Reading the 20th anniversary story of Cigar's record-tying race at Arlington brought back memories of the best racing day I remember in my 27 years of attending races there. Two of the memories are unusual:
· Our box is on the finish line just in front of the third floor aisle. Just before the race, the aisle was packed, and the ushers were trying to clear it. To help those who didn't have seats as best we could, we invited as many people as possible to join us, ending up with probably fifteen or more people in a box for six. The extreme enthusiasm of this group only enhanced the experience for us.
· The next morning, I was on the backstetch, and went to congratulate Bill Mott–I knew him a bit. As I approached, he was entering Cigar's stall. Here's what I saw: as Bill entered the stall, Cigar picked up his bad hoof for Bill to inspect–can you imagine that?
A day at the races is always a good day, and some of those days are even better.
–Steve Holland
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