The, ahem, rigors of the last few weeks have finally caught up with me: having traveled to Lexington and Saratoga since the beginning of the month, and with the Rangers’ season and its attendant obligations having begun, I had no choice but to stay home today, firmly rooted to my couch, and attack the pile…
There were happy people all over Belmont on Saturday afternoon. The sun in the backyard was warm, the leaves were turning, and a crowd of nearly 7,000 turned out to celebrate New York racing and autumn. Picnics were set up, kids ran everywhere, and the folks who turned out accepted with alacrity the various promotions…
Confucius Say just may be the Evening Attire of West Virginia. He’s not grey, but he’s ten years old, and he’s a gelding, and tonight, he goes for the 19th win in his 39-start career. He made his first start on the 28th of September, 2000 in a four and a half furlong race at…
As I wrote about in more detail at The Blood-Horse yesterday, tomorrow is New York Showcase Day at Belmont. With seven stakes races and more than a million dollars in purses available, it’s the premier day of state-bred racing in New York. For the kids, Belmont is offering hay rides, face painting, and pumpkin carving,…
Last Friday, Frank and Erin of That’s Amore Stable were kind enough to invite me to tag along with them on their visits to the Shadwell and Darley breeding farms. Their visit to the former was expressly to see the perfectly-named Swain, to whom a That’s Amore filly is currently in foal, and Kent Barnes,…
Leaving Keeneland Sunday afternoon felt a little like going back to work in mid-August and leaving Saratoga: how can I possibly go when all of that is still going on? Had the racing been mediocre or the weather less pleasant, it might have been easier to leave, but given that in addition to all of…
Keeneland is indeed a venerable, and venerated, site, and for decades, racing fans have flocked to this cathedral, to worship at its altar of racing excellence and elegance. How many, though, have actually worshipped at the race track? Based on my experience on Sunday morning, I’d say thousands. Each Sunday at 10 am, mass is…
Keeneland is a long way from New York, and there’s no doubt that things are a little different here. As I stood at the rail of the training track on Saturday morning, a nearby trainer called out, “Where you from?” “New York,” I replied. “I could tell,” he said. Fortunately, Keeneland on Saturday was populated…
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming from Lexington for this bit of news on one of New York’s favorites. Fans of Evening Attire will have a chance to attend his Retirement Party on Breeders’ Cup Day (October 25th) at Belmont Park. Plans under consideration are for the grey guy to spend some time in the…
Twenty-four hours in Lexington under my belt, and I already know that I’m never going to get to do everything I want in this short stay. I’ve crossed a return to Midway off of my list, though I can’t imagine how I can give up another stop in that terrific bookshop downstairs from the café.…
Brooklyn Backstretch 