I grew up in the shadows of Belmont Park. I was not there when Secretariat won the Belmont, but I did watch it on TV. I was absolutely amazed. To this day, I cannot watch a replay of that race without getting a little choked up. I fancy myself to be a bit of a perfectionist. No matter what the endeavor, I feel like I always come up a little short. There is always room for improvement. I watch that race today and know just how truly special it was. That race was perfection.

Fast forward to the mid-90's. I was switching from 7 card stud to Limit Hold Em and was looking for a card capper. I happened to be looking at Secretariat memorabilia on eBay, when a came across the $2.50 Palms Secretariat Belmont Stakes Chip. I had never even considered that people collect casino chips. I purchased the chip, and that is how I was introduced to collecting casino chips.

Among the chips displayed are examples autographed by Penny Tweedy (owner) and Ron Turcotte (jockey). The pic of Turcotte is also autographed, and that pic is one of the greatest sports photos ever taken. It captures perfection perfectly.

But my most favorite part of the display is the $2.50 chip that sits in the upper left hand corner, because that is the chip I spoke about earlier---my first chip that I purchased as a keepsake! I have many that are far more "collectable" or "valuable", but none more special.