Old Friends is a regular stop on my trips to Kentucky; each time I visit the Bluegrass, I try to say hello to my favorites (Williamstown, Will’s Way, Ogygian, Commentator) and to meet some of the new residents. Michael Blowen and the Old Friends volunteers are incredibly generous with their time, and it’s easy to…
Racing Medication and Testing Consortium Update I offer this report, truth to be told, with more than a little trepidation–my knowledge of the uses and effects of these drugs is close to nil. I am simply passing on what was said, though, in the hope that some of you find it interesting/useful, and that I…
When I left Brooklyn 12 days, 2,500 miles, and 10 states ago, I knew that I’d visit two racetracks, see lots of friends, meet many horses, research not enough, and, probably, write very little. I didn’t know that I’d spend two days in the Keeneland sales pavilion listening to panels of industry folks talk about…
In the summer of 2008, I sat with Dale Romans at Saratoga as he watched Robby Albarado work an unraced two-year-old filly on the main track. Back at the barn, Albarado got off the horse and said to the trainer, “She could win first time out.” Her name was Sara Louise. The jockey didn’t get…
For most people in the world, today is just another Monday, just another June 14th. But for New York Rangers’ fans, it’s the anniversary of the day that “will last a lifetime,” in the unfortunately likely prophetic words of Sam Rosen, the day that the New York Rangers, after 54 years of futility, finally, finally…
So whose idea was it, exactly, to schedule Belmont week, final exams, and a bathroom renovation all in the same week? The good news is that despite mess and work and fatigue, at their completion all of these things have, in their own way, a sort of splendor. They are also, mercifully, finite. Thank goodness,…
We’ve arrived at the end of the end of the road: the Belmont Stakes. Belmont’s spring showcase and the final leg of the Triple Crown gives us a deep field of 12 looking to add their name to the history books. Let’s take a look at the contenders for the Test of Champions. Belmont Park:…
Last Friday, the National Museum of Racing announced that jockey Randy Romero had been elected to its Hall of Fame. Romero had suffered through several previous rounds of being nominated without being elected, and as reported by Jay Privman in Daily Racing Form, Romero said of his election, “It’s a great honor. I’m so, so…
Beautiful weather. A great crowd. Exciting horses. Belmont Stakes contenders. An agonizing near-miss. Friends. Celebrations. Memorial Day weekend, 2010. It starts on Saturday morning, with a trip to Barn 1 to check on First Dude, Quiet Temper, and Stately Victor. Stately Victor had gone out early and was home in his stall by mid-morning; First…
Nearly every day, I evaluate quality. As a high school English teacher, I collect work from my students, I decide how good it is, and I grade it. The worthiness of the work is, unfortunately and too often, inextricably linked to the grade it receives. And a long time ago, I learned that it’s a…
Brooklyn Backstretch 