I say technically, because in New York although it says spring on the calendar, the three months of spring here are really a mixture of winter, spring and summer. It is a hybrid season more than the others.
But I always tell people who complain about the weather in New York that we really don't ever have it bad. Sure, there was hurricane Sandy in 2012, but that was the worst storm, rain or snow in decades. The proverbially 100 year flood.
We don't experience many really cold, single digit temperature days, and not many under 20° either. We don't get cyclones, or tornadoes that level everything in their path, tossing cars around like toys, and leaving only foundations. We get hurricanes, but the damage from them is slight compared to what shows up on the nightly news during the hurricane season from other parts of the country. And we don't get earthquakes.
We get snow. Sometimes several storms a year, but rarely ever one that cripples the place to a standstill. And this year the snow shovels remained in the shed. They were never called upon to do anything but move out of the way. We've had a year like this before, and not all that long ago. It is rare, but it happens.
The latest I can remember it snowing here in New York was April 4th or 8th, 1982. That's 41 years ago. I remember having to shovel several inches of the white stuff when we were living in Flushing. Our second daughter had just been born in January, and I can distinctly remember my wife holding her by the front storm door window to watch me shovel. I may have even taken a photo of the two of them.
Does the NYT editorial board still do a piece on the arrival of spring? The editorial page of that paper has so vastly changed that it's unrecognizable to anyone who hasn't just starting reading it. The pieces are bylined; there are photos and sketches. There used to be an annual puff piece heralding the arrival of spring. But then again, many, many years ago a poem was published there daily.
As for myself, I never stop and read anything on the editorial page, before, or now. And seldom anything on the Op-Ed side ever since Russell Baker retired from the game. And 1998 was a long time ago.
In fact, I don't even think they call it an editorial page. It's an "Opinion" page, that, and the adjacent page that used to called an Op-Ed page, now also full of bylined opinions. The Times is a changin'.
There are a few sure signs of spring other than the opening of the baseball season. Turf racing returns to Aqueduct racetrack. I think it starts this week. Already you can see they've removed the permeable tarp that covers the turf, showing off a lush green surface that looks too good to be chewed up by horses' hooves.
The turf looks as green as the golf course at Augusta, Georgia when the Master tournament starts on Thursday. Augusta of course is made to look especially lush with early blooming magnolia, cherry and callery pear trees that have been force fed fertilizer, along with the azaleas and rhododendrons to put on a show.
But the spring meeting at Aqueduct doesn't last long, and like Belmont, there are two turf courses there again, so the wear gets evenly distributed.
And there's the Wood Memorial, the true racing harbinger of spring in New York when 3-year-olds compete at a mile and an eighth, once around the track, trying to earn points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.
The Wood still holds a position on the calendar as a decent Grade II prep race for the Derby. It is to be held this Saturday, four weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
This past weekend another harbinger of spring was held at Gulfstream Park, the mile and an eighth Florida Derby, another prep race set up to establish points for eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
This year's edition was taken by Forte, a Todd Pletcher trained colt, owned by Mike Repole and St. Elias Stable that is easily an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, likely a near odds-on favorite.
Forte was 3-10 in the Florida Derby, despite breaking from the 11 hole in 12 horse field. At this point, no one is conceding a race to anyone. They're going to show up and try and beat you.
Forte broke well enough, 7th, and settled in mid-pack. With the size of the field, Forte looked like he was going to get boxed in as they came out of the far turn and started for the stretch. Forte was swung 5 wide by the Eclipse award winning, cool riding Irad Ortiz Jr. The chart caller tells us what our eyes saw: "patiently ridden three wide between foes around the far turn, swung five wide turning for home, surged outside and was up late" in a driving finish, finishing one length ahead of the second place Mage. He looked done for, until he wasn't.
Forte won't be in the Wood Memorial. He'll continue training for the big day in May. And we have to see who will be in the Derby, but you can be guaranteed that 20 horses of wide-ranging ability will start.
Get ready to place your bets. It's spring.
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