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The Ride of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family
The Ride of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family
The Ride of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family
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The Ride of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family

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The untold story of the legendary Timely Writer and his blue-collar owners from Boston chronicles the Martin brothers' rags-to-riches fairy tale story as they take on the horse racing establishment during the 1980s.  Purchased by two brothers and butchers from Boston, Timely Writer rises from a horse nobody wanted to one everyone needed to call their own.  Crowned the "people's champion," and with comparisons to the great Seabiscuit, the tale of Timely Writer brings the colt to the brink of immortality as the overwhelming favorite for the 1982 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown races. Join along with the Martin family for an emotional roller coaster ride aboard Timely Writer as their story spreads from Boston throughout the country. 

 

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 30, 2024
ISBN9798218984366
The Ride of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family
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Author

Michael Bergeron

Upon Mary's passing in 2022, I had spent 25 years as a trial attorney in Massachusetts - a generation of organizing, writing, and telling stories to countless juries throughout Massachusetts.   Under the guidance and with the help of my brother-in-law John, who learned horse racing at the feat of his father and uncle and lived through the times of Timely Writer, writing this book together seemed a natural fit for one of the few skillsets I possessed.  John and I agreed to partner up to tell the story of his parents, his uncle, and Timely Writer.  As we put the story together over two and one-half years, it was unlike any other I had encountered personally or professionally.  I suspected the story would be worth telling when we began the project – never envisioning the depths of its greatness and meaning.  As John and I put together chapter after chapter, I found myself riding the emotional roller coaster of what my in-laws had gone through – fascinated at times, laughing at times, and shedding tears of joy and sorrow all along the way.  We hope you enjoy the journey as you are brought back in time atop the saddle of the legendary Timely Writer and into Martin's circle of family and friends in The Ride of Their Lives.

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    The Ride of Their Lives - Michael Bergeron

    2024 Copyright © by Michael A. Bergeron and John Martin

    All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be produced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. 

    ISBN# 979-8-218-98436-6

    Book cover design by Nicole Frances Bergeron 

    Please visit our website, www.therideoftheirlives.com, for more information about The Ride of Their Lives, or email the authors directly at rideoftheirlives@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

    Introduction

    Years ago, when I was writing about the movies for The Boston Globe , I thought a handful of films were perfectly cast from top to bottom.  " Casablanca , The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown come immediately to mind. And so it is with Michael Bergeron and John Martin’s The Ride of their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family ." It is a ride not merely aboard the courageous, brilliant Timely Writer, but a journey through a twilight zone of time and place that seemed lost. Thanks to Bergeron and Martin, the era lives again.  Fueled by a family connection and a personal touch, the authors relive the days when a horse gave new life to a dying New England sport as they restore a brilliant racehorse to his proper place in the history of a sport that deserves more like him.

    First, the star. Timely Writer.  Purchased for $13,500 by Francis and Peter Martin, two Dorchester brothers who had the Racing Form delivered daily to their butcher shop and kept the phones hopping with meat orders and gambling bets with various New England-based bookies. While the brothers owned Thoroughbreds before, they spent more time running at the Brockton and Marshfield Fairs than at Saratoga Race Course.  And Timely Writer, as the book title suggests, took them, along with trainer Dominic Imprescia, jockey Jeffrey Fell, and every racing fan in New England on the ride of their lives. From the clam flats of Dorchester to the top of the mountain at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, as the favorite leading up to the 1982 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown races.

    I’ll leave the compelling details to the authors, but first, I’d like to thank them for the supporting cast and the set design. I lived through part of the story. In fact, I’m the unidentified Boston Globe reporter in Chapter 9 who sent Mr. Writer a get-well card when he was recovering from surgery. Through interviews with dedicated and thoughtful racing fans such as Kay Coyte and Elizabeth Tobey and dogged research into articles written by my late pal and racing mentor, Sam McCracken, Bergeron and Martin elevate Timely Writer into his rightful place aside alongside the stories of Seabiscuit and Phar Lap.

    Personally, I think their recollections of the Massachusetts Fair Circuit and colorful trainers, such as Carlos Figueroa, also brought back the aromatic mixture of cotton candy, popcorn, and fried clams unique to the Marshfield Fair.  And, in recording the magnificent story of a brilliant winner, they didn’t forget the losers or the bygone era where Zippy Chippy and hundreds of other Thoroughbreds tried one last time to visit the winner’s circle. It was another time and another place. After falling in love with these mysterious and lovely animals, it set me on a personal trail that changed my life over 20 years ago. And, at least for me, for the better.

