(This post is also up at the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance page at The Blood-Horse.) What agony to be a fan of the distaff side in November of 1988. Root for the undefeated Personal Ensign, who had beaten colts in the Whitney two months earlier? Or root for the Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors? How to…
…to make known your feelings about the changes in the structure and nomenclature of this year’s Breeder’s Cup. If you think it’s ridiculous that none of the distaff races are being run on Saturday… If you find the concept of “Filly Friday” or “Ladies’ Day” abhorrent… If you believe that the words “distaff,” “filly,” and…
……if I’m not all that interested in this year’s Breeders’ Cup? I assumed that I’d be psyched as it got closer; plenty of the horses entered interest me, horses I’ve seen and admired: Music Note, Indian Blessing, Doremifasollatido, Ginger Punch, Wait A While, Dynaforce, Colonel John, Better Talk Now, Thorn Song, Shakis. I should be…
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 Greg Avioli, president and CEO of Breeders’ Cup, pays any attention to the Thoroughbred Bloggers’ Alliance, he must feel mighty chuffed at how his little plan is working out. Here we are in mid-March, fresh off a weekend of Derby preps with some big-name colts running, and while we’re certainly talking about those races,…
A few random thoughts about the weekend’s racing: As has been noted on blogs and in newspaper stories, nine of the eleven Breeders’ Cup winners prepped on New York tracks. Many of the trainers are based in New York, so it’s not such a surprise, but it was certainly a good day for New York…
And so it ends: as the World Series ends baseball season, and as the Stanley Cup playoffs end hockey season, so does the Breeders’ Cup Championship end the Thoroughbred racing season. Fortunately for us, unlike those other sports, we get to keep watching horse-racing, even during the “off-season.” The champ is crowned, and a worthy…
Just posted this to the TBA handicapping contest. Read ’em and weep…by this tomorrow, I likely will! Juvenile Fillies: A to the CroftJuvenile: War PassFilly & Mare Turf: Passage of TimeSprint: ForefathersMile: Excellent ArtDistaff: Lear’s PrincessTurf: Dylan ThomasClassic: Curlin Disclaimer: I have no idea if these horses are actually what I will bet. But as…
As noted below, the number in parentheses following each race is Brisnet’s Prime Power rank in the race. Mile: Not much in the way of affiliation in this race, so I guess I’d love to see My Typhoon beat the boys. I don’t really think she will, but it would be kind of cool in…
If Monmouth was half as miserable this afternoon as Brooklyn was, I feel awfully sorry for all the people gathered down south: the Monmouth folks who worked so hard to pull this off; the patrons huddling for a warm and dry spot without their forbidden umbrellas; the horses running in the mud; and the jockeys…
Brooklyn Backstretch 