My first brush with George was at Balmoral Park in 1987 when his horse Incredible Finale went over $1,000,000 in career earnings and Steinbrenner bought everyone at the track a beer.

When I seriously got into the horse business I would run into him every fall in Lexington. Harness racing is a small world. George had a close association with Castleton Farms. John Cashman Jr. ran Castleton. That's how Brian began working for the Yankees when he was really just a kid. I don't know Brian, but I do know his brother, John III pretty well. John III is one hell of a horseman. One night at the Tattersalls yearling sale a friend of mine had to leave early. He was interested in a particular trotter but he really didn't want anyone to know he was bidding. He asked another friend and I to try to buy the colt and he told us to go up to $90,000. They walked the horse into the ring and I made my first bid at 35 grand. At $75,000 it was only me and Steinbrenner left. George walks over and sidles up next to me and asks how much we were willing to pay for the colt. I said, "I'm not sure Mr. Steinbrenner, how about you?" George replied, "More than you've got" and walked away laughing. He hammered him down at $105,000.

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Don't take it personally.

And yet you now everything there is to know about the band Sleater-Kinney?

You are one strange and complex mult.

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I'm passionate about three things- horse racing, baseball, and rock and roll. I guess horse racing is the odd thing. Not too many people care about it anymore. A lot of guys know a lot about baseball and rock. Just guys I know from Chicago who blog on both- Stu Shea, Dan Epstein, and Rob Warmowski. All of them worth reading.

At different times my focus was usually on one of them more than the other two. Most of the guys I knew growing up were into either music or sports but not usually both. Baseball brings fathers and sons together. Rock and roll drives them apart. That's why I find it strange when guys my age take their kids to see rock shows. To me rock is about rebellion. That's the point. I'd find it weird if I had a kid who liked the same music I did.

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Don't take it personally.

JORR, I know a fuck of a lot more about baseball than you.

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Probably. I just know I know a lot more than that pain in the ass Coztansa.

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Don't take it personally.

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Got any recommendations for horse farm tours between Lexington and Louisville? One next to a bourbon tour would be nice.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Castleton is for sure the best tour if they still have it. Irish thoroughbred interests bought it several years ago. I think it's called Castleton Lyons now. When David Look was buying it from James Keene in the early 1900s he told Keene he was going to send over his surveyor so they could get the acreage right. Keene blew that idea right out of the water saying, "Mr. Look, I'm not selling you real estate and acreage. I'm selling you Castleton."

Calumet is a good tour as well. When I was down there last fall it didn't look as great as it usually does. All the white fences needed paint. A lot of history there too.

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Don't take it personally.

The last 2 posts was the most sophisticated exchange in the history of this board. Congrats

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Looks like Calument hasn't offered tours in 5 years. It doesn't look like Castleton does either. Too bad, as they have a horse named Bernstein. It would have made the visit appropriate.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

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Are you sure that's a whole horse and not just a horse's ass?

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Don't take it personally.

Want to know who my Dad was, if you ever read the Daily racing Form until 1995 he was Sweep as in Sweeps picks

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

Is your dad Jack Karlik?

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Don't take it personally.