When Bing Crosby personally welcomed the very first attendees at the gate of 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014 on Del Mar Racetrack’s very first Opening Day on July 3, 1937, mayhaps little did he know his endeavor would become one of America's most successful race tracks. In '46, Crosby and his glitzy gang sold for a neat bit of profit, but the track remains attached to the inherent ritz of Hollywood. That ain't the only ritz... I mean check out them fancy hats! Oy.
Yesterday was the 79th grand opening of De Mar. I'm not sure when exactly fancy hats came into play, but it's by now just as much tradition as is any other bit of the big and oft star-studded day. Just ask a standout of some forty thousand plus in attendance -- the man whom hand-crafted his elaborate shark-crossing-finish-line headwear. I'm a tick more sure, humsoever and historically, when exactly Del Mar was put on the map.
Lettuce talk 'bout that, gentlepersons. As we doth, might as well light up ...
THE CIGAR
Jas Sum Kral7 x 38 Lancero Pig-tail/closed foot
w. Ecuadorian Habano
b. San Andres/Jalapa Seco
f. Undisclosed
Ash then dumps at a 1/2" as line was evening out on its own accord. Top-leaf seems lagging in burn behind binder. Balancing out quickly off a re-touch I focus back in on the sweet/meat combo at play in a spicy manner -- although spice has dialed back some off initial zetz. Body apparently tires a tick, too. Sweetness is warm and active. Meat is smoked on the draw and smoothly finishes in a thick leather. Good bit of bitter in the middlings; in food-centric terms: baker's chocolate and espresso -- mainly its crema. Under-belly is a woodsy earth with an slight citrus peel. Burn stays a bit wavy, its ash is an impressive nutrient-rich white showing a nice bit of burnt-offering toothiness, forming in a loose sheath. Bit of a throat catch, bit of a rough palate... let's ya know ya gots a cigar. Reminds me to double up on tonight's Flintstones vitamins.
I'm practically a match-race fiend, but in my opinion and others less fiendishly so, it was on August 12, 1938, whenst Del Mar first and truly came of age. For the first time east came west, by way of the sporting world and its rabid press. See, it was then that the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race betwixt Mr. Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the Binglin Stable's (Big Crosby co-owned) Argentine colt, Ligaroti.
In an era when horse racing ranked up there in popularity with baseball, this day was much ballyhooed and was the first national broadcast of a thoroughbred race by NBC radio. In the race, Seabiscuit was ridden by jock extra-extraordinaire George Woolf and Ligaroti by Noel "Spec" Richardson. In front of a record crowd that helped make the fledgling Del Mar race track a success built upon to this day -- Seabiscuit won an exciting and... exuberant battle by a nose. For a few strides, the Argentinian pony held the lead by a snoot; even as the great, good, and super pony broke first from the gate and went straight to the rail. Seabiscuit carried 15 pounds more than his younger foe through a brawl of a race in which both jocks were afterward cited for "rough riding." These shenanigans were high-lighted by Mr. Richardson actually grabbing Seabiscuit's saddlecloth. The inquiry seemed to go on forever; but Seabiscuit's win stood.
Spices return in a baked apple seasoning sorta manner, and doth ride high. Very autumnal. Burn has yet to find what I'd call even, and now some seams loosen around its char. Pack softens a couple ticks, as well and the hand-feel warms. Draw stays at mainly even within the medium range of tension. At times, it is a tick hesitant to fill the ol' smoke-hole. Meat becomes smokier and its leathery attachment a bit more bristled. Umami savoriness gets a dry push via a grain note underneath. Straight up peppers of the black and red variety reside throughout on the retro-hale. A nice caramelized sugar drops to the palate afterward.
There are hints and warnings at potential tunneling through much of the second half. Lanceros are tricky endeavors, both in manufacture and in smoking. Sip slowly, gentlepersons. Burn needs a re-light post the half-way mark as I place the JSK in my $0.99 Walmart ashtray a moment to tend to my son. Seems he knocked my 40's Schwinn over on hisself. Don't worry, gentlepersons -- bike is fine.
Finish flows in bitters and ebbs in sweetness. Some sour notes come into greater roles in a dried red fruit foodie manner. Shaft seems to dry as does my tongue. That sounded dirty... and unsuccessfully so.
K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
K least, Z most
Construction LCombustion P
Flavors W
Body W
Strength O
&
Sweet WSour L
Salty P
Bitter W
Umami O
&
Complexity PNuance L
Transition P
Balance L
Smoothness P
&
Animal ISpicy W
Woody L
Vegetal P
Earthy P
Chemical P
SMOKE TIME
75mins
Not a bad offering -- I'll allow the others more time to settle and do full write-ups of in the future. My thanks to brand owner and gentleman, Mr. Riste Riatevski, for the kind and generous samplings.
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Thanks as always, for the loaning of yer attentions.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Please to consider reading THIS post regarding more match-race history. Have I mentioned I'm a fan, gentlepersons?I have disabled comments on this blog. Chat at me via the contact tab above.
Thanks as always, for the loaning of yer attentions.