The folks at Backstretch Employee Service Team contacted me today to say that NYRA has donated 5,000 Curlin t-shirts to BEST for sale at the races today. Here’s hoping that all 5,000 sell for their low, low price of $5, netting BEST $25,000. BEST provides a variety of services, including medical and dental care, to…
What does it take to make Bobby Frankel cry? One of his best, and favorite, fillies winning a Grade I in her last race, and coming home safe. In the fall of 2004, my nascent interest in horse racing was burgeoning; it had been the summer of Afleet Alex at Saratoga, and for the first…
Random notes on some Brooklyn Backstretch favorites recently in action: Nacascolo, last seen being vanned off at Saratoga, was entered in a race at Delaware Park on September 14th; the race came off the turf, which is presumably why Nacascolo was scratched, but it was nice to see that he was in fact OK. Some…
You can’t say that NYRA doesn’t listen to its critics. After being called out roundly for failing to promote Curlin’s appearance in the Man o’War at Belmont in July, it took steps forward at Saratoga in August, creating a number of PR events to call attention to the big chestnut’s appearance in the Woodward on…
T.D. Thornton’s Not by a Longshot: A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track depicts Suffolk Downs as a gritty, marginal track struggling to survive, with a few moments of redemption and glory to keep people going; as I read the book, I nearly always pictured race days occurring under metal-grey, chilly skies, an empty grandstand…
In 2005, I spent the day of the Whitney on the beach in Massachusetts, visiting friends from my time in London who have no interest in horse racing. Much as I enjoyed the weekend, I’ve never quite gotten over missing Commentator’s thrilling win over St. Liam that afternoon. Watching a horse win by multiple lengths…
“Abandon every hope, who enter here.” So is Dante warned, as he approaches the entrance to Hell. So, too, are we warned as we approach the entrance to Suffolk Downs: Much more to come, on Commentator, the MassCap, and a terrific day spent at Suffolk Downs…
Brooklyn is looking northward, both literally and figuratively, as we head into this MassCap weekend; a former denizen of Boston and its environs, I’m making my maiden voyage to Suffolk Downs this weekend, feeling slightly guilty for making my first visit on a Big Race Day. Railbird and I had all good intentions of an…
A recent conversation at Railbird has attracted a number of contributors weighing in on what racing needs to do to market itself. Given the upcoming NTRA marketing summit in which a number of internet racing writers will participate (including Jessica at the aforementioned Railbird, Dana at Green but Game, Patrick at Handride, and Kevin at…
In an attempt to re-create the magic moments of a Saratoga summer morning, I headed to Belmont early on Saturday to watch workouts and wander the backstretch. I got there around 8 am, grabbed coffee at the Belmont café on the ground floor of the clubhouse (walking around without a cup of coffee feels like…
Brooklyn Backstretch 