"I had never been to a race track before. Except for the Triple Crown, thoroughbred racing had seemed pointless, a small footnote to the day's sports results on the local television news, marginally more interesting than curling or caber tossing. What a difference a day makes! I walked into Belmont Park in Elmont, L.I., a duffer, a lamb waiting to be fleeced, a low roller with a stake of $100 and a dream: to play the ponies and win. I left Belmont -- well, to get the official result, read on." (William Grimes, NYT, 1993)