Four down, 10 to go…

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Fourteen days ago, this was going to be my Cheltenham 14. My favorite stories, horses, personalities, degenerates I’ve met at Cheltenham over the years, one per day leading up to the Festival, I started out bullish, regaling the likes of Istabraq, Junior and Saitensohn. And then I derailed.

The news of Allen Jerkens’ illness threw me for a loop when I went to Florida. I wrote about him, thought about him and pretty much stalled on the Cheltenham 14. It was mean to be a build-up, a drum roll, a David Letterman Top 10, finishing today, in time for the live action from Cheltenham. Instead, I flew the first three, then faltered thereafter. I heard an old editor’s voice, “Promise less, deliver more.”

Not my style.

Still praying and hoping for The Chief to recover and starting to feel the Cheltenham hurricane.

Writing about Moscow Flyer was fun, but it lacked verve. Ironic, as he had so much verve. I write like he ran, winning or falling.

No sense looking back, it’s all ahead. I’ll start next year’s Cheltenham built-up with my Cheltenham 10.