Santa Anita Handicap, the Navy, Old Neighbors

This Saturday, 8 May, the Santa Anita Handicap will be run for the 77th time.  The race is 1 and a quarter miles on the dirt track; this year the purse is worth $750,000; and Fox will show the race live.  This year, there are 8 entries for the race - and the "top three" are incredible horses.  Game On Dude, the winner of the Big 'Cap in 2011 and 2013, will face the first and second-place finishers of the 2013 Breeders Cup Classic (also 1 and 1/4 miles on the dirt) - Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge.  This year's Handicap should be as memorable as the ones in which Seabiscuit competed. ...  Also, rain and high winds cancelled today's "Under Tack Showing" at the Ocala Breeders' Sales; the showing has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
   We had a good time discussing family history at my nephew Mike's condominium after our dinner Tuesday night.  Kathy told the story about how Dad played cards with his friends from the Philippines and Puerto Rico and some of the African-American enlisted men each Friday night.  Dad's CO called him in, and offered him an advancement in becoming an officer - but it would mean that Dad could no longer play cards with his friends, also enlisted men, on Fridays.  Dad declined, and stayed an enlisted man.  He knew very well that the boost in pay, as an officer, could be used at home; he came home that evening, and told Mom that he had turned down the appointment, and why.  Mom cried.  But then she wiped her eyes, and told Dad, "Honey, I'm very happy you stood by your friends.  Friends are better than  money any day."  Mike asked why Dad had decline the promotion, if the pay was so much better.  Kathy told him that "the Officer's Club was lily white."  Poor Mike; we had to explain that if Dad joined the OC, he couldn't speak to anyone of color, unless it was to relay an order.  -  And, I'm very happy that we live in a time when we had to explain that.
  I received sad news yesterday.  We moved to Gainesville, Florida in 1961, and bought the house on 50th Street.  Our next door neighbors were a couple from North Carolina, who had a single daughter, a few years older than Kathy.  Their names were Avaree and Hubert Spurlin; and they were my neighbors for 23 years - until Dad died and Mom sold the house.  A few houses up the street lived the Clevengers - Bud and Molly, and their daughters, Linda (Kathy's age) and Elaine (my age.) Avaree passed away in 1999, as did Bud Clevenger.  Molly and Hubert became good friends, best buddies, and, finally, a couple.  Molly passed away last year.  Hubert passed away yesterday, at the age of 92.  Elaine, my school friend, passed the information along on Facebook.  It certainly brought back many memories.