Well, it’s over: the Kentucky Derby is behind us, and with it, the 2009 Road to the Roses Brooklyn Backstretch charity contest. Congratulations to Sleipnir Stables, who kept her lead over the last few weeks. Please let us know where you’d like the money donated. A total of $200 has been donated so far, and…
This is one of those days when I feel bewilderingly alienated. All around me, people are excited about yesterday’s Derby. They’re loving that this longshot won, see it as a great moment for the sport, are digging his connections. I just don’t get it. I’m pretty psyched that one of the people with whom I…
So says a 1949 New York Times article by Arthur Daley on the passing of Matt Winn. The article was called “The Passing of a Legend,” and what he “made” is the Kentucky Derby. Matt Winn, a racing impresario if ever there was one, worked at a dozen or more tracks in his life, but…
It didn’t start well. Trying to TiVo the Oaks broadcast on Bravo and get to work on time, I was frantically scanning the listings: Where’s the horse race? Where’s the horse race? Oh, there it is… “Ladies First.” No wonder I missed it. First sentence of description: “Food, fashion and celebrities from Louisville, Ky.” Are…
We’ve finally come to the end of the line after three long months. The field for the 135th Kentucky Derby has been drawn and all that’s left is to spring the latch. I think we’ve covered the field from every standpoint possible so let’s take a look how the race might be run and then…
Now there’s a headline you thought you’d never see—and may well wish you hadn’t. For months now, Brian has been providing thoughtful, detailed, data-based analysis of the horses Derby-bound, including information on breeding, distance limitations, and surfaces. But with all due respect to him, he has left out one crucial factor: the horses’ names. So…
In the sort of cross-promotion that multi-platform media has made common, CNBC on Thursday night aired The Business of Horse Racing, a look, ostensibly, at the economic state of the industry. While money was frequently mentioned through the one hour program, the program didn’t quite live up to its name, as, much to this viewer’s…
You didn’t really think only 19 would line up, did you? Of course not! Ever the sportsman, Nick Zito threw Nowhere To Hide into the mix at the last minute and we have a full field of 20 in the starting gate. Personally, I think post positions in the Derby are highly overrated, with some…
Or maybe this would be better called, “Bad news Thursday.” Last week, regular reader Rich from Boston sent me this incredibly disturbing link to a story from ABC News, about Sheikh Mohammed’s brother, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, who tortured a man on videotape. The tape was subsequently smuggled out of the country. From…
Our third and final installment takes a look at the remainder of the field. The Tuesday morning scratch of Square Eddie and the decision not to run Take The Points left the door open for Join In The Dance and Atomic Rain, and both should have a big impact on the race. –Brian Win Willy…
Brooklyn Backstretch 