"only 460 days to go"

running around stopping in on various parties as it was nearing the end of the semester .

He's probably no Secretariat, but who is?

His poster was in my office for years...I loved that horse. I followed thoroughbred racing for a long time until Ruffian broke my heart, just a few years after Secretariat had his romp.

We were very caught up in Nixon and politics at the time...

No, not that one - Woodbine in Toronto
Spent two of the best summers of my life as a hot-walker and general dogsbody at a small racing stable. Got paid in riding lessons.

Here's to you Grandpa. I miss you.

My husband had to go there to do a short time there during the Vietnam era. We got lucky. He didn't go to Vietnam, but I sure was worried. We packed our 1972 Pontiac and an 8 month old baby girl and off we went. Almost as soon as we got there, Lyndon Johnson died, and husband got a few days off... it was a big deal at Ft. Sam. I remember we got our first color tv there. I watched this Derby on that tv.

Even though it was a tense time, it was also brings back some of the best memories. Such good friends, and trips to Mexico, and to Canyon Lake, and to Johnson's home, and parties at the Officers club. I have fond memories of San Antonio... and that Derby.

ETA: I went to the youtube site and watched the Preakness and Belmont.. always amazing. Poor Sham. Any other year he would have been an historic horse.

Sham at least lived to a ripe old age (for a horse). Alydar, the other greatest second place finisher (to Affirmed), was murdered. But thanks for that excellent story.

Mom was probably drinking a Tab.

Apartments on Beacon Hill are in some of the oldest housing stock in an old city and are often very weird and this one was no exception. The kitchen was an afterthought with no storage and no workspace, jammed into a jog in a hallway. It had a big room in front and a smaller room in back and one postage stamp sized room in the middle, arranged like a lot of trailers are, only trailers tend to have real kitchens. It was the dump that taught me vertical walls can be storage space and I made full use of them.

The only reason I remember the race that year is because an acquaintance's claim to fame was "I met Secretariat!" on a trip to visit her parents. Her apartment was weird, too.

I understand he was a gorgeous animal, impressive even to non horsey people.

I was only 11 at the time, but i do remember all the headlines !