PebbleCreekers from the Italian American, Irish American, Bocce and Shalom clubs joined Last Greeting in the Winners Circle at Turf Paradise at the annual Day at the Races event chaired by Joe and Sue Lupo from the PebbleCreek Italian American Club.
Judi Rizzetto
Members of the PebbleCreek Italian American Club have been busy again celebrating life with good Italian accents. April 9 was our first meeting with our new board: President Rose Ann Cleland, Vice President Michael Delleo, Secretary Ken Minichello, Treasurer Bob Cleland and Sergeant at Arms Bob Montalbano. New members were welcomed, snacks were great, coffee was hot, volunteers filled open positions, heard Poinsettia Ball planning is already under way; members’ health and wellness was reviewed and the evening ended with members mixing to play a little trivia.
We want to dedicate part of this month’s article to a member’s (Jim Deak Roberts) poem/story about this year’s fantastic March 31 Day at the Races.
“It was the annual Day at the Races and 108 PebbleCreek Clubbers (Italian-American, Irish American, Bocce) took their places in the air conditioned clubhouse. It started quiet as a mouse; members checked in with Joe Lupo and got to their spaces. Paradise Turf is where the Thoroughbreds run. A bunch of Italian-Americans looking to have fun started with a wonderful lunch (some brisket or turkey piled high on a bun). The trumpet sounded the call to the track; jockeys looked wired as if they were on crack. From the Paddock they came to run for money and fame and pranced down the track, not looking back. They loaded into the starting gate, naturally, my horse got in there late. I should have seen it coming, he wasn’t in the running; for all I know, he is still at the gate. Then came the big race of the day, PebbleCreekers would say. The PebbleCreek Italian Club sponsored Race Three for the hay burners to pace. We placed our bets and set back and prayed. They would race one mile inside on the grass; all eyes were fixed outside the glass. The nags were nervous as a recruit in the service; bells rang, gates opened and jocks got off their ass and thundered past the clubhouse on a dead run. The pace was set by the long shot horse, Gone-To-Run. In the stretch, Number 4, Last Greetings was back in the pack. Liar Liar and Big Team Little Me led the pack. Then from the back came Last Greetings, on fire, through the pack and crossed the wire by a nose. It was a photo finish to see who Shows. Big Team Little Me came in second place, Liar Liar did Show. We Creekers bet the race one and all. A few hit the Winners Circle, but most hit the stall. We PebbleCreekers had so much fun out of the sun with the Day at the Races which is always a ball.” Jim, incidentally, had Number 4 to Win in the third.