updated 2/20/21 by Marjie Riordan
Jack Riordan worked 7 days a week in his restaurant/bar/liquor store. It was a labor of love as are many small, family run businesses. Needing to destress, Jack began taking Thursdays off.
On this day he would get up a little earlier than usual and meet his mates at his bar about 11 am and they were off to the races. Literally. Laurel, Pimlico. Where ever the action was running. It was a regular crew. John Burke and Lefty Humphries were always there. Many other amigos rode along in the big beige Cadillac over the years. (If you’re still around, give us a holler.) This was the Greatest Generation. The Warrior teenagers had grown up. The ones who survived the heat of battle. The ones who were going to live long enough to retire. Now they took their spot in carload full of buddies on a day trip. Jokes. Observations. Gossip. Reflections. Memories.
And after the day races they were off to Rosecroft for the night time action. Yes sir. That is how they rolled.
Jack knew some of the horsemen who had become regulars at his local tavern. New England legendary horseman Jimmy Morrill Sr. was a familiar face, coming by when he was racing at the Oxon Hill oval.
At the end of Jack’s day off the crew came back to Jack’s bar and closed the place.
Two a.m. was closing time. Covers were placed in the portal windows and the buddies continued until whenever the mood struck them. Sometimes they toddle home at the Witching hour, 4:15 am. Other times they drive home with the sunrise.
And another day of wins and losses is in the books and they are happy just to break even.
April 1981
There is “a tell” in this picture that true race fans recognise. In Jack’s left pocket is the racing program. If we could open that program we’d see every race with the win, place and show marked up. The winner’s number is circled. Place and show are marked numerically. Somewhere on his person there is a little green pencil from Laurel race course. The pencil is probably in a shirt pocket. Jack had lots of those. (After Jack passed, 3/14, one of his buddies asked for that particular piece of memorabilia. That gentleman has passed and I wonder what became of that small token. Did his heirs keep a jar of their Dad’s memories?)
