calder jocks room my birthday cake 1985 (2).jpg

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calder jocks room my birthday cake 1985 (2).jpg
calder jocks room my birthday cake 1985 (2).jpg

This is the last birthday cake I received from my dear racing friend, Jimmy Hobales, who galloped in the morning and worked the windows during the afternoon. Jimmy was the first Steeplechase rider to ever grace the covers of the Sports Illustrated Oct. 18,1954 edition.

He used to send a birthday cake every Nov. 9th to me in the jocks room. I had just gotten back in town at Calder Race Course, after having done very well riding in the North East and was delightfully surprised by my friend's generosity. I have this picture marked as 1985 but it may be 1983...I can't really recall.

Anyway, the lineup from left to right is: Freddie the Clerk of Scales, Constantino Hernandez (who was in a serious spill shortly thereafter where he died twice and had years of recovery to regain life), Carlos Astoria?, Me on the scales, Frank Pennisi (my dear, lifelong friend), Tino's girlfriend Joy?, Isaac Immeniz in the back, I forget the jock in the red silks, and then Louie, the valet in the front.

My clothes are falling off of me here...as I'd been through a fire where I lost everything: clothing, photos, money, dog food, racing tack, and my identity! So, in addition to my being very small, most of what I had at that point was given to me by friends, and things were just too big...

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Taken on: July 29, 2008
Sets appears in:   • A chronolgy of Me thru Life.    • Friends    more » • Horse Racing    « less
Groups appears in:   • Thoroughbred Horse Racing Global    • Florida Horse Racing   
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