Looking back at the Belmont

It feels both fitting and exhausting that the school year comes to an end just as the Triple Crown does. I’m sitting today in my last full day of end-of-year meetings; yesterday, I published my final post at BelmontStakes.com; early Sunday afternoon, I filed my last Triple Crown race story for Thoroughbred Times. Since late…

He may as well break down on the track…

Heading into Belmont weekend, the horse Colin is getting a lot of love. Of course, over at Colin’s Ghost, Kevin Martin has done several recent posts on the namesake of website; in 2008, he did a series of posts on the undefeated horse, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his win in the Belmont Stakes. I…

Brian Nadeau’s Belmont Stakes Analysis

Belmont Park: The Grade I, $1 million Belmont Stakes at 1 ½ miles #1 Master Of Hounds (10-1 ML): European ran quite credibly to be fifth in the Derby after getting modest reviews in terms of appearance leading up to the race and that was only his second start of the year, so you would…

Comparing the ads

Earlier this week, I posted on Twitter and Facebook the ad below for this year’s Belmont Stakes. I wrote, “I love this ad. And I know that it’s stuff like this that makes non-New Yorkers hate us…but I still love it.” The responses to the ad were all favorable…perhaps because those who don’t like it…

Another Barn Cat

I met her in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs. I’d been assigned to cover the Eight Belles on Oaks Day, a race in which my focus was on Arienza, Azeri’s first foal who’d won her first two starts before losing to the dominant Joyful Victory in the Fantasy Stakes. Watching from the rail, disappointed…

Belmont week charity check-in

It’s Belmont week! As usual, Belmont is dark today and tomorrow, but the mornings on the backstretch will be busy, as shippers arrive and those horses on the ground continue to work towards this weekend’s races. In addition to the racing action, several racing organizations are taking advantage of the focus on Belmont to raise…

Morine’s Victory: Follow-up

A few weeks ago, as I was writing about Morine’s Victory, the 10-year-old son of Victory Gallop who had been rescued from an auction, I knew what the reaction would be. I knew that racing fans, outraged and horrified, their compassion stirred, would publicly criticize the horse’s last racing connections. As I learned the details…