I am shortly heading out to beautiful Belmont Park to spend a day that may well rival last summer’s Travers on the unpleasant scale. I’m not a big fan of crowds or excessive heat, and both will be in abundance in a few short hours. So as I get myself into the spirit of this…
So reads a New York Times headline in July of 1963, as the author recalled the first running of the Brooklyn Handicap, at Gravesend Race Track in 1887. The article tells us that, “There’s little doubt that the Brooklyn Handicap captivated the interest of many. In the early 1900’s, there wasn’t a self-respecting saloon in…
For anyone who was paying attention, Belmont 2007 was unforgettable. For me, it was not your typical day at the races, and not only because of Rags to Riches’ victory. The night before, I contracted some horrible bug and spent most of the evening throwing up; undeterred the next morning, I determinedly marched myself out…
I loved Belmont Day 2006. The weather was terrific (sunny, cool, breezy); the place was alive but not too crowded; and another horse I loved was in the Belmont. We all know it had been a rough three weeks in racing; Barbaro’s breakdown was on everyone’s mind, and I think that many of us felt…
Following yesterday’s little trip back to the 2004 Belmont, here’s what I recall about Belmont 2005. I hit an early, well-paying (as I recall) exacta in the White Carnation when Judy Soda was DQ’d to second and Madonna Lily got the win. And then the rest of the card is pretty much of a blur…
Brooklyn Backstretch is going a little random as the school year comes to a close. In an example of bad timing, I head out of town this morning for four days of community service with our senior class—fun and rewarding, a great way to end the year, but not the best way to stay on…
Thanks to the folks at The Rail, for featuring this post along with those of other TBA bloggers in today’s Blog Roll feature. Today’s feature at Belmont is the Sands Point, upgraded to a Grade II this year, at a mile and an eighth on the turf for three year old fillies. Sands Point is…
I’ve been writing for weeks about the major BEST fundraiser last night, always with a tinge of envy, knowing that the ticket price was out of my reach, regretful that I wouldn’t be able to attend. Around midday on Wednesday, I got a call from the folks at the Belmont Child Care Association, who told…
Brooklyn Backstretch is taking it easy this morning, having received yesterday a late-breaking invitation to the BEST benefit on Long Island last night, at which Allen Jerkens received a Lifetime Outstanding Trainer award. The New York Racing Association hosted the event at the gorgeous Hempstead House in Sands Point, Long Island, which is a long…
As posted last week at Curb My Enthusiasm, and as Tom LaMarra reported in the The Blood-Horse yesterday, our United States government is about to get into the racing game. Letters were sent to various racing industry leaders requesting information on “details on equine injuries; whether racing programs bolstered by gaming revenue use money for…
Brooklyn Backstretch 