DAY 2 ENDS..

As the day winds down and a Kentucky evening sets in, the second day of Breeders' Cup comes to a close. It's been an amazing experience, From the track, to the town, to basically every person I've met so far, this has been all that I've hoped. Early nights and early mornings are fine with me.

Living the life of the horseman(woman) is not only noble, but exciting, fulfilling and worthy of praise. My hat goes off to all of the backstretch workers who bathe, walk, fix, talk and do whatever else needs to get done to get our beloved horses on the track and racing. As I walked the backstretch this morning, I couldn't help but wax romantic about living life on the backstretch. Maybe it's the gorgeous weather we've been having (I've never mucked a stall at 6 am in the middle of January in NY or Kentucky) but the life of a horse(person) could easily be for me. Perhaps another time in a another place. I like to joke that my ultimate "romantic" fantasy is to work on a horse farm in Chile.

Finally, as I head to bed, I just want to give a quick shout-out to some journos who have been more than gracious in their treatment of this lowly blogger. Whether it's a friendly tip, a helpful suggestion or kudos on a job well done (horse racing blogs in general) most of the people covering the sport (of the ones that I've met) are quality class people. Believe it or not, they are reading our blogs and they are enthused and intrigued by our participation in the sport.

A quick promotional support shout-out to Rod Meyer of Blue Note software for his support in providing some of the technical gadgets that allow me to relay my colorful experiences to the world. Thanks to "Red" Schneider for teaching, mentoring and introducing me to this great game. And thanks to my fellow bloggers at the TBA and beyond for all of your support, suggestions and b@*l busting - it is much appreciated!

As I sat outside the 6th floor press box on today's 73 degree fall afternoon in racing's "Mecca", I couldn't help but think how content and fortunate I've been.

Looking forward to tomorrow...

Quote of the day: "People have opinions. Horses have the facts" D. Wayne Lukas.