An afternoon at the races

Several of us adjourned to Oaklawn Park for an afternoon of horse race wagering after the APME awards luncheon yesterday.

I lost more than I won betting on horses in five races, but it was great fun hanging out with smart newsies.

That’s Barry Bedlan, assistant Associated Press bureau chief for Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, seated to my left, and his compadre, Kelly Kissel over my right shoulder.

I decided to show Maria what the old downtown Hot Springs looks like, with the bathhouses and all before we left town this morning. We ended up having breakfast in a nifty 1940s style café called the Pancake Shop. I had a ham and cheese omelet and Maria had French toast. Maybe we’ll try the pancakes next time.

Here’s a 360° view of the place.