Columnist Ralph Siraco: Ralph was here: A fond farewell to readers

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Sept. 12, 2005 | 9:09 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

I knew this day would come -- someday. I just didn't think it would come this way.

Since I never pursued a job as a writer, it was hard for me to believe that, as a writer, it would take the demise of an entire newspaper to shut me up. Or at least, the end of what the Las Vegas Sun newspaper has been since I began scribing in these pages some 11 years ago. My first column as the turf writer for this newspaper came on July 11, 1994. I wrote about some rivalry between a filly named Sardula and, well, some other filly I can't even remember now.

Funny how time flies by.

I remember working on another project with Gary Thompson, who was an editor and writer for the Business section of the Las Vegas Sun at the time. He suggested I see Sandy Thompson, who just happened to be his wife and editor for the paper. He said the paper was thinking about re-instituting a turf writer.

Now I had been a racing publicist, radio and television producer and reporter on racing, producer and host of race track simulcast broadcasting, race track announcer, rider, hotwalker, groom and just about everything else you could be in racing. But, never a writer. What did I know about writing? I met with Sandy for 10 minutes. She never asked my qualifications, just what I thought of the idea and when I could start. Gary had convinced her that I was the right person for the job. Might have been the only thing she ever agreed about with Gary.

Sandy was one of the greatest people I have ever known. And, I didn't want to let her down.

So, I scribed as best I could and always substituted my lack of writing expertise with a "from the heart" rendition of whatever the subject matter turned out to be. Along the way I learned. Along the way we shared some great moments in racing, you and me.

We reflected on over a decade of Triple Crowns. The heart-breaking near misses of Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in '98, Charismatic in '99, War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003 and good old Smarty Jones in 2004. How about that nose victory by Grindstone in the 1996 Derby, then his untimely death.

We shared memories about the great jockeys who retired during our watch. Chris McCarron, Eddie Delahoussaye, Laffit Pincay, Jr., and recently Pat Day. The passing of others like jockeys Chris Antley, John Longden -- still can't believe he missed passage on the Titanic as a little boy -- and the great Bill Shoemaker.

We've seen the changing landscape of the great Sport of Kings, from the simple economics, to simulcasting and the politics of it all. How will this sport face its new challenges? Slot machines for "racinos" and medication issues that have no uniform code or limits to shortage of the horse population itself.

We reported on the local racing scene when it impacted the national arena. Remember that awful simulcasting blackout from Southern California racing in 1996? A long drawn-out boycott of California simulcast signals into Las Vegas race books had us scrambling for the old days of race recreations and house-limit payoffs. Now we can get down on a play with the touch of a phone number.

Sometimes we had a chance to entertain in this corner, or settle racing's problems with a single column. If they only read it.

And what about all those great Breeders' Cup days? We certainly overloaded those who chose to read about everything they ever wanted to know about the sport's championship series. Albeit a little light on the prognostications. And, oh, those championship moments. The Breeders' Cup triumphs that we still treasure today. Remember Personal Ensign in 1988? By the time they got to Alysheba's Classic victory that day it had run out of daylight.

From the sports editors of Ron Kantowski to Jim Barger allowing me to ramble about my passion through these pages. Always finding the space to give me mine. And the Greenspun family for keeping me spouting away in pages of a newspaper whose reputation I have always admired. A publication that offered me credibility and the respect for the journalistic community.

My thanks to them all.

And, most of all, to you. The readers who spent part of your day with me. It has been as much an honor as a privilege to have served you. I am deeply indebted.

It has been a long journey. One I never expected. One I am glad to have taken. And one that I will always remember. Like any good race player will tell you, it is better to fade away than have your horse do it in the home stretch.

Have a great race day.