I came out of the race fine; I’ve eaten up my various feed tubs since; and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. As predicted, I finished solidly in the middle of the pack: 112th out of 239, with a final time of 26:42, a pace of 8:36. That’s faster than I’ve ever run…
It is now post time. My Saratoga training began well: like many summer runners, I made the transition from Belmont to Saratoga well, with a series of works showing steady improvement. I familiarized myself with the course, adjusting to the different upstate running route, learning the configuration, the potential challenges, benefitting from the cool Saratoga…
Last summer, I wrote about a filly who went through the ring during the New York bred sales in Saratoga; she sold for $200,000 and is a half-sister to New York favorite Naughty New Yorker. By Songandaprayer out of Naughty Natisha, the filly makes her racing début on Wednesday in the second race at Belmont.…
Next month, ReRun, the New Jersey-based Thoroughbred adoption program, is hosting its third annual “Day at the Races” at Monmouth Park Racetrack. Taking place on June 13th, this event is ReRun’s largest annual fundraiser and will be held outside on the Patio Terrace. The benefit luncheon to raise funds for the adoption of ex-racehorses will…
From the New York Thoroughbred Breeders comes news of the inaugural running of a new race at Saratoga this year. It’s scheduled for Saturday, August 15th (the same day as the Sword Dancer); it’s open to entrants of all ages and both sexes; and at three miles, it’s longer than most races you’ll see at…
I’m glad that even the folks who work at Old Friends admit that they’ve got favorites among their dozens of retirees; in a recent message announcing the death of Ruhlmann, Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen wrote: I really like all of our retirees but each one of us at Old Friends develop special…
You’ve been inundated with racing holiday gift suggestions: last week I talked about movies: Lost in the Fog by John Corey, who offers Brooklyn Backstretch readers a discount (here’s what I wrote about the movie when I saw it last August); and The First Saturday in May, about the road to the 2006 Derby by…
Got an e-mail yesterday from NYRA titled “Ladies Handicap—Sweet Goodbye.” That’s nice, I thought; NYRA recognizes the importance of the race and is going to acknowledge that it may not be run again. Silly me. Sweet Goodbye, trained by Christopher Grove, drew the four hole and will be ridden by Juan Acosta. The good news…
I’ve been writing for weeks about the major BEST fundraiser last night, always with a tinge of envy, knowing that the ticket price was out of my reach, regretful that I wouldn’t be able to attend. Around midday on Wednesday, I got a call from the folks at the Belmont Child Care Association, who told…
Brooklyn Backstretch is taking it easy this morning, having received yesterday a late-breaking invitation to the BEST benefit on Long Island last night, at which Allen Jerkens received a Lifetime Outstanding Trainer award. The New York Racing Association hosted the event at the gorgeous Hempstead House in Sands Point, Long Island, which is a long…
Brooklyn Backstretch 