Saturday’s feature at Aqueduct was the Rare Treat, named for the “hard hitting filly” owned by George D. Widener who raced in the 1950’s. For a horse with “rare” in her name, she sure hit the track a lot, running 101 times for a record of 16 victories, 20 seconds, and 14 thirds. Her eponymous…
Keith of Triple Dead Heat asked yesterday in a comment, “Who’s going to win the Road to the Roses donation?” An excellent question, and one that I can answer with certainty: Not I! Superfecta’s Sleipnir Stables remains in the lead, but the ever-threatening Triple Crown73 is right behind her, in excellent position to swoop in…
For a variety of reasons, the last week or so has been a tough one around the Backstretch household. An unexpected death in one of my communities has left many of us shaken, and it’s not every day that a jet lands in the water just a few miles from my home. Though that outcome…
Among the sadness at Aqueduct on Saturday was some good news; between the third and the fourth races, NYRA presented a $5,000 check to the Exceller Fund; Exceller Fund board members photographer Barbara Livingston and writer Steve Haskin accepted the donation. Exceller, who beat two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, in the 1978…
Sunday at Aqueduct features six races in the New York Stallion Series, for horses whose sires are standing in New York State. Three races for the girls, three for the boys; two on the turf; two for two-year-olds; and some personal favorites are making an appearance, some of whom we last saw on New York…
Commenter John S. shares with us the origin of the term “hands down,” used to describe Watson’s victory in the first running of the Jerome: It is so common in our language, but who knew it actually is a horse racing termfrom the 1800s, used to describe a jockey loosening the reins and dropping hishands…
A few notes on Brooklyn Backstretch favorites on this chilly upstate morning… Thorn Song, referred to here as a “treat whore” in August, wired the field in the Shadwell Turf Mile on Saturday at Keeneland. His racing at this level has been disappointing for some time and he clearly didn’t much like Saratoga, but he…
On Monday morning, after several torrential downpours (what’s new?) overnight, I stopped by the barn of Dominick Galluscio to wish good luck to Early Response (by Hook and Ladder—clever, yes?), a two year old bay colt making his first start in yesterday’s seventh race. Four of the ten state-bred entries would be on the track…
Brooklyn Backstretch 