sports
th
6 Annual
From ‘Gordon’s Picks’
To The Hall Of Fame
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
H
Sunday, october 22, 2017
Farber Soul Center
5586 Drake Road, West Bloomfield, MI
5:30 PM Reception
SPECIAL GUEST
Roz Rothstein
CEO and Co-founder
StandWithUs
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Honoree
Yoram Ettinger
Barbara Moretsky
Israeli
Ambassador (Ret)
Past President and Honorary Chair
StandWithUs Michigan
Meet StandWithUs Emerson Fellows And High School
Interns, Who Stand Up For Israel And Against Anti-Semitism
Allison Egrin and Victor Hasbany
Delicious Strolling Dinner | Dietary Laws Observed
Please register at StandWithUs.com/MIGALA
For more information, contact Vida Velasco at
VidaV@standwithus.com or 212.444.2812
34
October 5 • 2017
jn
azel Park Raceway harness rac- faith put in me by my employers, as
ing patrons in the 1980s often
well as all the trainers, drivers, owners,
checked “Gordon’s Picks” in
breeders and race officials who have
the sports section of a local newspaper
been so gracious with their time when
before heading to the track and placing I called them for a story, either cur-
their bets.
rently or back in the day in
The “Gordon” who made
Michigan.”
the race selections was
This summer’s honor
Oak Park native Gordon
wasn’t the first time
Waterstone, the track’s pub-
Waterstone was celebrated
licist.
for his work in harness rac-
Fast forward to 2017.
ing. Not by a long shot.
Waterstone, 63, is associ-
He’s a two-time recipient
ate editor of the Lexington,
of the John Hervey Award for
Ky.-based Horseman and Fair
excellence in harness racing
Oak Park native
World harness racing industry Gordon Waterstone journalism, winning in the
magazine, a position he’s held
feature (1999) and news-com-
was elected to
since 1998.
mentary (2008) categories.
harness racing’s
He also works on the
Communicators Hall He’s one of only a few journal-
magazine’s harnessracing.com
ists to win the national award
of Fame.
website and email newsletter,
in more than one category.
“Harness Racing Weekend
He was presented the
Preview.”
North American Harness Publicists
Waterstone is well-known for his
Association’s Alan J. Finkelson
popular “Backstretch with Gordon”
Golden Pen Award in 1995 and served
daily column on the website during
as the organization’s president from
the annual two-week Grand Circuit
1999-2000.
races at historic Red Mile racetrack in
Winner of the 2002 Harness
Lexington that opened in 1875.
Horsemen’s International’s Clyde
The column contains behind-the-
Hirt Media Award, Waterstone also
scenes stories about the great horses
received the U.S. Harness Writers
and horsemen who flock to Lexington
Association’s President’s Award in
for the Grand Circuit and anecdotes
2001 for his efforts in helping resurrect
about the special ambiance of the Red
the defunct Kentucky Chapter, serving
Mile, a one-mile red clay track.
as chapter president.
There’s a recent addition to
He was USHWA’s national president
Waterstone’s resume. He was induct-
in 2004-2006 and Member of the Year
ed this summer into the Harness
in 2014.
Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s
While he was in Michigan,
Communicators Hall of Fame in
Waterstone twice was presented
Goshen, N.Y.
the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s
“What an honor. It’s truly humbling,”
Association’s Appreciation Award.
said Waterstone, a 1972 Oak Park High
A chance meeting with Kathy
School graduate.
Parker, longtime editor and general
Waterstone began working at Hazel
manager of the Horseman and Fair
Park in 1979 as a public relations assis-
World magazine, in early 1998 led to
tant after developing an interest in
discussions about Waterstone taking
harness racing in earlier years. It was a
the associate editor job.
modest beginning for what has become
He accepted the position and moved
a long career in the sport.
to Lexington in the summer of 1998,
He eventually became Hazel Park’s
while his beloved Detroit Red Wings
publicist, marketing and simulcast
were winning the Stanley Cup with a
director. He also worked for many years 4-0 sweep of the Washington Capitals.
as the publicist and marketing direc-
“I’d never even been to Lexington
tor at Northville Downs, where he also
before I went there for the job,” he said.
hosted a nightly racing results recap
Waterstone said he doesn’t travel
show on a local TV station.
as much to races as he used to — he’s
“I’m proud of what I was able to
down to about four or five trips a year
accomplish at the Detroit-area race-
— and he misses the days in Michigan
tracks, and I’m equally proud of my
when he was at the track every day, but
work for the Horseman and Fair World,” he still enjoys writing stories about the
he said.
sport’s great horses and horsemen. •
“But, in the end, my election to the
Hall of Fame is only the result of the
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