    When it was announced that Belmont Park horse track in New York was being re-constructed, as the Founder and President of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, and unbeknownst to Michael and John as they were writing their book, I called Lorita Lindemann my trainer and daughter (she wanted a father, and I needed a daughter) to inquire about the relocation of the remains of Timely Writer since he and Ruffian were the only Thoroughbreds ever given the prestigious honor of being buried in the grass infield at Belmont.  Lorita worked out all the details, and within a few weeks, the remains of Timely Writer and his headstone were relocated to the Nikki Bacharach Memorial Garden at Old Friends in November 2023.  We buried Timely Writer next to Skip Away, Alphabet Soup, and Noor, just across from Charismatic, War Emblem, and Medina Spirit, and we are honored to present his story every day. All of us are proud to support Michael and John and the magnificent story of Timely Writer, who was the horse of a lifetime...not just for his owners and family but for an entire generation.

    -  Michael Blowen, Founder and Past President of Old Friends Thoroughbred Farm

    Prologue

    "Y ear after year, Boston seems to be the focus of some of the world’s top sports stories – some sweet and some bittersweet.  Usually, it’s one of our teams that gives us our most memorable moments – the ecstasies and the agonies.  But this year . . . the top story of ’82 was provided by three men and a horse.  They did this without winning the big one.  They did it by accepting misfortune with grace . . . and looking ahead to tomorrow.

    The horse I speak about is Timely Writer, and the men are Francis and Peter Martin, who live in Boston, and their trainer, Dominic Imprescia, whose career has flourished in our city.

    Together they captured the imagination of every sports fan across the country, and they did this by sharing a dream .... and not giving up on that dream when things went wrong.  The good times for the Martins came last spring.  Here they were, two Boston men who worked themselves up the hard way in the meat packing business, now heading with Timely Writer to the Kentucky Derby, which is to horse racing what the World Series is to baseball and the Super Bowl to football.

    Here were two of the one-time little guys of the world on the brink of one of the world’s most famous pots of gold, a winning run for the roses in the Derby.  And no one ever thought they could lose, because their horse was the fastest and best young thoroughbred in the universe.

    The Kentucky Derby favorites are commonly reserved for horses from Kentucky and owners who are well-to-do corporation executives, not for horses out of the East Boston stables and city fellows from Boston.  The Martins brought Boston into the Derby picture.

    Francis and Peter found that once-in-a -lifetime horse in Timely Writer. . . . But just as everything appeared all roses, Timely Writer was stricken with a very untimely case of colic three weeks before the Derby.  The ailment was so severe that it not only scratched Timely Writer out of the Derby, but surgery had to be performed to save his life.

    The dream was shattered.  The number one rated horse in the country was beaten not on the race course, but by sickness. It was a difficult and disheartening moment for the men.  And although they never got their chance to win the big one, they remain winners none the less.  They portrayed championship class and made us proud to have them represent our city at the most prestigious horse racing event in the world, even though their horse couldn’t run.  Those waiting to see Timely Writer circle the race tracks again probably won’t be disappointed, I understand the Martins vow he will be back this summer – healthy, strong and ready.

    Timely Writer is more than just a horse trying to win the Kentucky Derby.  He is a symbol of three men who followed a dream, worked hard, and despite setbacks, they never said quit.  That’s the Martins’ way.  I like to think that the Martins’ way is Boston’s way."

    Kevin H. White, Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts (1968-1984), summer of 1982

    Notes from the Authors

    Ifirst met Frannie & Mary Martin in the spring of 1995.  In January, I had started dating their youngest daughter, Janice - and my future wife.  I was in the middle of attending law school during the evenings in Boston while working two jobs six days a week and with little money.  I had already met Janice’s older brother, John, and sister, Maryellen, so the last hurdle was to meet the parents. Frannie and Mary were returning home to the Boston area after riding out the winter in Fort Lauderdale.  As their condo in Florida was less than thirty minutes from Gulfstream Race Track, the weather and the horse races suited the couple just fine.

