Mike Smith 52 Years Young Wins Triple Crown
Mike Smith 52 Years Young Wins Triple Crown
Founder and Publisher, Tracy Hill set off to Belmont New York this past weekend to watch the historic Mike Smith ride Justify to the 150th Belmont Stakes and lucky 13th Triple Crown winner.
At the age of 52, Mike Smith has accomplished what most professional athletes only dream of. Most professional athletes retire at the tender age of 33. Professional football players barely make it past their late twenties. National hockey league players are typically done by the time they are 40. Yet, Mike Smith has endured the test of time. Silver Sage Magazine salutes his athleticism, endurance and big win!
But this isn’t just about Mike Smith. As Tracy 
enjoyed the Preakness and Belmont Stakes with dear friends, one thing became evidently clear. The younger generation arrived in droves to get their load on, while the silversagers attended for the merriment, allure of the track and the hope to bear witness to history and at the least, greatness. This year, the Triple Crown provided the trifecta.
While the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore Maryland affords the opportunity to watch the race from the inside track, Belmont Park provides several other types of venues. The least expensive option is general admission, standing room only tickets. On a hot or rainy day, this affords excellent cover but not the best viewing of the track unless you want to watch on the jumbotrons or television screens. Or you can move up to Grand Stand seating or some of the pricier VIP ticket passes and accommodations. Silver Sage Magazine went with Toast of the Turn and the ability to be outside and trackside, so they could hear the thunder of the horses racing by!
The Long Island Rail Road clearly failed this year in their attempt to transport nearly 90,000 fans to Belmont Park. A sellout crowd provided organized chaos for mass transit as “signal failures” endured for hours during the peak transit times. Thousands of passengers bailed (mostly millennials) to hail Uber rides rather than wait patiently at Penn station and the Jamaica stop for trains to continue their scheduled or adjusted scheduled rides. Most of the passengers who remained were silversagers. The Publisher heard many silversagers talking amongst themselves that they didn’t believe there would be enough Uber drivers available and it would be at an enhanced rate (once they caught on to the higher demand). Yet, they struck conversations with each other while relaxing on the train – making new friends and realizing that they are only separated by a few people. Many of the riders that Tracy ran into and spoke with, knew her family, children or some connection that made the passage of time more palatable while waiting.
The Triple Crown is a once in a lifetime event. Especially when Mike Smith rides us to victory each time! The fashion, the fun, the camaraderie with others who share the thrill of the track and the excitement of a win is hard to beat as well. Belmont Stakes 2018 was an exciting and momentous day for all.
Next year, Silver Sage hopes to attend all three and cap off another bucket list item.
