I met City On Line last summer, on the backstretch at Saratoga. Allen Jerkens’s barn is as far north of the track as you can get, before the grounds at Saratoga give way to the old Greentree facility. It was feeding time in the afternoon, and the Chief pulled up in his golf cart. “Let’s…
The more that I watch mainstream media’s coverage of horse racing on television, the more I think that we might be better off if the sport didn’t get covered at all. I didn’t watch this year’s Derby coverage, but based on the Oaks coverage on Bravo and the Preakness coverage on NBC, I’m thinking that…
Seattle Smooth—or maybe her jockey Ramon Dominguez—gave her backers and her connections some tense moments during the running of the Grade II Shuvee at Belmont on Saturday. Stuck behind horses down on the rail at the top of the stretch, Dominguez seemed to be waiting for a hole that didn’t open up, and he finally…
If I’m wrong about all this, and if Mine That Bird somehow figures in racing for the rest of the year—or even for the next few months–I’ll be the first to admit it, right here. But until then, I’m going to have a hard time seeing this year’s Derby as anything approaching important as we…
On this day, after this week, when much has been written about the decision to run Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, the Grade II Shuvee is being run at Belmont Park. In 1970, Shuvee became the first filly to win the two mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, raced then at Aqueduct. It was her fourth…
He’s baaaa-aaaack! Brian Nadeau returns to Brooklyn Backstretch for a look at the Preakness. There’s really no reason to beat around the bush, so let’s get right into it…what a Preakness lined up for Saturday! As if the improbable Derby winner Mine That Bird wasn’t enough, we have the super filly Rachel Alexandra to boot.…
In a comment on a recent post about the new barbecue facilities at Belmont, Ashley Herriman answers some questions posed by readers: The minimum number of people to reserve a table in a section is 8, but withoutreserving the entire section, you would likely be mixed in with other groups. To reserve an entire section…
From the New York Thoroughbred Breeders comes news of the inaugural running of a new race at Saratoga this year. It’s scheduled for Saturday, August 15th (the same day as the Sword Dancer); it’s open to entrants of all ages and both sexes; and at three miles, it’s longer than most races you’ll see at…
Last week, I felt like I was the only person paying attention to racing who wasn’t utterly charmed by Mine That Bird’s win in the Derby. This week, I feel like I’m the only person paying attention to racing who isn’t utterly thrilled at the prospect of Rachel Alexandra going in the Preakness instead of…
The last time I saw him, in November, he was sitting in a rehab facility, reading the newspaper, looking out the window. He was a little frail but recovering well, and happy for visitors. Shortly after that visit, he left for Florida, and I kept up with him only through entries and results. Now it’s…
Brooklyn Backstretch 