Welcome…

…to Brooklyn Backstretch, site of a transplanted Saratogian who’s found a new home at Belmont and Aqueduct.

What you’ll find here: info that focuses on NY racing with wanderings into other racing news. Not very good handicapping advice. The musings of a long-time race fan whose interest has blossomed into a passion. History of major races and the sport itself.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you.

Those of you who have followed me here from another discussion board: first of all, thanks. Let me know you’re here.

Second: an afterthought on my solo trip to Belmont last weekend. Many of you shared stories with me about your own solitary racetrack visits; a day or so before I went, I was listening on NPR to Only A Game, a great weekly sports show. The host, Bill Littlefield, was interviewing the Daily Racing Form’s Harvey Pack about his latest book, May The Horse Be With You, and in the course of the interview, the two talked about going to the track alone. Pack pointed out that the worst part of going to the track alone is having no one to whom to gloat when you hit a race…and after finally hitting a big exacta after weeks of futility, I could utterly sympathize. Winning is great, but it’s way more fun when you can look at someone and say, “YES! I had it!” I actually did that, but the strangers all around me weren’t terribly interested.

Take a look at here.

Tomorrow I’ll post some info on the stakes races this weekend: The Grade II Brooklyn Handicap (clearly a race near and dear to my heart), which will feature Any Given Saturday, and the Grade II Gallant Bloom with Pussycat Doll.