Daddy, Can I Take Basketball Lessons?

There are moments parenting when you realize just how much your child is like you. This week was one of those moments. The theme of my blog is sports, food and my kids. And it's clear to me that if my older daughter had her own blog (and she's already asked me if she could), her theme would be sports, food and dad.

It started last week when she got in trouble in school for talking when she shouldn't have. A normal occurrence for her, but this time she swore she wasn't talking and didn't understand why her teacher wasn't very nice. As a kid, I was a big talker, too. And I was also a trusting soul, thinking everybody should be nice and honest. Teaching my daughter that some people just aren't nice and preparing her to deal with it, I could hear my father's voice some 25 years ago.

As the weekend rolled around, my daughter's sports-loving nature shined through. Saturday, she completed her third dance audition in eight days. Ballet, jazz, and finally my favorite - hip hop. In fact, this summer, in addition to playing taxi driver for her to the studio several times a week, I'll haul myself up there for an adult hip hop class. Yeah, she got her dance skills from me. Of course, I was much older than seven when I learned to dance.

At seven, I was dancing around the schoolyard basketball court doing my best MJ. And Sunday, when we arrived at a friend's house for a kids play date and cook out, I quickly took to the pick-up b-ball game going on in the driveway. My younger daughter went inside to find her friend, but my older hugged my hip, dribbling around and taking five foot jump shots, even making a few. She played for over an hour, dripping wet of sweat, stopping only momentarily for water breaks. She even had a ripped pant leg to show for her newly found passion.  By the end of the night, she'd be asking me "Daddy, can I take basketball lessons?"

When we returned home that night, we both hit the showers, and then proceeded to put a delicious bow on the weekend by hanging out in the kitchen and baking a blueberry crumb cake together. She worked on mastering her measurements, artfully placing blueberries on top of the batter I mixed up, and sprinkling streusel on top.

Yes, mini-me is on full display these days and I couldn't be more proud!

What's in a Number?

For today's blog post, I thought I'd play a little game called "What's in a Number?"

20 - Today is Belmont Stakes day.  20 years ago on Belmont Stakes day, June 5 to be exact, I was a senior in high school and it was Prom Night.  For most seniors, it was a night they had looked forward to for four years.  But for me, it meant I couldn't be at the big race.  And as a highly superstitious young man, it also meant I was concerned my dad wouldn't have a great day of wagering.

Beautiful Belmont Park

4 - You see, for the previous 4 Belmont Stakes days, I was by my dad's side as he showed off his handicapping prowess for the world to see, or at least everyone at the track in Elmont, New York those days.  Each of those four consecutive years, my dad had a winning Pick Six ticket for picking the winners of six consecutive races.  And many of those paydays were significant.

5 - I spent my afternoon at home watching the races leading up to the Belmont Stakes on the racing channel.  My dad had called me earlier in the day to let me know which horses he had in his Pick Six bet that day.  As the day went along, it become obvious that perhaps there was just something magical about Belmont Stakes day.  One by one, my dad's pick crossed the finish line first.  By 5pm, he had picked the first 5 races correctly.

5:31 - It was getting close to prom, so I had to start to get ready.  I hopped in for a quick shower, my thoughts split between the upcoming race and my night ahead.  My date for the prom was a good friend of mine and we were sharing a limo with my four buddies and their dates, of which only one was actually a girlfriend.  So there wasn't much of the typical "prom night" talk.  This wasn't the prelude to American Pie.  We were just prepared for a fun party followed by an early morning breakfast before calling it quits.  But for now, it was almost 5:31pm, post time for the 1993 Belmont States.  I jumped out of the shower, wrapped myself up in a towel, and had a seat on the couch.

13 - As the horses loaded in the gate, I took a final note of the odds.  My dad had a few different horses in his Pick Six ticket that would let him cash in, including a few long shots.  One of those was Colonial Affair, a 13-1 long shot ridden by Julie Krone.  Krone was one of the best jockeys in New York and was seeking to become the first female every to ride a Belmont Stakes winner.

Colonial Affair wins the 1993 Belmont Stakes

2:29 - At 5:31, thirteen three year old horses sprung out of the starting gate on their way around the mile and half Belmont course, the largest track in North America (click to watch the race).  With my tuxedo and cummerbund hanging nearby, I watched anxiously, keeping a close on my dad's picks, and holding my breath.  When the horses hit the top of the stretch, that magical feeling began to come over me again.  2 minutes and 29 seconds after they raced away from the gate, Colonial Affair broke the finish line first, followed by Kissin Kris, also at 13-1, and Wild Gale, a 51-1 bomb (racing term for a huge longshot).

6 - Within a minute, the phone rang.  It was my dad.  He had done it again!  But this wasn't just about hitting the Pick 6, his fifth straight on a Belmont Stakes day.  Oh no.  In addition to the Pick Six, my dad also liked Kissin Kris' chances, so he had made a whole bunch of bets that included the top two runners.  He had even thrown in Wild Gale into a few bets, which meant he had hit the exacta and the triple.  We hung on the phone waiting for the payoffs.  We both stared at the infield tote board, my dad in person and me on the tv.  I might not have been there that day, but it sure felt like I was.  And then, in a flash, amazement!

463.60 - The 4-3 exacta paid $463.60.  Not bad for an exacta, but that was nothing compared to what flipped up there next.

18,677 - The 4-3-14 triple, the combination of two 13-1 longshots and the 51-1 bomb, paid $18,677.  Jackpot!  At the time, it was the biggest triple payoff in Belmont Stakes history, a race that had been run for over 100 years.  And we hadn't even seen the Pick Six results yet.

40 - I've search high and low and can't find the exact results from that day, but I believe the Pick Six paid about $20,000 that day.  In a moment, my dad had raked in a cool $40k.  Not too shabby.  Once I stopped screaming for joy, my dad just calmly said to me "Michael, go enjoy your prom."  I took a moment to compose myself, put on my tuxedo and headed out.  Yeah, that's a day many of my high school friends think about a lot.  And it's one of the most exciting memories of their lives.  For me, that day gave me two of the most exciting memories of my life.

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9 - And of course, I've got to make my picks for the day.  I'll keep it simple this time around.  I love the 9, Revolutionary.  He's well rested now and ran a great race in the Kentucky Derby on a muddy track, just like today's conditions at Belmont.  I'll bet $80 to win.  And in the spirit of the twenty anniversary of that enormous triple payoff, I'll throw out the favorite Orb hoping his Derby win is still taking its toll, and go for the big payoff.  I'll still take Revolutionary to win, but I'll pick five long shots hoping to get two of them to run second and third.  So, a $1 triple of 9 (Revolutionary), with 7 (Oxbow), 8 (Midnight Taboo), 11 (Vyjack), 13 (Unlimited Budget) and 14 (Golden Soul), a total best cost of $20.  I'm in the hole now for $300 for all my Triple Crown bets, but I've got a feeling today's going to be another magical Belmont day.  Hey dad, give me a little help, ok?