When John Velazquez’s agent Angel Cordero told him that he was going to Churchill Downs in late November 2011 to ride Wise Dan in the Grade I Clark Handicap, the jockey didn’t hold his back his skepticism. “I said to him, ‘What? We’re going to ride one horse? A horse that I don’t know wants…
When Jack O Liam left New York in March, the 3-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky was a maiden. A veteran of six races in which he’d never been better than third, he started his career in the barn of Gary Contessa, who shipped him south to run at Laurel after a string of New…
At Sunday’s fan forum presented by the New York State Gaming Commission’s Fan Advisory Council, one of the first speakers was a man who was introduced to horse racing by his fiancée’s family, which is from this area. “They said, ‘We’re going to take you to a horse race,’” recounted Bill Sullivan of Beverly, MA.…
At a Sept. 1 summit presented by the New York State Gaming Commission on racehorse aftercare, the New York Racing Association pledged that it would donate $5 per start at its tracks to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. NYRA follows in the footsteps of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, which in 2014 began contributing $5…
Saratoga lived up to its legacy as the “Graveyard of Champions,” but racing fans got an exciting renewal of the Travers on yet another beautiful day at Saratoga, and Javier Castellano set a new record for Travers victories, winning the race for the fifth time. One week ago, but there’s still plenty to keep you…
The New York Racing Fan Advisory Council held an open forum Aug. 30 at Saratoga Race Course, inviting customers and racing fans in the state to share comments and questions about their experiences at New York’s tracks. The Fan Advisory Council was established in 2011 by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, and…
When racing fans think of Travers-winning jockeys, they might think of Chris McCarron or Jerry Bailey, who each won Saratoga’s flagship race three times. They might think of Javier Castellano, Braulio Baeza, Eddie Arcaro, or Pat Day, who won it four times. They probably wouldn’t think of Shelby Barnes. Shelby “Pike” Barnes won the Travers…
The last time a horse won the Triple Crown, cable television didn’t exist, much less social media like Twitter and Facebook. When Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakesin 1978, he was the third horse to do so in six years. Secretariat had broken the 25-year drought in 1973, and Seattle…
Last week, Saratoga Springs’ Mayor Joanne Yepsen proclaimed that August is Racehorse Retirement Month in the city. The proclamation came as part of an event at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame to introduce Racehorse Aftercare Charities of Saratoga Springs, a coalition of the area’s growing number of facilities dedicated to caring…
If you need someone to run your barn, to do some legs, or to run a horse for you, on the flat or over jumps, you might want to give Tiffany Webb a call. You could also call her if you need a little legal advice, or if you need someone to build a racecar…
Brooklyn Backstretch 