I’m in the middle of reading T.D. Thornton’s Not By A Long Shot (better late than never), and shortly after reading last week’s report that the Jockeys’ Guild recommended a 50% cut in the fees that jockeys pay their valets, I came across this paragraph: Aside from laying out the equipment for three or four…
Slowing down as we age is distastefully inevitable–I wish that running fast and far was as easy today as it was ten years ago–and even if we do a pretty good job of denying it in ourselves, we find ourselves reminded of its truth when we are lucky enough to watch some of our favorites…
Alerted to the New York Times review of The First Saturday in May by J.S’s comment on Friday, I was as dismayed by Manohla Dargis’s review as J.S. In my writing classes, students often workshop their papers, sharing them with classmates to get feedback and comments for improvement, and I always caution: “Don’t suggest that…
…and it’s Rangers in 5. I attended the opening of The First Saturday in May on Friday night, and as the movie ended and John Hennegan opened the Q&A segment, he announced that the Rangers were up 3-1 (having seen the movie twice before, I was tempted to check the score on my little portable…
I really wish that I could post standings from the Take Ten! game over at ST Publishing, but for the second consecutive week, a full list of standings hasn’t been published. The top forty are posted…but none of us is up there, so I can’t congratulate a leader, or send kudos to someone who’s made…
At least one regular reader will note with dismay that this post has nothing to do with horse racing. But hey, it was a momentous game, I just got home, and it’s too late and I’m too tired to write anything with some clever (or not) connection between hockey and horse racing. So I go…
As commenter Geno pointed out, Scrappy T finished fourth in his start at Penn National last weekend. A reader e-mailed to say that, essentially, Scrappy never had a chance, which is what I feared. I am not one of those race fans who thinks that every older horse who runs a bad race should be…
Felt awful and came home sick from work…turned on WNYC (our local public radio station) as preparation for a nap…and heard Tom Durkin’s call of the 2006 Derby coming over the airwaves, followed shortly thereafter by an introduction by host Leonard Lopate to John and Brad Hennegan and trainer Dale Romans. I gave up listening…
The good news is that my Comely picks yesterday (Sherine, Ready for Fortune, and Elusive Lady) finished 1-2-3. The exacta paid $99.50, the tri $334.50. You know what the bad news is: I didn’t bet it. My NYRA account was tapped out by bets I’d made for a friend and for my father, and I…
Just got back from attending the premiere of The First Saturday in May, the documentary by John and Brad Hennegan about the road to the 2005 Derby, featuring Lawyer Ron, Barbaro, Jazil, Brother Derek, Achilles of Troy, and Sharp Humor. The film officially opens next Friday, but tonight was a cast and crew showing, and…
Brooklyn Backstretch 