Confucius Say just may be the Evening Attire of West Virginia. He’s not grey, but he’s ten years old, and he’s a gelding, and tonight, he goes for the 19th win in his 39-start career. He made his first start on the 28th of September, 2000 in a four and a half furlong race at…
As I wrote about in more detail at The Blood-Horse yesterday, tomorrow is New York Showcase Day at Belmont. With seven stakes races and more than a million dollars in purses available, it’s the premier day of state-bred racing in New York. For the kids, Belmont is offering hay rides, face painting, and pumpkin carving,…
Last Friday, Frank and Erin of That’s Amore Stable were kind enough to invite me to tag along with them on their visits to the Shadwell and Darley breeding farms. Their visit to the former was expressly to see the perfectly-named Swain, to whom a That’s Amore filly is currently in foal, and Kent Barnes,…
Leaving Keeneland Sunday afternoon felt a little like going back to work in mid-August and leaving Saratoga: how can I possibly go when all of that is still going on? Had the racing been mediocre or the weather less pleasant, it might have been easier to leave, but given that in addition to all of…
Keeneland is indeed a venerable, and venerated, site, and for decades, racing fans have flocked to this cathedral, to worship at its altar of racing excellence and elegance. How many, though, have actually worshipped at the race track? Based on my experience on Sunday morning, I’d say thousands. Each Sunday at 10 am, mass is…
Keeneland is a long way from New York, and there’s no doubt that things are a little different here. As I stood at the rail of the training track on Saturday morning, a nearby trainer called out, “Where you from?” “New York,” I replied. “I could tell,” he said. Fortunately, Keeneland on Saturday was populated…
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming from Lexington for this bit of news on one of New York’s favorites. Fans of Evening Attire will have a chance to attend his Retirement Party on Breeders’ Cup Day (October 25th) at Belmont Park. Plans under consideration are for the grey guy to spend some time in the…
Twenty-four hours in Lexington under my belt, and I already know that I’m never going to get to do everything I want in this short stay. I’ve crossed a return to Midway off of my list, though I can’t imagine how I can give up another stop in that terrific bookshop downstairs from the café.…
Arrived in Lexington just late enough to miss the last race; as I entered Keeneland, hordes were exiting, but still, it was rather nice to witness the place in quiet, golden, late afternoon/early evening sunshine… Drove today from just north of Baltimore to Lexington, with an extended, simultaneously frustrating and gratifying pit stop at Charles…
Commenter John S. shares with us the origin of the term “hands down,” used to describe Watson’s victory in the first running of the Jerome: It is so common in our language, but who knew it actually is a horse racing termfrom the 1800s, used to describe a jockey loosening the reins and dropping hishands…
Brooklyn Backstretch 