Sam’s win caps special night for 96-year-old

Riverman Sam’s (American Ideal) harness racing hat-trick at Cambridge on Thursday night put the icing on the cake for 96-year-old Joan Grice.

Grice turned Cambridge’s mid-winter Christmas party into a birthday bash, celebrating with daughter Delia Cook, son-in-law Peter, and a few of her Cambridge friends.

And after their horse steamrolled home to score his third win on end for Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green, Grice switched from her Pinot Gris to champagne, delighting racegoers in the president’s room with a spontaneous speech.

Delia Cook described the night as hilarious as Grice, brandishing her “monster” $2 to win, $3 to place ticket on their horse, declared she fully intended to reinstate her TAB account.

I’m astonished at her memory. She can still rattle off her old account number which she hasn’t used for years.

“She doesn’t have money to burn but I text her when our horses are starting and she drives herself to the Cambridge TAB for her two over three.

“She’s always followed horse racing, she’s very good (looking up form) on the computer.

“As soon as we arrived last night she had her racebook open, working out her picks.”

RIVERMAN SAM REPLAY

Going out on a cold night to the races might be beyond many elderly but not this former school teacher who just two or three years ago took herself to Italy for her grand-daughter’s wedding.

“I’m wondering what she’ll do next. She been to Antarctica on her own, to Easter Island and even the Galapagos Islands.”

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For complete race results, click here.

by Barry Lichter, reprinted with permission from Lincoln Farms