On Kentucky Derby Day, I arrived at Lenny and Patti's house, ready to rock.I plopped down onto their comfy sofa, sipped from my Coke, and jumped into the lively pre-Derby conversation. OTB tickets distributed, we three launched ourselves into the...
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The Dubai Kahayla Classic: the Horse Race Americans Won’t Get to See on Dubai World Cup Day. :(
You know, I don't write much or often about actual races--I'm not a turf writer, per se. My "beat," so to speak, seems to be the stuff that others don't deem to be very important.My role in horse racing often...
Whoa, Nelly! Black Caviar as the Archetype of the Strong, Capable Female
By now, every horse racing fan on Earth has heard of Black Caviar--the uber-horse from Australia who's won 24 races in a row, as of today. (25 March 2013) This record has not been equaled in over 100 years of...
Horse Sense: Don’t Practice Breedism, and See Things from at Least Two Sides…
As those who know me are aware, I am (sadly) a bit of a skeptic, regarding the good intentions of other human beings. My motto, "The more humans I meet...the more I love horses" didn't come into existence because I...
Horse Racing Needs a Commission, and a Commissioner. Now.
Horse racing is in dire need of direction. It's the only major sport in the United States that doesn't have a regulating body--and that, as we've seen, has led to a mess. States regulate medications, race days and everything else--but there's...
Horse Sense: Enjoy the Kentucky Derby–and Keep it in Perspective.
Tra-lee, tra-la, 'tis Derby Day! The Kentucky Derby, the Thoroughbred horse race that comes packin' over 100 years of history, lore, rituals and fanatics. With many thanks to the owners of CDI, we acknowledge that this is the one day...
Horse Sense: The Cult of Celebrity, and the Fact that Horses Don’t Care.
I had coffee one day this year with an acquaintance, a businesswoman who's very good at what she does. Educated, smart, sharp and seemingly in control of her emotions (not necessarily a good thing, mind you)--her outer veneer bespoke a woman...
Horse Sense: When in Trouble, Look for the Light.
I am constantly amazed by the ways in which horses choose to communicate with we mere humans: recognizing that we homo sapiens are the ones who forgot how to talk Horse--not the other way 'round--members of the equine species will...
Horse Sense: Rachel Alexandra and the Power of Serenity
Worry not, I shall write a great deal more about Rachel Alexandra as the week goes on and we get closer to Woodward Stakes Day. Me, and every other racing writer in North America. The time I spent in the Queen's...
Horse Sense: The Odds Mean NOTHIN’.
Many people make a healthy living handicapping horse races. Math, science, statistics, pedigree and workout times all play a role in the determination of a horse's odds in any given race. The handicappers who hunker down over the papers and...