"When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers."
-Oscar Wilde
To Mr. Halsey Minor,
I assume that you are a busy man these days attending meetings, studying renovation plans, arranging financing (I understand that credit default swaps can be obtained for a song) and screening your mail from MEC for anthrax. I won't take up too much of your time.
I have never been to Hialeah and am unfamiliar with its fabled charms but I understand that many people have fond memories of the place. I think that your recent foray into the world of track ownership is like a draught of fresh air but I will reserve judgment until the proverbial die stop rolling.
One, I assume, does not get to your station without a certain amount of savvy and determination but the same can be said of Frank Stronach and Mr. Brunetti. These are glaring examples of men that had success and a vision and then just absolutely squandered it. You know your mind and your mettle, the rest of us can only guess but hubris is not a vice reserved for the witless.
I am by no stretch of the imagination a wealthy man; in my lifetime I will never earn a fraction of one percent of your net worth, so I have no frame of reference for your motivation. The law of large numbers might apply and then so might IRS considerations. Your intentions while seemingly sincere could just be the product of ego and ennui. If your vision is motivated by actuarial considerations then that is your affair and we are just the audience in this charade but if your Polaris is the love of the game and the horse, then you will find an unwavering army at your back.
Having said that, I will confess that I admire your approach and your vision. With no particular insight into exactly what that vision is I might just be transposing my ideals onto yours but I assume that I am not the only one. I would venture to say that there are many like myself that have hitched their fading dreams to your wagon; you carry the hopes of us all.
What you create out of the flotsam is yet to be determined but it is not too far off the mark to state that this cat is running out of lives. Ask us, use us; we are screaming for someone to hear.
We cannot scream much longer.
Posts
3 comments:
As one who has hitched his wagon to this horse, let me just say Minor is a light in the darkness.
Another great piece of prose, I only wish Oscar was around to read it !!!
John-If you are referring to "The Grouch", then I'd say you were right on.
Thanks for reading
"I have never been to Hialeah and am unfamiliar with its fabled charms".
To today, that is your loss. But here's hoping Halsey Minor can fix this for you. I'm not sure about hubris and all those other words, but right now a restored Hialeah would kick booty over the new GP and could also secure the Breeder's Cup for South Florida which would also be a moneymaker for Hialeah. The BC should be a regular visitor to South Florida, but MEC has assured that this won't occur unless Mr. Minor is successful.
Post a Comment