SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Sloppy track, morning works canceled, chance to sleep in much appreciated. I spent the late morning at the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame's goldmine of a library, undiscovered gems of horse racing literature at my fingertips. It's a turf writer's version of paradise. We don't use words the way the great sportswriters did. Like, "Jim Pitt is a slender man out of Nashville, Tennessee, who grew up with horses but never had a big one until, whoops, all of a sudden he finds his talents spread like jam across the whole grinning face of Florida racing." (Man with a Horse, Red Smith's Sports Annual 1961). Funny how more than five decades later, the same could be said of trainer Chip Woolley Jr. Just make the state New Mexico and you're set. That's racing for you, as circular as the ovals we frequent. Surprise assignment came my way from the Albany Times Union, so most of the day was taken up with snagging quotes from or about jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. Called him "the bad boy of the New York racing circuit," not sure he'll appreciate, but it's a reputation he's still working to shed. Interesting notes on Arroyo that didn't make it into the story (good ol' newspaper word count): To understand the ups and downs of Arroyo's career, it is necessary to understand the man himself. He was born to do two things, ride and fight, and he's done both with equal vigor in his 32 years. The son of Norberto Arroyo Sr., a sparring partner for the former lightweight champion Roberto Duran, he moved with his family from his native land to a Boston suburb, Somerville, Mass., at the age of 12. Intensely competitive, he quickly became involved in high school athletics -- baseball, basketball, and volleyball for Somerville High School. But racing had always been his main interest, from the childhood days of watching his uncle (jockey-turned-trainer Enrique Arroyo) and fellow countrymen like Angel Cordero Jr. ride to the top of the game. He had been slightly deterred as a youngster by the Puerto Rican jockey school (they refused to enroll him because he was two pounds over the 100-pound limit), so he waited until he turned 15 to make his move. Fed up with an after-school job at Footlocker, he stacked some plastic milk cartons next to the backside fence at Suffolk Downs and hopped on over to pursue his dream. As most New York Turf writers will tell you, Arroyo is poised and articulate. You can't help but root for the guy. I just hope this comeback is for real. You can read the Times Union article in its entirety tomorrow here.