    I had already visited the Martin home once while they were in Florida, so for a kid raised in the woods of Connecticut, the four-bedroom home with a pool on a one-acre lot 20 minutes from Boston was a place I found a bit intimidating to meet the parents for the first time. The house included a door knocker in the shape of a horseshoe on the front door, an ornamental jockey statute on the front lawn, and a beautiful painting of some thoroughbred who raced in the early 1980s. Other than these items, it was not a home decorated with trophies, photographs of winner’s circles, or horse racing memorabilia covering the walls.

    The couple I would come to call my in-laws was gracious, kind, funny, and enjoyable to speak with during our first get-together.  Though Peter Martin passed before I married into the family, Frannie was always so complimentary and proud of his older brother when speaking about him. I would finish law school and become a practicing lawyer in 1996.  Over the next five years, Janice and I would get married and start raising a family – three daughters in four years beginning in December of 2000 – one of which was given the middle name of Frances in honor of her grandfather.  Frannie and Mary loved being grandparents, with six in total between the three siblings, and they often spent their weekends entertaining their children and grandchildren at the pool during the summer. 

    It had been just over a dozen years since Timely Writer had finished his last race when I met Frannie, and whether he liked it or not, Mary was ensuring Frannie that he was retiring and winding down ownership of his remaining horses. The couple were not braggadocio people, and never once did I hear either one of them tell the whole story about their lives with a colt by the name of Timely Writer, the notoriety they had achieved with him, or their journey that brought them to the steps of immortality in horse racing.  For sure, they would laugh and tell stories of the fun times they had at the horse tracks over forty years, but there were never significant details about the lives they led in the early 1980s. 

    Over the years, I have taken note of the many people who stopped and talked with Frannie or Mary about the glory days of Timely Writer.  People approaching the couple thanked them for the success and memories Timely Writer had brought to their lives.  Friends and acquaintances of Janice and her siblings would talk to me about the incredible story of the Martin family, their horse and what it meant to everyone.  Many of these people would speak about how their story needed to be a book and/or a movie.  As Janice and I spent twenty years raising kids while working full-time, myself as a trial attorney, I never had time to give the story much consideration.

    Frannie passed from cancer in 2009 after fighting it for more than 25 years.  Mary, independent to the end, would outlive Frannie by over a decade, passing away in November 2021 at 93.  Though neither one of the two ever put pen to paper about their experiences, a treasure trove of memorabilia was located in Mary’s basement upon her passing. Mary left multiple scrapbooks of Timely Writer, which contained every race program, race result, countless newspaper articles, and photographs of winner’s circles.  Additional storage boxes contained original magazines, trophies from elite horse races, and cassette tapes of every race, including news interviews of the cast of characters surrounding Timely Writer. 

    Opening the boxes and albums brought history to life.  As the pages turned, the story was intoxicating - and unbelievable if it were not true.  People approaching my in-laws over the years were correct – the tale of Timely Writer and the Martins needed to be told.  The story was about more than just two brothers running a meat distribution center while grinding it out on the inferior horse racing tracks for over twenty-five years as a second job.  It was more than just two guys catching lightning in a bottle with the purchase of Timely Writer in 1980, finding themselves with the overwhelming favorite to win the Kentucky Derby in 1982 and to sweep the remainder of the two Triple Crown races.  Their story is about all of this and more.  Their story is about life – through the good times and bad – and how a family and their horse showed a country how to handle life’s events with grace and humility.

    Upon Mary’s passing, I had been grinding it out as a trial attorney for 25 years.  I had been organizing, writing, and telling stories to countless courts and juries throughout Massachusetts for a generation.  Under the guidance of my brother-in-law John, who lived through the events as a 19 and 20-year-old, writing this book seemed a natural fit for one of the few skillsets I possessed.  John and I agreed to partner up to tell the story of his parents, his uncle, and Timely Writer.  As we put the story together for two and one-half years, it was unlike any other I had encountered.  I suspected the story would be good when we began the project – never envisioning the depths of its greatness and meaning.  As we put together chapter after chapter, I found myself riding the emotional roller coaster my in-laws had gone through – fascinated at times, laughing at times, and shedding tears of joy and sorrow along the way. 

    John and I hope you share the same experiences as you saddle up for the untold story of the legendary Timely Writer, the Martin family, and The Ride of Their Lives.

