That’s what I heard, over and over, the night of the Belmont Child Care Association benefit last month, and in the days following. “That was so much FUN!” First-timers and veterans gathered for adult lemonades amid an array of silent auction items before entering the dining room at the Gideon Putnam, bedecked to resemble a…
Noooooooo…the meet is half over! And this list of upcoming events is getting shorter…perhaps most depressingly, now I’m posting about events that will take place while I’m back at school! But I will resolutely push those thoughts away, choosing instead to focus on the glory of this morning at Saratoga, which was perfection, and the…
This year’s Belmont Child Care Association party in Saratoga brings together two of my favorite things: care for the children of the backstretch workers and appreciation for those who take care of retired racehorses. This year the BCCA honors Fasig-Tipton and Blue Horse Charities. Blue Horse Charities was founded in 2001 by John Hettinger, who…
What a month for the Belmont Child Care Association! Like most racing organizations, it takes advantage of big racing events (in our case, the Belmont Stakes), but from start to finish, June has been a banner month at Anna House. It started with the ribbon cutting for the two new classrooms at Anna House, on…
Heading into Belmont weekend, the horse Colin is getting a lot of love. Of course, over at Colin’s Ghost, Kevin Martin has done several recent posts on the namesake of website; in 2008, he did a series of posts on the undefeated horse, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his win in the Belmont Stakes. I…
It’s Belmont week! As usual, Belmont is dark today and tomorrow, but the mornings on the backstretch will be busy, as shippers arrive and those horses on the ground continue to work towards this weekend’s races. In addition to the racing action, several racing organizations are taking advantage of the focus on Belmont to raise…
Last Monday, Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud presented a check for $50,000 to the Belmont Child Care Association. A longtime and loyal donor to Anna House, Nerud visits frequently, sharing the stories of his years on the racetrack with the children. Now 98, he told the children that when he started at the track, he worked as…
It’s been a busy few months at the Belmont Child Care Association. Though August is a long way away, planning has already begun for the big summer benefit, and a steady stream of good news about fundraisers and other initiatives has come in over the winter months. Elisabeth Jensen, executive director of the Race For…
On Saturday morning, the immense stillness of Belmont Park in December echoed with sounds of happy children. Having outgrown its usual home at Anna House, the ninth Belmont Child Care Association holiday party took over the Belmont Café, on the ground floor of the clubhouse, so that the children of the backstretch workers could select…
The news from NYRA continues to arrive fast and furious, on matters both OTB and otherwise. In the “let’s get people to bet at NYRA” category, the Association released the following news today: Beginning next Wednesday, customers can sign up instantly for a NYRA Rewards account; members who sign up by December 31 will be…
Brooklyn Backstretch 