Saratoga Russell is back! This colt was my winter/spring crush until his dismal performance in the fog-enshrouded Gotham, and he underwent a myectomy shortly thereafter. According to a backstretch report at Saratoga, Saratoga Russell then went to Kentucky for treatment of some other maladies, and I was told that his trip to Kentucky was a…
Thus was my writing characterized recently by a succinct, eloquent, and of course anonymous commenter. Maudlin crap? Maudlin: Etymology: alteration of Mary Magdalene; from her depiction as a weepingpenitentDate: 15091 : drunk enough to be emotionally silly Oh, dear: “drunk enough to be emotionally silly”? That commenter might be on to something… Crap: 1a usually…
If you’re a fan of Richard Migliore, there’s no dearth of recent news out there about him. He was interviewed by Jan Rushton a couple of weeks ago on Thoroughbred Weekly; Keith at Triple Dead Heat talked to him at Aqueduct just before Thanksgiving, and this week, NYRA has yet another interview with him, this…
Among the sadness at Aqueduct on Saturday was some good news; between the third and the fourth races, NYRA presented a $5,000 check to the Exceller Fund; Exceller Fund board members photographer Barbara Livingston and writer Steve Haskin accepted the donation. Exceller, who beat two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, in the 1978…
There might be a lot of rationalization in this post. Last Saturday, I was standing at the paddock with a friend just before the second race went off. I’d gotten to Aqueduct late, and thus didn’t know that Bruce Levine’s Big Love Bill had broken down in the first race until my friend told me,…
Saturday’s Demoiselle offers any number of memorable renewals, won by any number of memorable fillies: broodmare extraordinaire Better than Honour’s win in 1989; Triple Tiara winner Chris Evert’s victory in 1973; Derby winner Genuine Risk’s triumph in 1979. Preceding generations likely have their own memories of the winners of this race, which was run for…
A year ago, I offered thanks for the racing gifts of 2007. It was the year of Street Sense, Curlin, and Hard Spun, and of Rags to Riches; a year of writing about racing and reading about racing and friends made at the racetrack. In some ways, 2007 was a more memorable racing year than…
As much as I look forward to going home to Saratoga for Thanksgiving, I head north with one eye on the rearview mirror, focused on Ozone Park, wistfully knowing that I will partake of Aqueduct’s holiday festivities from afar. It’s the last big weekend of New York racing this year, and what a weekend it…
Reader, commenter, and self-proclaimed #1 Curlin fan Libby will be heading to Churchill this weekend to bid farewell to her favorite, and she’s soliciting tributes to the big chestnut. Libby will compile them and present them to Curlin’s connections this weekend, so if you’re interested in contributing, please contact her at libbybar@gmail.com. One final word…
I rarely watch television on Sunday morning, but early yesterday I had the TV on to the local NBC channel, and my attention was caught when I saw the meteorologist broadcasting live from the Meadowlands. In addition to giving the weather report, she was touting a food drive being conducted by the Meadowlands in conjunction…
Brooklyn Backstretch 