Hialeah article - Baltimore Sun

[Merlinsky]

Yeah everytime I think about that loser I just get steamed. One of those guys on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour had a special called "You Can't Fix Stupid" and I have to say, looks like some people are stuck with it. Who would've thought Hialeah would ever get like this? The only thing they ought to be thinking about is returning it to its former glory. To the hypothetical person who could fix it: take a picture of the place in its heyday, tape it to your medicine cabinet mirror so you see it every day, and write words like "majestic" and "beautiful" in the margin. Stare at that when you get up in the morning and repeat the affirmation until it sinks in and you actually care enough to do right by her.

We talk about promoting the people more or having horses stay around longer...we miss the biggest and longest lasting "faces" of all. Hialeah, Santa Anita, Saratoga,etc. Shouldn't the places that could touch generations actually be treated that way? Sure there are the B-string,etc. but the big ones...we have to safeguard some tradition somewhere for God's sake. Everytime I try and fail to get the scenario in place to see a Triple Crown or Breeders' Cup race with some friends, we get another reminder that its not about the fan/venue connection. We realize it's easier to see the race on television and forget about it for a time until we forget and try again. Wrigley Field, Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium. Even when people on the teams change or owners change you'll have fans willing to sit for hours and make some memories. World famous golf courses, tennis courses...and Hialeah gets treated like this. It's the Sport of Kings d*mmit. Treat her like a lady.