    Michael A. Bergeron

    Acknowledgments

    We thank everyone who spoke with us while writing The Ride of Their Lives .  Whether it be family, friends, or supporters, this book could not have been written without the help of all involved.  In particular, a few individuals were extraordinary in sharing their time and memories:

    Tony Everard, the ageless legend of Ocala, Florida, is a central part of The Ride of Their Lives and the most critical person in writing this book.  Tony first met with us regarding the creation of this book in October of 2022 when we traveled to Ocala, Florida.  I had never met Tony, and John had not seen him in almost 40 years.  From the first moment we met with Tony, it was as if we had been friends forever.  Over two years, we met with Tony in Ocala, discussing events from decades past, such as horse racing and his fascinating life.  We talked about Timely Writer, horses, and life over breakfast and lunch at Darrell’s Diner and steaks for dinner at his home.  Tony was unselfish with his time, whether in Ocala or with the countless follow-up telephone calls, as we worked towards completing the book.  Without Tony, Timely Writer and the Martins would never have been brought together; without Tony, our book and their story could not have been written.

    Michael Blowen, a former writer for the Boston Globe and the founder and past president of Old Friends Thoroughbred farm, crossed our paths while we were about halfway through writing the book.  Having never met Michael, he was already part of the story as he had been written into one of the early chapters before he transported Timely Writer's remains from Belmont Park to his final resting place in Georgetown, Kentucky.  In the final fateful act in a decades-long story of Timely Writer and the Martins, the former Bostonian journalist brought the champion colt home.  The address of Timely Writer’s reinterment may say Georgetown, Kentucky, but it feels a bit like home as Michael watches over the colt’s gravestone from the grounds he created.  Michael’s selfless act and support throughout the writing of this book are forever appreciated.

    Kay Coyte is a journalist, professional photographer, editor, a central figure in chronicling the final race of Timely Writer, and, most importantly, a selfless mentor in offering advice and suggestions in creating and publishing The Ride of Their Lives.  We could not have brought this story to print without Kay’s guiding hand.  Thank you, Kay!

    Elizabeth Tobey's relationship with the Martins over the years, as chronicled in The Ride of Their Lives, is the heart-warming subplot of the entire book. John Martin accidentally discovered Liz’s connection to his parents as we were writing the book.  After tracking down Liz for this story, her help in re-creating events and her relationship with the Martins more than 40 years prior cannot be emphasized enough.  Liz provided original handwritten notes, cards, and photographs exchanged between her and the Martins from the 1980s, bringing their remarkable relationship to life.  Their relationship epitomized the quiet generosity and kindness of Frannie, Mary, and Peter Martin – a central part of their characters, as reflected in the story.

    Susan Lawlor Tamasi has been a family friend of the Martin family since she began her college years at Suffolk University in the 1980s.  Sue is also originally from Dorchester (OFD) and was central in bringing the city and its surroundings to life in chapter 2 of The Ride of Their Lives.  Sue’s time sharing her memories, the history of Dorchester, and draft submissions for portions of the chapter were critical as we brought Frannie and Peter back to their Dorchester roots.  Although Sue does not appear in chapter two, she finds herself immersed in the final scene of the book’s ending, as her private conversations with Mary Martin over the years serve as the foundation for the conclusion to The Ride of Their Lives

    Lastly, I would like to thank my mother, Suzanne Bergeron, who was unselfish and tireless with her time providing additional tutoring in our home.  She provided countless hours of support during the elementary school years, with extra attention devoted to grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills.  The extra attention from my mother served as the foundation for surviving law school, my professional career as an attorney, and in writing this book.  For this, I have been forever grateful.  Thank you, Mom!

    Chapter 1

    Triumph: Timely Writer & Boston Take Over Miami

    Many believe the legend of Timely Writer and his owners first began in the warm sunshine of Miami during the spring of 1982.  Though Timely Writer swept through the Florida horse racing circuit that March and April, the truth is the foundation of what became the centerpiece of their rags-to-riches story began decades earlier when the colt’s blue-collar owners leaped from the grandstand to the owner’s box.  

    As the Martins, Peter, Frannie, his devoted wife Mary, and their high school-aged children made their way to Hialeah Race Track for the running of the $250,000 Flamingo Stakes on the morning of March 6, 1982, the richest horse race in Florida history at the time, their improbable road to glory in an industry dominated by generational wealth was never more apparent as their once in a lifetime horse from Boston was about to pronounce himself as the best thoroughbred in the country – and the prohibitive favorite for the 1982 Kentucky Derby - the most famous horse race in North America.  The Martin brothers, Peter and Francis (Frannie), raised in the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Massachusetts, were a long way from their Boston roots as they stood on the doorstep of immortality in the sport of kings.  

