“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…
While a Big Brown-Music Note showdown on the racetrack might be a tantalizing idea, Big Brown won the PR battle hands down today…even though he was 70 miles away. Grade I races are a crowd magnet in the paddock: connections, friends, family, journalists, staff, executives…all turn out to see the cream of the crop warm…
Over at That’s Amore Stable, Frank is disheartened. In addition to all of racing’s other ills, he’s worried about impropriety, the appearance of it and the genuine article. It’s a good thing that he wasn’t around in 1899. That year, Indian Fairy became the first filly to win the Matron; initiated in 1892, for its…
Not everyone thinks that “distaff” is a dirty word. From this week’s New Yorker: Juliana Hatfield, a fixture on the independent-pop scene for more than a decade, specializes in distinctly distaff songs that range from mopey to angry, and she bolsters her tales of angst and ennui with some fine guitar playing. (emphasis mine) An…
If you grow up in Saratoga, you can’t escape Humphrey S. Finney. Much like the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg overlooking the ashes, Finney’s been there, on East Avenue just north of the track, hovering over the sales, since 1968, ; even if you don’t know who he is or why there’s a pavilion named…
So Roger Federer won his fifth straight US Open title yesterday. It’s a shame that not many of us got to see his dominating win, and we can blame CBS at least in part for that, for refusing to have both men’s semi-finals begin early on Saturday, before the rain moved in. Had they done…
What, exactly, is it that makes a racing meet “boutique”? We hear the term all the time, usually referring to Saratoga, Del Mar, and Keeneland, meets known for their brevity, the quality of the racing, and their popularity. Recently, bettors have come out in full voice decrying the diminished quality of racing at Saratoga (too…
Brooklyn Backstretch 