that a lot of you probably don’t know.

But Chris and Dave is a pretty cool horse.

I first noticed him because of the name – because I am Dave, and my best friend from junior high through life, has been Chris.

I saw him in the form one day years ago – hey, he’s nine years old, that’s part of what makes him special – and shot my friend Chris a picture of the name, and said “Hey, our horse is running today.”

He won.  I’m not exactly sure which of his 76 career starts, or 16 wins it was.  But I’ve been aboard ever since.  

You see, Chris and Dave has run from coast to coast – almost literally – from Del Mar to Aqueduct, from Cantebury to Gulfstream.

He tries hard.  His 47 in-the-money finishes I submit as evidence.

He’s an over achiever.   On October 15, 2015, you could have bought him for $12,500 in a maiden claimer. If you did, you’d have pocketed about $800,000 in winnings since then.

He started as a maiden claimer, took his shot at greatness in the Los Al Derby.  He didn’t punch his ticket to Louisville, but he didn’t disgrace himself against eventual Breeders Cup Champ and Eclipse winner Accelerate.

(In fact he’s run against, in no particular order: Met Mile winner Bee Jersey, Quip, Snapper Sinclair Pioneer Spirit, Empty Tomb, Endorsed, Shotgun Kowboy, Patch, Pirates Punch, Hunka Burning Love, Sleepy Eyes Todd, Rated R Superstar, Bank It, Bodecream, and NY Bred standout Mr Buff)

He’s run enough 100 speed figures to earn a couple of tries in graded stakes, and a bunch of listed ones, and even won one.

He’s run on dirt.  He’s run on turf.  He’s run on synthetic – even though I still don’t have the foggiest idea how to handicap it.

He’s run at 15 different tracks in nine states with 30 different jockeys of every ilk – from Stewart Elliot, who won 2/3 of the triple crown, to current hotshots Jose Ortiz and Luis Saez, and for a few guys you’ve forgotten, and couple others you’ve never heard of, unless you’ve been to Will Rogers Downs or spend an awful lot of hours watching TVG.

Chris and Dave entertained us during those early, locked-down days of the pandemic, when the world stopped, but the horses still ran – which kept us from going stir crazy as we played him at Oaklawn, Will Rogers, Prairie Meadows and Canterbury before the world started to open back up.

And he’s kept Chris and I connected.  The stable alert hardly bleeps on the phone before Chris or I message the other, which at this point leads to a conversation about our houses, our families, and life, not just about a horse and what we might wager that day.

Chris and Dave is nine.  He may have lost a step this winter.  I know Chris and I both have.  I feared he might be done when he got dusted by 26 lengths in his first off the bench.  And he probably has this summer left in him, which I’ll savor, while hoping he retires a happy horse this fall.

He’s run for Steve Asmussen, Linda Rice, and Robertino Diodoro, among others.  Rob Atras just claimed him for $16,000 out of his last start at Aqueduct, when Chris and Dave bounced back to form but lost by a step late.

“Our guy” is lexicon for someone who’s more than a friend, who gets things done.

I wish Rob Atras well – but he better not run Our Guy Chris and Dave any cheaper, or I’m getting my owners license . . .