather,
Lynn Boggs, Carol Cucinotta, and others enjoyed a wonderful
breakfast buffet on the pavilion.
Thistledown distributed free programs to the group just before
we went to the backside to see the stables.
First, we visited KTTC member Tommy Cucinotta's barn where
he showed all of the horses his father trains, and the one's
he owns, and gave everyone a brief explanation of who they all
are, and what their racing history was up to date.
Then we drove over to "Tin City" which is where the tin barns
are on the backside, and we went to the Lynn Boggs stable, where
she showed us all of her horses, and let everyone feed them
carrots. She also told us which one was racing in the day's
last race, so we knew who to root for.
As we drove back to the grandstand for the second race, in
which Tommy's horse was racing, everyone saw the stables of
famous horses and trainers such as Alan Sobol and Big Bambu's
Stable, Heather Giglio's Stable (former trainer of Burning Roma),
Richard Estavanko's Stable, and West Virginia Derby winners
Western Pride's Stable, and the Big Ohio stables of Stephen
Ford and Mike Nance's stables.
Then it started to rain a little bit, which Tommy loved because
his horse loves the mud. Unfortunately, the track didn't get
wet enough and the track was listed as fast as the horses were
led out from the indoor paddock.
Tommy's horse, Beautiful Friend, ran a close second.
After the fourth race the group went to the very top of the
grandstand to visit track announcer Charles Pinnell. Emma and
her sister Ely were on the television show with Charles and
they explained KTTC to the audience as Tommy and I laughed in
the background. We watched them on the big screen in the infield
from the window of the announcer's booth.
Charles Pinnell then showed us how he calls a race as 17-year-old
apprentice Kevin Krigger won the fifth race on the card. Charles
then showed us his win pictures from when he was a trainer in
California at tracks such as Bay Meadows, Santa Anita and Hollywood
Park. He was even assistant to Charlie Whittingham "The Bald
Eagle". Wow!!
In between races we led the group to the track museum to see
past winners of the Ohio Derby, famous pictures of famous things
at the track, including the winning silks of last years Ohio
Derby winner Milwaukee Brew. There are also pictures of the
track's 76-year-old history which dates back to when there were
two other racetracks were across the street from Thistledown,
and two others down the street.
Then we went back outside to watch the races leading up to
the Juvenile Stakes. Thistledown passed out coolers, and Skip
Away Sprint Stake pins.
In the Juvenile Stakes future KTTC member Hannah cheered for
the horse named after her, Eye's for Hannah, but just didn't
make it in time to the wire to the win, and placed fourth, and
U S S Tinosa won the 33rd running of the $75,000 Juvenile Stakes.
As U S S Tinosa was led to the winner's circle Emma, Sarah,
and Brittany presented the trophies to the winning connections
of the Juvenile Stakes.
