My birthday is Tuesday, two days away and Maria announced her birthday present for me, and it is a very sweet one, it makes me very happy. She’s taking me to the Saratoga Raceway on Tuesday, we’ll have  lunch, and bet on some races.

Some of you know that  racetracks were a critical element in my youth and development, I spent several years earning a living betting on the horses, up and down the coast from Saratoga to Hialeah. I went to some beautiful tracks and some dumpy ones and learned how to bet intelligently and wisely.

I didn’t get rich, but I did all right, which in that line of work, is great. I love the rituals of the track. I’ll get the racing Telegraph today and Monday and study it, then buy some tout sheets at the track and after lunch, I’ll spend an hour getting prepared, reading my research, going to the Paddock to eyeball the horses and see who looks ready to run and win.

Maria has gotten into this, and last time, she won three races in a row. She does the research but mostly follows her gut. The Saratoga track still has a lot of its style and glamour, they haven’t gotten rid of all of it yet. So I’m very excited, this is the perfect birthday gift for me, I’m going online today to start reading up on the horses.

It’s the perfect birthday present for me, I love racetracks and I love placing smart bets. I like being lucky too.