    The road to success for Timely Writer began one year prior with first-place finishes at prestigious racetracks sitting at opposite ends of New York - Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park Race Track.  Before the wins in New York, the Martin brothers had never owned an elite thoroughbred racehorse during their 30 years in the business.  Wins at the New York tracks confirmed Timely Writer’s talent level while giving birth to a national fandom and infatuation with the colt, his owners, and their fairy-tale story.  As horse racing fans noted during the early ‘80s, Timely Writer had an ‘everyman’ quality that reminded folks of Seabiscuit.  In addition to his talent, the two-year-old was distinguished by his humble existence.​[1]

    Timely Writer was purchased at the Kentucky Thoroughbred yearling sales in Keeneland in September 1980 for $13,500—a purchase price many considered pocket money in the horse racing business.  The low-cost colt would be racing in the spring of 1982 at the Flamingo Stakes in Miami and then the Florida Derby in Hallandale three weeks later, challenging horses purchased for more than ten times his value.  Timely Writer would be pitted against the likes of D’Accord, son of Triple Crown winner Secretariat, owned by Bertram Firestone and his wife, Diana Johnson Firestone.  Mrs. Johnson Firestone’s grandfather founded health products manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, while her husband was one of the major players in Thoroughbred racing and the horse breeding businesses.  The Firestones married in 1973, buying a 1,400-acre horse farm in Virginia.  They had teamed up with legendary trainer LeRoy Jolley, making history in 1980 with a filly named Genuine Risk, as she became only the second female ever to defeat an entire field of colts on her way to winning the Kentucky Derby. 

    Another challenger scheduled to run in the Flamingo and Florida Derby was Star Gallant from the Buckram Oak Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.  Star Gallant’s owner was Saudi Arabian businessman Mahmoud Fustak, who also happened to be the brother-in-law of Saudi Arabian ruler King Abdullah.  Fustak was the first Saudi Arabian to make his way into horse racing in the United States, having bought a 500-acre farm in 1978.  The farm would sell for 17.5 million dollars in 2005 to Jess Jackson – of the Kendall Jackson Winery.  Timely Writer and his team, undeterred by the wealth they were pitted against, were a testament to the courage of the underdog – having raced the previous season against the likes of Herschelwalker, owned by an heir of the Whitney family dynasty.

    Herschelwalker was affectionately named after the top college football player in the country, who was the star running back for the 1980 National Champions Georgia Bulldogs.  Walker, the horse, was owned by Sandra Payson.  Payson’s mother, Joan Whitney Payson, was one of the founders of the New York Mets baseball team in 1962 – getting involved after she and her husband were disappointed their New York Giants baseball team moved to San Francisco in 1957.  The Whitney family traces its history back to the 1600s in London, England.  After they arrived in what would become known as the United States of America, the family became a staple in New York for centuries, establishing themselves in business, philanthropy, and the social circles of New York.  Their family members were some of the original leaders of the country's thoroughbred breeding and racing businesses – their experience going back more than 100 years before Timely Writer and the Martins challenged one of their horses in 1981.

    The absurdity of where the Martins found themselves in 1982 was not lost on them as they made their way from their rooms at the Best Western Motel to one of the grandest horse racing tracks in the country just outside of Miami.  These blue-collar workers and owners of a meat business in Boston had made Florida their temporary home at the low-cost motel during March and April with friends, family, and what seemed like half of Boston.  Family, friends, and followers reveled in watching their prized colt take on the racing establishment while soaking in the sunshine and glory as their fairy tale story played out before the country. 

    As out of their elements as they may have been, there was no fear of the moment for the Martins as they set their sights on an improbable road to glory.  Decades of grinding it out at the much inferior horse tracks in Massachusetts had schooled the Timely Writer crew well.  The brothers knew early on that their bargain basement purchase had the type of talent many had never witnessed before.  Frannie, the larger-than-life personality with the white butcher’s coat as a work jacket and an office desk littered with horse racing programs scattered on top of meat orders, went on the record predicting wins at the Florida horse races to award-winning columnist Michael Madden of the Boston Globe in the weeks leading up to the Florida stakes races. Exuding an infectious confidence, Frannie told the journalist, We’re going to win it all.  Believe me ... we are going to win it all.​[2]

    Madden, or mad dog as he was known within the print media, prepared his readers for what may lay ahead in 1982 prior to the Martin family heading south: if Timely Writer, Fran and Peter Martin and [trainer] Dom Imprescia head down to Florida and take the Flamingo and the Florida Derby and if they head up to Louisville next May and enter the Derby, well . . .  just go along for the ride with them because this will be fun.  Not just because they’re from Boston and Timely Writer nibbled his oats all summer at Suffolk [Downs], but because the Firestones, the Phippses, the Vanderbilts spend millions looking for precisely this experience . . . and seldom get it.​[3]  As the Mayor of Boston would pen in an open article to the citizens of Massachusetts in the coming summer months, these men, their dream, and their horse had captured the imagination of an entire country.

