Once again, racetrack Chaplain Umberto Chavez and Mare Barker of
Impressions of Saratoga have assembled some of Saratoga's most famous jockeys to come and meet the public and sign autographs. All the proceeds of the evening's events go to support the programs of the
Chaplaincy and aid the jockeys and the backstretch employees. The jockeys are: (left to right) Ramon Dominguez, Javier Castellano, Johnny Velazquez and Edgar Prado. Also seen at far right is the Chaplain, Umberto Chavez.
It's a thrill to sit and talk with these amazing athletes. I listened to Edgar Prado talk about what it was like to ride Birdstone in the 2004 Travers on a pitch dark track with a giant thunderstorm at his back. All their stories were great and the evening was over too soon.
Recently, I was down in NYC for a meeting. On my way across town, I saw this great MoMa billboard being hand painted. Seems like hand painting billboards is pretty close to a lost art. So, it was a thrill for me to see this piece coming to life. It's a wonderful graphic; the typography is playful and the color pallet is simple and bold. I think it's down near Prince and Mercer Streets — just off lower Broadway. Saw the billboard, now I have to go see the show! Enjoy.
