This week, the Stronach Group, which owns Gulfstream Park in Florida, Santa Anita Park in California, and Pimlico Race Course in Maryland, announced the Ms. Racing Queen pageant, the lucky winner of which will “promote thoroughbred racing by representing the Stronach Group” at events like the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and Preakness—all of which take place at Stronach properties. Ms. Racing…
Last summer at Saratoga, a turf writing veteran – male – called me over to a TV in the press box. “Have you seen this?” he asked. Seen what? He gestured to the television, rendered practically speechless by what he was seeing. And in the comments below, reader Walt steered me to a Calder collection…
It all began so innocently. The smart and funny John of Not to the Swift noted on Sunday, “Very little tweeting about Greta Kunzweiler who is turning out to be the comeback story of the year.” In response to which the smart and funny irish_1 asked, “Racing’s gender bias?” Thus giving rise to a smart…
According to Claire Novak, Mike Smith is the sexiest jockey riding in the Breeders’ Cup. How do we know this? Because at ESPN.com, Novak, encouraged by Horseplayerpro.com’s Joe Kristufek and with input from other racing media (both male and female), posted her list of 10 sexiest jockeys riding in this weekend’s races at Santa Anita.…
Yesterday was the Women’s Expo at Saratoga; out in the backyard near the Big Red Spring, a variety of vendors set up tables to offer their services to the female fans who, according to NYRA, “comprise nearly half the fan base at Saratoga Race Course.” A stroll around the tent revealed an unofficial count of…
A few weeks ago, when I compared Diva Day at Belmont with Women’s Day at Saratoga, commenter John S. responded with the following: Might I suggest “Men’s Day”? A long table, right next to the bar, where I canbuy a variety of after shaves, cigars, porn mags, power tools, handguns, fishingrods, handcrafted whiskies and also…
Arrived at Belmont at 11:15; greeted by three fire engines (not, as it turned out, a harbinger for the Hook and Ladder first-time starter who finished fourth in the second race) and a mess of people hanging outside the clubhouse. We were nearly instantly cleared to enter the building; a transformer fire had knocked out…
A week or so ago a friend/reader wrote praising NYRA for its attention to women race fans; on the heels of the announcement of tomorrow’s Diva Day at Belmont, he had noticed the following in the Saratoga brochure on the NYRA website: WOMEN’S DAY Wednesday, August 13 The ladies will dominate the day as Saratoga…
For twelve years Sherry Ross had my dream job, writing about the Rangers and racing for the New York Daily News. Her writing was knowledgeable, vivid, funny, and irreverent; I remember using as an example in my writing class an article in which she described Brian Leetch “snaking down the ice” en route to scoring…
Congratulations to la famille Jerkens for their exacta in Sunday’s Dwyer. Jimmy got the win with Mint Lane, while père Allen took second with longshot Tizbig. Another of the Chief’s Middleburg alumnae, Mrs. Holden, joined stablemates Duchess of Rokeby and Above All Odds on the racetrack, finishing second in her second start. Twice it looked…
Brooklyn Backstretch 