At 4 feet 11 inches tall and 98 pounds, it didn’t look like Bill Shoemaker could ride a ten-speed Schwinn, let alone control a head-strong, 1200 pound Thoroughbred Race Horse. Still, Shoemaker personified that mysterious bond between horse and rider. He communicated with an innate light touch on the reins, coaxing the horse into the action, gentling it with his hands. Horses would always run for Shoemaker, … Continue reading ‘The Shoe’ Was Tough As Leather
Saratoga Cool Beans is a nifty online coffee shop catering to horse loving, coffee drinkers. It’s a fun website and you needn’t love horses to enjoy the gourmet coffee, but knowing the game a little bit makes the references more enjoyable. The companies tag line is; Your Morning Cup Of Giddy-Up, and the coffee descriptions are just as much fun. For example: JIM DANDY– No 100-1 upset here. This … Continue reading Horse-Themed Coffee Makes A Great Gift
BARNES an unraced 2-year-old colt has been entered by trainer Bob Baffert in a 5 ½-furlong Maiden Special Weight sprint at Churchill Downs next Wednesday (11/27). The start will be Baffert’s first at the Louisville track since Churchill Downs announced in July of this year that it was lifting their imposed three-year suspension. This was the moratorium that kept the trainer from racing in the … Continue reading Baffert Back At Churchill
Woodbine Racetrack which reopened for training Wednesday morning and is scheduled to resume live racing on Thursday. The track cancelled the last two races of Saturday’s card and both training and racing on Sunday due to three separate incidents that occurred on the Tapeta surface Saturday. The all-weather Tapeta surface underwent “a thorough review and extensive maintenance conducted over the last couple of days,” said officials … Continue reading Woodbine Set To Race Thursday
Woodbine Racetrack cancelled training and racing yesterday (Sunday) as a precautionary measure, prioritizing the safety and well-being of the horses and jockeys. The cancellation was warranted after three catastrophic breakdowns took place on Saturday. On Saturday morning during workouts at Woodbine, an unnamed horse suffered a breakdown. During the 2nd race on the card, SOCIAL DANCER took an awkward step at the half-mile mark, was … Continue reading Woodbine Woes
The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) is a public charity that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the fund has disbursed nearly $11 million dollars to permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have sustained paralysis or brain injuries. Many of the jockeys the PDJF serve were injured while in their 20s and 30s and face decades of … Continue reading Java For Jockeys
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships begin a week from today. The Breeders’ Cup marks the end of long and sometimes challenging season for those elite equine athletes fortunate enough to make it to the gate. Some horses will show the wear and tear of the campaign and won’t be able to strut their best stuff. For others, everything will come together at the precise moment … Continue reading A Cinderella Story
The Breeders’ Cup Championships are less than two weeks away. So, it seems a good time to look back on some great Breeders’ Cup performances. First up CIGAR. The transformation of CIGAR from a horse that showed modest turf ability to one that developed into a legend on dirt illustrates how critical a trainer’s role can be. The son of PALICE MUSIC went unraced at 2 before Winning two of nine starts the following … Continue reading Not Just Any Cigar
Saturday is the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Park. Ten 2-year-olds will compete in the one mile contest on the main track. The race is a Win and You’re In Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Stakes, giving the Winner a spot in the November 1st Juvenile at Del Mar, as well the majority portion of the $500,000 dollar purse. Here is a look at the field: 1. J … Continue reading Who Wins The Champagne Stakes?
The Pennsylvania Derby is the last 3-year-old, G1, dirt Stakes of the year prior the Breeders’s Cup. Saturday’s 1 1/8 mile, million dollar contest at Parx Racing has attracted eleven entrants, including Preakness Stakes Winner SEIZE THE GREY. Here is a brief look at the field: 1. DOC SULLIVAN [ML 12-1] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Mike Miceli. Has been formidable in Stakes for New York-breds, but has yet to … Continue reading Who Wins The PA. Derby ?
