Attn Wilderness, and Gary

[The Skipper]

http://galleries.apps.chicagotribune.com/chi-classic-photos-aurora-downs-20140611/#navtype=barker&barkername=Barker%2006%20-%20In%20Case%20You%20Missed%20It

I see Gary's old buddy in these old pics, kind of looks like he is talking to Gary 

[LVGaryD]

Man this takes me way back to before I even worked for McKirgan. The German shepherd behind the other guy was named Sissy. Back in 1974, McKirgan had a guy named Whiskey Dick working for him. He took care of all of McKirgan's horses, plus Sissy.

In 1980, Sissy could no longer stay at Northfield, as they banned all dogs in the backstretch. She was moved into a house in Hudson where I also lived, with one of McKirgan's owner's family, the Schueles. One day around the winter of 1984, she just wandered off and was never seen again.

Don McKirgan's wife Sandi absolutely loved Sissy and was just broken hearted when she wandered off. Hell, she had to be 14 years old at the time, and was peeing in the basement of house (where I lived) all the time.

A few months later in April or May, Tom Schuele had me brush hog the back four acres of his property. Several days later at a drunken party at Tom's house, I told Sandi McKirgan that I sort of found Sissy when I was brush hogging. I told her I ran over something and heard some kind of God awful bones crushing-sounds- almost like I hit a rock, but that it was actually apparently Sissy, because the fur that shot out the brush hog looked like it was her hair color. (Of course this never happened-I just made it up because that is the kind of asshole I was back then.) Sandi got so upset and tears started filling her eyes.

I finally busted out laughing and told her it was all b.s.- that I had never run over Sissy's body. Schuele, McKirgan, Chuck Greene, and all of the guys were laughing their asses off. Sandi wasn't laughing. Thank God she was too drunk to get up and punch me, because if looks could kill, I would have been dead.

To this day I truly believe Tom Schuele took Sissy to the vet and had her put to sleep, but he denied it right up until his death a few years ago. She was a good old dog.

Thanks for the memories!

[careless hal]

Dogs often run away to die.  Those pics bring back lot of memories.  So many tracks we now are left with only our memories, and the list will be growing.

[Wilderness]

Anybody recognize the drivers in this photo?

I've seen the pic and they look familiar, however I'm having a DUH!

[pope of vegas]

Reminds me of the back shed row at Hawthorne.

[The Skipper]

Anybody recognize the drivers in this photo?

I've seen the pic and they look familiar, however I'm having a DUH!

The guy in the middle looks like Don Busse but I don't know, the one on the left has L.D. on his helmet and that don't ring

a bell with me so pretty much I have no clue 

[Wilderness]

LD maybe Lloyd Daulton

Could the S be Bob Seabrook

[pope of vegas]

  S is John Searle----   Steve and Tim's dad.

[careless hal]

Doesn't look like Don Busse to me and I was his partner back then.  Great guy taught me a lot about harness horses and racing.

[The Skipper]

Doesn't look like Don Busse to me and I was his partner back then.  Great guy taught me a lot about harness horses and racing.

Yeah like I said it may not be, the black and white pics really throw you off but in the face it looks like Don to me, I should

have known John Searle I used to call him Superman when I was a lad, and that really looks too big to be Lloyd but I only

remember seeing him the last 25 years or so. 

[pope of vegas]

  Also, The pic with Rum Customer beating Ghandi----  I believe the driver on Ghandi was Phil Milburn.

[The Skipper]

  Also, The pic with Rum Customer beating Ghandi----  I believe the driver on Ghandi was Phil Milburn.

Pope, do you or even Gary or anyone remember a driver by the name of Robin Renner (sp) ? I can remember him driving

at Hawthorne, I think, and I made a few nice scores with him but my memory sucks. For some reason the Bruce Jenner ,

gender bending talk made me think of him lol

[LVGaryD]

I don't remember him. 

[miss media]

Robin was a good looking young kid. Born 6/15/1958.
He had some success in the  80's, but went down hill fast in the 90's.
Last year to drive was 1992.
He went  47-0-0-8   $7,393  .056 that year.
Don't know were he went or what he is doing now.

[maywoodmaniac]

Robin was a good guy for the sport. I remember reading about his new career as a high school baseball coach here in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.

This isn't the same story but it's the most recent and has a picture.

highschoolcubenews.com/2014/08/26/neuqua-valley-still-rockin-under-robin-renner


He coached a pretty good player who now is in the majors. Ian Krol is a relief pitcher and may have been traded after this past season when he played for Detroit.