Turning 3

Tweet We're turning 3 today on the ole' Space blog. It's been quite a ride and I've been considering a Larry Holmes-like retirement (reference for my older readers = Dad) to concentrate on other things. However, I still have some things to accomplish here, so we'll keep plugging away at stupid lists, spreadsheets and faking expert opinions for your viewing pleasure. I did win our Top Chef gambling pool this week (thank you Richard Blais) so I have that going for me.

We started off innocently, the day after April Fool's Day in 2008, as a fan who loves racing and to have a good time. We hit our 500th post sometime last year in the fourth quarter and while we've slowed down a bit over the past year, hopefully it's been on the side of quality. It's been great meeting many of you over the past few years, and I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming years (at the track, preferably not in an IRS audit situation).

Cool things about the number 3:

- The TRIPLE Crown, of course.
- The 3-pointer is uber-cool (if you can shoot it, that is).
- You get 3 strikes (in most instances of life - meaning you have two chances to screw off).
- Tres is the coolest Spanish number.
- Babe Ruth was number 3.
- Three Times a Lady (vs. Dude looks like a lady)
- Gimme Three Steps. - TRIFECTA, baby!
- Blue is the apron color for the number 3 (Blue is my favorite color)
- PICK 3 is my favorite wager.
- The term, three-bagger in baseball is one of my favorites.

So what does Year 4 have in store at the Space Station?

- The annual Derby SpaceSheet is a mere two weeks away (timed around tax day).
- A sub 4 hour trek to Saratoga is on my 2011 Things to Do List.
- Finger Lakes opening day looks like it could be fun.
- Completing my first personal Triple Crown attendance in the same year.
- Toga Party IV will be way better than I-III. (My annual Saratoga handicapping contest)
- Getting more involved at ThoroFan to drive membership and help market the concept in several of the key racing markets (Cali, Ky, NJ, Fla, Tx). Let me know if you are interested in helping us gather some fan momentum and rebuild the fanbase.
- Covering the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie for The News should be a blast. I was even offered to assist Elissa Blowe on the simulcast as guest handicapper (hopefully I won't break the camera) sometime during the 2011 racing season (hopefully a Monday in October when no one is watching).
- Using cliche phrases like "can't get the distance," "this 3 year old crop is weak," "the Solzenichen angle," and my favorite "he's still running."

I'm sure there's more to do in the coming year, but these should be some of the highlights, as well as working in words like halcyon, gravitas and apex into posts about horse racing. You may even see the occassional name dropping the likes of Brooks Robinson, Mike Cuellar and Bert Jones.

I did have some time this week to write up a preview of the Florida Derby, check it out here.

A happy anniversary to the excellent racing history writer Colin's Ghost, who also turned 3, yesterday, who speaking of the Florida Derby, has a nice post up on the original Florida Derby (1926-37).

Thanks for supporting this blog and making it enjoyable for me to continue to blab about a sport I've enjoyed since the first day the Saratoga Resident taught me what an exacta is.