Inside United Tote’s early-1990s computer room: race-day responsibility, a wall of modems, noisy printers and the people who kept the wagering pools connected.

A horse named Cigar brings Allen back to United Tote, Kentucky horse country and the unexpected road that led a young man from Waterloo to Keeneland.

Bourbon, tradition, United Tote and the invitation that turned a Kentucky work trip into a lifelong connection. Allen discovers why Keeneland had no race announcer.

A late-night truck, an early-morning setup and Allen’s first real look at Keeneland — where even the color seemed to carry its own tradition.