Monthly Archives: January 2010

Cool N Collective: Back in the gate at 13

In September of 2008, I went to Suffolk Downs to see Commentator run in the MassCap. Earlier on the card, in a $16,000 allowance optional claimer, a name in the program caught my eye. Cool N Collective? I knew that … Continue reading

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Racing books: Women of the Year: Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing’s Highest Honor

…fillies and mares who do defeat males are highly special. In American racing heroines have come along with enough frequency that a female’s outrunning a male is not seen as a freakish occurrence, but it is not so commonplace as … Continue reading

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Wednesday morning quick picks

I frequently count myself lucky to live in a city with newspapers that cover racing daily. Both Ed Fountaine at the New York Post and Jerry Bossert at the Daily News provide handicapping, insight, and race recaps every racing day … Continue reading

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Devil Diver, Twilight Tear, and Three Year Old Fillies as Horse of the Year

Shortly after Rachel Alexandra won the Haskell last summer and speculation bubbled about her next start, the conversations began: Suppose she goes in the Woodward? Is she Horse of the Year now, with wins in the Preakness and the Haskell? … Continue reading

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Brian’s back!

A very warm welcome back to Brian Nadeau, who will once again guide Backstretch readers through the Derby trail, with insight and handicapping on all major Derby prep races. In addition to his work at the Saratoga Special and Steeplechase … Continue reading

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Next steps

Here at the Backstretch household, we’re trying to get used to life without Madison. Several friends have recently lost close family members, and the tragedy of the world beyond our borders is horrifying beyond contemplation, so the loss of a … Continue reading

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Madison Genaro, 1996-2010

She came to me, along with her brother, in September of 1996. I had left my cat back in the States when I’d moved to England in 1995, and, having decided to remain in London for the foreseeable future, I … Continue reading

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In the Aqueduct Handicap, Stymie 2, mares 0

Today at Aqueduct is the 91st running of the Evening Attire. Well, OK, not exactly: the race has been run, with a few gaps, since 1902; formerly the Aqueduct Handicap, the race was re-named to honor the gelding who won … Continue reading

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Hello, Hialeah

I came to racing too late to make it to Hialeah to see Thoroughbreds; the shuttered track has been presented to me as a Shangri-La, the epitome of all that was good and right and beautiful about racing. I mourned … Continue reading

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Hello, Hialeah

I came to racing too late to make it to Hialeah to see Thoroughbreds; the shuttered track has been presented to me as a Shangri-La, the epitome of all that was good and right and beautiful about racing. I mourned … Continue reading

Hialeah, Racetrack visits, racing history | | Leave a comment