Horse racing is a dying sport or so, at least, goes one sort of conventional wisdom, in the face of declining foal crops, handle, field size, and crowds. Fifty years ago, more than 50,000 people went to Aqueduct on the 4th of July weekend to watch the historic Suburban Handicap, in which Iron Peg defeated…
On Friday, the United States will celebrate its independence, 231 years after a fledgling, underdog nation beat the British on these shores, driving them back to England in defeat. On Saturday, Belmont Park will honor that independence with the inaugural “Stars and Stripes Festival,” inviting the English—along with the French and the Irish—back for another…
California Chrome didn’t win the Triple Crown, but within hours of his failed bid to make racing history, the New York Racing Association was nonetheless declaring Belmont Stakes day a success, pointing to high attendance and record-setting handle numbers. Official attendance was 102,199, lower than the announced (and oft-questioned) attendance of 120,139 in 2004, Smarty…
Only one more race stands between California Chrome and horse racing’s Triple Crown, but it could be his toughest challenge yet. Since 1978, a dozen horses — Sunday Silence, War Emblem and Smarty Jones among them — have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, only to stumble before the finish line at the Belmont…
Optimism was evident May 28 as the board of directors of the New York Racing Association heard Chris Kay, president and CEO, detail a number of improvements customers can expect on what could be an historic Belmont Stakes (gr. I) day.Also fueling the optimism was the realization of a number of capital projects at Aqueduct Racetrack.…
The second weekend of spring racing at Belmont is in the books, and I still haven’t made it out to Big Sandy. Family and other events have conspired to keep me west of Elmont, and will continue to do so through this next weekend, so in the absence of opportunity to spend a day at…
Brooklyn Backstretch 