Going For A Double

Because the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness were huge events for me this year and we'd spent them both with S and R, Eddie and I saw them one more time for the trifecta. We had to meet in the city because the traffic for the Belmont Stakes was going to take up the entire Belt and that's the only way to travel between our houses. In the city, we found Triple Crown, named for the third horse race and where the placemats have a typo.

We all bet this time. Eddie chose the same horse that lost the first two races when he chose him. Then he made me choose Shackleford again because I was having a hard time choosing. At first, I wanted Isn't He Perfect but didn't have fun yelling it out loud, which is how to choose a horse, and then I played with the idea of choosing Nehro, but Shackleford was just too fun to say.

S chose Isn't He Perfect. R chose "five up from the bottom," which turned out to be a horse whose name no one knew how to say, Monzon.

We met S at Triple Crown and decided to go in because they had on their sign outside that they would be showing the race. I wanted to walk in where the hostess was standing but they told me we had to go through the door on the side. The entire front of the restaurant was open--it has one of those open seating sidewalk areas and the entire wall opens up to it--but no, we had to walk through two doors. The hostess was there waiting for us, so I'm sure she heard the entire debate and thought we were dumb.

We ordered apps while waiting for R to arrive after working. The apps were okay. Not the best looking chicken fingers. And more importantly, not the best tasting. We ordered food shortly afterwards when R arrived, and the entrees weren't all that special either.But we were there for the horses anyway.

The time finally came to parade the horses out to the gate. My horse was walking sideways. Of course he was.

Then they were off! Shackleford! Shackleford! He lead the whole time. He was out in front. It was not a joke. Then, in the final stretch, everything fell apart.

Ruler on Ice wins! Ruler on Ice wins!

Who the hell is Ruler on Ice? Oh, that's the horse with the jockey who's wearing neon pink and orange. S was gonna pick him. Instead, as aforementioned, she chose Isn't He Perfect who came in last. Monzon didn't place very high and MuchoMachoMan, Eddie's horse, came in forth I think.

As for Shackleford? I think Shackleford is still running, perhaps backwards.

When it was all over, R said to me, Seriously, you were freaking me out because your horse was like in front the whole time. I was going to make you play the Lotto tonight. Wow, I thought you were lucky.

Glad I didn't freak you out, R.

So we all came up losers at Belmont and now we have to wait until next May for the excitement to begin again. We left Triple Crown through the window.