The highlight of today’s racing at Aqueduct is the Grade 3 Gotham, appropriating the nickname of the city that hosts it. But the spirit of New York may be better embodied in the horse for whom a race earlier on the card is named: Tom Fool, who won 21 races and earned $570,165; who won…
Akindale Farm gained national attention in 2008, when it became home to fan favorite Evening Attire. The folks at Akindale had long been committed to Thoroughbred aftercare; Akindale founder John Hettinger established Blue Horse Charities in 2001 to help fund Thoroughbred retirement, and the rescue part of the farm was founded in 2006. But until…
It’s been a busy few months at the Belmont Child Care Association. Though August is a long way away, planning has already begun for the big summer benefit, and a steady stream of good news about fundraisers and other initiatives has come in over the winter months. Elisabeth Jensen, executive director of the Race For…
Last Tuesday morning, I bundled up against 19 degree cold, scraped the snow and ice off my car, and headed north to Pawling, New York, to visit Akindale Farm. I’d been there once before, last summer, to visit Evening Attire and talk to Erin Pfister, who runs the farm’s rescue division, for a story for…
Gulfstream Park: The Grade II, $400,000 Fountain of Youth at 1 1/8 miles #1 Soldat (2-1 ML): Absolutely freaked in local and 3yo debut when catching a sloppy track and running off to a 10 ¾-length win in a N1X in very fast time at this distance. Takes the next logical step to see if…
And…we’re off! I’ve finally committed to a fantasy stable (not that anything like considered deliberation of last weekend’s prep races factored seriously into my decisions), and the Road to the Roses: Brooklyn Backstretch Charity League is set to go for year #4. As in past years, the winner of our league will have a donation…
I adopted Giant Moon late. When he was a three-year-old, I was obsessed with Saratoga Russell; they raced against each other in the 2008 Gotham. Saratoga Russell finished next to last, Giant Moon right behind him. Undeterred, Giant Moon’s connections – owner Albert Fried, Jr. and trainer Rick Schosberg – brought the son of Giant’s…
Oaklawn Park: The Grade III, $250,000 Southwest at 1-mile #1 Caleb’s Posse (9-2 ML): Looked good winning the Smarty Jones, the local prep over the course and distance, so you know right off he can handle both the trip and the strip. Drew well here, too (he also broke from the rail in the Smarty…
A quick look at this afternoon’s San Vincente: Santa Anita: The Grade II, $150,000 San Vicente at 7 furlongs INDIAN WINTER (#5) impressed in taking a minor stakes in his main track debut over the track and should benefit from a pace that looks suicidal on paper; call to make the last run the winning…
The path to racing history doesn’t always run smoothly, as I unfortunately discovered earlier this week; technical difficulties at the Times website left me feeling like Tantalus, able to see the objects of my desire (articles on George Widener’s Rare Treat), but not able to touch them. Tantalus, though, didn’t have Facebook, so he couldn’t go…
Brooklyn Backstretch 