earlie fires tribute thread...

[brianwspencer]

When we go to the track, my mom is always still blown away by the fact that when she was a kid, she got to see Earlie ride at Arlington -- and then she got to bring me to see him when I was a kid. Now I'm 24 and she's 50 and he's still riding. It's incredible, really.

[dellinger63]

I hope Earlie tomorrow can do an encore for everyone tomorrow in Texas,

[satan's twin]

Just days before this past Christmas I wrapped up my last business trip of the year seated on a flight next to Earlie from Albany to Chicago. Since my first job had been at Arlington Park when I was 14 years old and about the time he first started riding at Arlington in the late 60's, it was a big thrill to talk with him. He is, by far, my all-time favorite jock. He is a great guy...and a perfect gentleman! He insisted on running down the aisle from the last row of the plane to assist every woman put her bag in the overhead luggage compartment. His height is about four foot nothing so I LMAO watching him each time as he climbed up and stood on the outside arm rests of the aisle seats in order to reach the overhead storage space to put the bags up for each woman he assisted.

[Scav]

I saw him today talking to some people on the first floor. Good ole cowboy....

By the way, I absolutely love Steve Hobby. I NAILED that 7th race today where it ran 1-7-8, had the exacta for $20 and $200 win/place on the 7...HELLO BANKROLL for Toga

[MISTERGEE]

about 20 yrs ago ( and i thought he was an oldtimer then ) Fires rode a horse for me for the first time. i joked with him when i saw him glancing at the tote board when he got his leg up on the horse. i asked " hey earlie why ya looking at the tote board?" he answered me back in one second in his great cowboy drawl of sorts " what the board got to do with it ". i have thought to this day, what a great answer!