Brooklyn Backstretch

Over the last couple of days, the press and blogs have been a-twitter with the news of the changes to the Breeders’ Cup schedule and the Friday emphasis on distaff racing, including the newly-named Ladies’ Classic. Check out Superfecta, Left at the Gate, Railbird, and Handride (especially their comments’ sections) for various perspectives, reactions, and [...]

I think that I’m already a reasonably humble person, but in case I needed any ego-beating, Take Ten! is taking care of it. What a great idea I had, to publish weekly the standings in our mini-league, to track our progress on our way to a donation to the racing charity of the winner’s choice.
Yeah, [...]

Save the date! The Belmont Child Care Association has announced the details of its spring fundraiser, the Rags to Riches Belmont Bash. This charity casino night will offer the “chance to eclipse Todd Pletcher in earnings and out-race John Velazquez,” to benefit two great charities: the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, “committed to the advancement of [...]

The good news: The Fountain of Youth finish made it into SportCenter’s Top 10 on the 6:00 Monday edition.
The bad news: The anchor referred to it as “the first Derby prep.”
Oh, well. At least racing got a little prime-time coverage.
Jenny Kellner’s got a nice piece on the NYRA website about the older horses in New [...]

One of the reasons that I like going to the races is that for me, it’s an immensely social event; going with friends, eating and drinking, watching the races, talking and hanging out, enjoying good weather—there are, in fact, few more pleasant ways to spend an afternoon.
The only problem with the above scenario is the [...]

Today’s feature at Aqueduct is the Busher, for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth. Run for the first time in 1978, the race is named for the filly who was the Horse of the Year in 1945. She’s depicted here in a painting by J.N. Slick, from the National Museum of Racing [...]

Nice day for good-guy Mike Luzzi at the Big A today; he brought home three winners: a favorite, a $13.80 winner, and a $26.00 longshot.
And in other good news for New York jockeys, Richard Migliore is the recipient of this year’s George Woolf Memorial Award. I don’t care where the Mig is riding, and I [...]

It’s a big week in the world of synthetic surfaces. On Wednesday, a group of owners, trainers, jockeys, and executives gathered in California to discuss the topic, with, predictably, a variety of opinions being expressed. Some trainers love it; some trainers hate it. Some trainers are sure injuries are down; some trainers see more injuries. [...]

So we had a rare Wednesday without racing, and the franchise is all settled, and, despite some Derby preps, it’s a slow week in a slow time of year. So time, perhaps, to turn our attention to some of the more pressing issues facing our sport. As always, one can turn to The Blood-Horse:
On page [...]

It’s a good thing that I’m interested in the philanthropic end of this little Derby fantasy game, because if all that kept me going was the prospect of winning, I’d be a miserable woman. Despite gaining points with Zito and Cornelio in the Sam Davis, I remain last in our field of seven. This week’s [...]