March 16 - Premium Tap

I just tossed a coin and I'm afraid you'll be getting the "shorter than it could have been" version of the story of painting Premium Tap's portrait and how the Super Bowl made me the Artist in Residence at Gulfstream Park.

Premium Tap is a horse that was raced by three buddies down in Florida. One of them, Dave Whelihan became one of my best friends over of the years. I painted Premium Tap for Dave winning the Clark at Churchill Downs, but Dave wanted me to paint him as a portrait. I honestly did everything I could to talk him out of doing a portrait of Premium Tap. I was blunt when I told him that his horse was just brown and wouldn't be as great as a portrait. Dave (as you will see over time, I am usually wrong in these matters) was insistent that he knew what he wanted, so I spoke my peace. I went to Gulfstream Park with my brother Brian, so that he could take the source photos of Premium Tap. It happened to be Super Bowl weekend and the game was being played in Miami a few miles away the next day. Security was tighter than I’d ever seen before. I couldn't get in, so I was sent up to the track offices. I wandered around with that obvious "I'm lost" look on my face. Fortunately, a man recognized that blank stare and came to my rescue. As it turned out, the man was Bill Murphy who was the president of Gulfstream Park. I told him why I was there, and a conversation ensued. I got the credentials to go back to the barns, but not until I shared a brochure, my portfolio, and web site with Bill. The next weekend I was back at Gulfstream and Bill Murphy took me up to his office and asked me to be the Artist in Residence at Gulfstream the following year. That's how I became the Artist in Residence at Gulfstream for 2008. Bill wanted me back on an ongoing basis, but we never signed a contract. One year and four months living at the track was plenty for me. And that is how the Super Bowl is the reason that I became the Artist in Residence at Gulfstream Park.

The best day of the meet was March 14, 2008, when it was my birthday and Wally the bugler followed up the National Anthem with Happy Birthday to me while he coaxed the crowd to sing along.

Oh, as for painting Premium Tap's portrait - it seems that Dave "Two Hands on the" Whelihan was right. It did turn out okay after all. Thanks for sticking to your guns, Dave.