Backstretch with Gordon

Jimmy Takter looked straight at me and said: “What pacing hobbles?” My first stop on the 2006 Backstretch With Gordon tour was to Takter’s barn where I could see for myself that Mister Trotting indeed have pacing hobbles, so I asked Jimmy where the equipment was and he didn’t even flash a smile when I got the answer, although he was kidding as he sometimes likes to do with me.

I really just wanted to make sure that Jimmy didn’t just stick a pair of those trotting ones that are used now on his Little Brown Jug winner Mr. Feelgood. He finally admitted to me (with a grin) that he thought he had six pacing pairs (one for each of the pacers in his dominantly-trotter barn). And to prove it, Adam Hanley, the caretaker of both Mr. Feelgood and the filly pacer Cabrini Hanover, grabbed a pair to show me and my associate Joe Kyle.

I was also a bit stunned when talking to Adam as he has a distinct Swedish accent. Thing is, Adam, who is 23, is from Maine and began his racing career working for Kim Ireland, later moving on to Ray Remmen and then to Swedish-native Takter five years ago. Hanley's aunt, Andrea, is the stakes administrator at the Meadowlands.

“The only people I hang around with are the Swedes in the barn,” said Hanley, “so I picked up the accent.”

Funny, I’ve been living in Kentucky for eight years since moving from Detroit, and I don’t believe I talk with that Southern drawl yet. Or do you reckon I do? What do you think, y’all?

Bob Anderson, who shared ownership of Cabrini Hanover, was at the barn, and he and Jimmy told me the tale of one yearling they had been bidding on at a past sale (Jimmy was at the sale and Bob was at home listening via cell phone) but when the bids reached about $300,000, a bit of hesitancy came from Bob.

“Funny how suddenly when we got around $300,000, Jimmy said he couldn’t hear me too well and the connection was going bad, so he’d keep bidding,” Bob said with a laugh. “And then all of a sudden I got ‘buzz’ and the line went dead. But Jimmy didn’t get the horse after all.”

Weather bulletin: High today in the high 70s, but then rain tonight and tomorrow, with a high of only 60. No rain on Friday, but a high once again probably not getting out of the 50s. But then it warms up.

Hope the forecast helps if you’re getting ready to head here for the Grand Circuit action. But don’t ask Yannick Gingras for his opinion of my prognostication.

I remember last year putting up a cold and bleak forecast in my backstretch report, but the front stalled and it remained hot on a day it was supposed to be only in the 50s. So there was Yannick walking around The Red Mile in his winter colors, complaining to me that he read what I wrote, and believed me, so when he flew to Lexington from his East Coast home the next morning he only brought his long-sleeve colors and winter clothes. So he was sweating—and complaining. So Yannick, this forecast is for you, although I don’t see your name down to drive here in the next few days.

Also, if you’re looking for gas, here are the gallon prices at the four stations closest to The Red Mile: $2.15, $2.13, $2.13 and $2.08.

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