Serendipity

This week I had this feeling that I really wanted to go watch an old mare of mine (Docs Little Corona) race at Los Alamitos Race Track.  She had run fourteen previous races and I had never seen her run in person. I haven't owned her since she was one so I just lost track of her.  In the past few months I would catch her on television running and that was all I needed to satisfy my curiosity. A few days ago I got a reminder that she would be running on Saturday night.  Something inside me was pushing hard to go see her in person.  So Julie and I made a date of it and got to the track about six.  We sat down at the bar, had a couple of drinks and ordered some dinner (try the double pork chop - it was delicious!)
   I decided to make a bet on a horse called "Treasured Jewel." Since Julie was with me it seemed serendipitous.  As I went to place the bet I saw a very familiar face dressed in black standing at the betting counter.  "Rich" I yelled.  He turned and we hugged and started to slap each other on the back and laugh.  We hadn't seen each other in years.  I grabbed him and ran over to Julie to make introductions.  Rich had decided to come to the track for an early Mother's Day for his lovely mother (Sonja Gentile.) He brought along his two sons (Little Tony age 12 and Jack age 10) and his girlfriend Radka.  
   Rich and I were the best of friends (more like brothers) at UCLA's dental school.  We did everything together. We played intramural sports (football and softball) freshman year.  We spent hours together studying, selling bagels, playing paintball, bowling, hashing at the Sigma Kappa Sorority, attending bachelor parties, attending weddings, making class movies, sharing patients, lab work, television game show tryouts and playing poker.  No one could make you laugh faster than Rich.  No one would challenge you to his opinion faster than Rich.  If you got into a fist fight with Rich, he would stand his ground and then when it was done convince you that the two of you should be friends.  No one was more honest than Rich.  He would sit in the very front of class during a test and remind everyone not to cheat.  He was and is "One of Kind!"
   We went upstairs at the track to watch the race with his mother and kids. We took pictures and exchanged stories of our past to the delight of everyone.  Docs Little Corona came in second.  I felt like I came in first!  It's a funny thing about expectations. I felt that the horse Treasured Jewels was going to be serendipitous (she lost,) all along it was Rich.