    The Florida racing circuit in March of 1982 served as the barometer for determining which top three-year-old horse would be the favorite for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville - held annually on the first Saturday in May for over 100 years.  Nine previous winners of the Flamingo Stakes had gone on to be crowned the Kentucky Derby winner, including three in the last seven years.  With former winners the likes of Northern Dancer (1968), Foolish Pleasure (1975), Seattle Slew (1977), and Spectacular Bid (1979), it was a legendary crowd Timely Writer would be joining and inevitably leading to comparisons by both track observers and fans for the remainder of his career and after.

    The Martins, in their first appearance at the Flamingo as owners, were guests at a track unmatched in beauty.  Hialeah Race Track, built just outside of Miami in 1922, was honored three years before the Martins's arrival by its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.  In 1982, with the beauty of its Mediterranean-style architecture highlighted by the Florida sunshine, the track was considered one of the grandest in the country–earning the nickname The Grand Dame.  Contributing to its beauty and singularity, the track’s grass infield had been registered with the National Audubon Bird Sanctuary.  The track’s famous pink flamingos, who arrived via a special transport in 1935 from the island of Cuba, were year-round residents of the track’s grass infield area, with their habitat forever protected.

    With palm trees dominating the skyline, the track boasted average temperatures of 80 degrees in March.  Each winter season, patrons of the track were treated to luxury, beauty, and warm weather.  The track, however, had a flaw that came with all its beauty.  Due to its natural geographic setting, as it sat only 25 feet above the ocean level, patrons were often welcomed by puddles of water upon making their way to the gates of the Hialeah. Predicting the weather in Miami is a meteorological challenge on any given day, as it is not easy to forecast when rain will arrive in Florida.  When it does come, there is no accurate estimate of the amount of rain or its duration.

    Rain started in the early morning of March 6th, with heavy rain lasting until just before noon.  Water was clogging storm drains and flooding the streets as patrons made their way to the racetrack for the opening of the front gates at 11:00 a.m., with the first race scheduled for 1:00 p.m.  As luck would have it, Hialeah was running a rain jacket giveaway for its customers as they entered through the gates.  Due to attendance at Hialeah Park averaging smaller numbers than usual, officials ordered only 24,000 jackets - never contemplating the number of people making their way to the track that morning to watch the horse from Boston.

    As a result of the heavy rain, people were forced to change their usual walking routes from the outer parking lots to the entry gates of the horse track.  Alternative side roads were clogged with patrons searching for their way to the main gates of Hialeah, with water as high as the top of their ankles before passing through the admissions booths while grabbing a free raincoat.  Many parking lots were so flooded that the attendants were forced to shut lots down.  Inexplicably, patrons were passing through the entry gates in record numbers.  Much of the early crowd was jockeying for spots at the wooden picnic tables lining the grounds in the general admission area, with others setting up folding lawn chairs by the horse path leading from the barns to the saddling area of the horse paddock. 

    Hialeah’s attendance record of 37,182, which had stood without a challenge for 27 years, would be shattered as the Martins and nearly 41,000 people stuffed themselves into the venue on the first Saturday of March 1982.  The number of people was so unexpected that bars around the track ran out of beer as early as the fifth race.  Parking attendant Sterling Anifantis, who had been working at the track since 1954, was in awe at the crowd, telling reporters, I’ve never seen anything like it.  They just kept coming.​[4]  Even the high-priced Mercedes and Cadillacs, which transported the horse owners and wealthier guests for their reserved tables trackside, were turned away by attendants at the valet parking. 

    The inclement weather cleared the Miami area thirty minutes before the start of the Flamingo Stakes, allowing patrons to venture outside to enjoy the bright sunshine and fresh air.  As more and more people found their way to the outside rail of the horse track, competition increased for prime spots along the metal fencing lining the homestretch before the

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