Maggie Wolfendale Morley and Toby Sheets’ friendship did not get off to an auspicious beginning. Morley (then Wolfendale) had recently begun working as the New York Racing Association’s paddock analyst, and Sheets was Steve Asmussen’s assistant. 

One night, she joined trainers Abigail Adsit and David Cannizzo for dinner. Sheets was seated across from her. 

“He ripped me a new one,” she said. “We didn’t really know each other, and he started talking about what I said about people’s horses on TV, and he was not happy. ‘You can’t say that!’”

Apparently the conversation escalated to the point that other diners in the restaurant noticed, leading to the waitress to come to the table as Morley tried to defend herself. 

“I started to lose it,” she said. “I went to the bathroom and Abby came with me, and she said to me, ‘Go to the bar, do a shot with him, and you’ll be good.’

“I took her advice, and by the end of the night, Toby and I were best friends.”

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