“Very soon.” That is when, according to the State Racing and Wagering Board, the report from the task force investigating the breakdowns at Aqueduct this past winter will be released. The task force began its work in March, and when I spoke with task force chair Dr. Scott Palmer in April, he indicated that the…
If you have any energy left after a day at the track, you’ll find no shortage of racing-related (and other) events at which to spend your time—and your money—on Saratoga evenings. Here’s the first in a series of weekly posts about what’s going on in Saratoga. Wednesday, July 18: The National Museum of Racing offers…
Let’s hope that Sunday’s open house at Saratoga is not a harbinger of things to come. Perhaps due to a less-than-pleasant weather forecast (a forecast that it never occurred to me to check), the crowd seemed smaller—though no less enthusiastic—than other years, or perhaps more people were concentrated inside, where I didn’t spend much time.…
We’re not supposed to root in the press box. We’re not supposed to cheer in the winner’s circle. These are the rules, and they are good ones. Saturday was not necessarily a day that lent itself to cheering, one of those days in which the electrons seemed all out of order. Hot, hot, hot: Saturday…
Happy Independence Day! On this day when Americans celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of a Pick 6, going to the races seems as much a part of Fourth of July tradition as fireworks and hot dogs, with tracks across the country open for business and celebrations. A working vacation in the Bluegrass will keep…
I was gutted to hear this news this morning. Some bad news hits harder than others, and this one, for some reason, hit hard. Earlier today, I was thinking about Sagamore Farm as I remembered writing about Bed o’Roses, the Alfred Vanderbilt/Sagamore filly who champion 2-year-old filly in 1949; the race named for her will be…
The race now known as the Dwyer began life in 1887, as the Brooklyn Derby. It was run at the Gravesend track in Brooklyn, a track that the Dwyer brothers, Phil and Mike, had helped to bring into existence in 1886. Phil and Mike were Brooklyn butchers, their shop at the corner of Atlantic and…
Bill Hirsch recognizes a legend when he sees one. He is, after all, the grandson of Hall of Fame trainer Max Hirsch, and the son of Hall of Fame trainer Buddy Hirsch. Among the horses they trained: Triple Crowner winner Assault, Gallant Bloom, Sarazen, and Canonero II. Max Hirsch trained three Kentucky Derby winners and…
A few weeks ago, Bill Mott sat in his office at Belmont Park and talked about his earliest racing memories, which centered on the weekly editions of The Blood-Horse that would arrive at his South Dakota home. “I’m trying to think of the filly that used to be on the cover,” he said. “She weighed…
Earlier today, I reported that the New York State Racing and Wagering Board’s Equine Breakdown, Death, Injury and Incident Database had inadvertently published that Giant Ryan had been euthanized on Saturday, the day that he was injured in the True North at Belmont Park. According to New York State Racing and Wagering Board spokesperson Lee Park,…
Brooklyn Backstretch 