Winston Churchill famously observed that democracy is the worst form of government — except for all of the others.
Which is about how I feel about the House Commerce Committee’s decision to hold hearings on horse racing (article here). It’s the worst idea to deal with racing’s problems — except, possibly, for all the others.
As [...]
The owners of Big Brown — not ones to let the grass grow beneath their feet — were quick to find a post-racing home for the big boy. All it took, reportedly, was $50 million, and racing’s newest star already had a second career lined up.
This, many have said (including in the most recent [...]
They are only emails, these StableMail notices of when and where horses are running. Some, of course, are for horses I currently own.
But many notify me of the activities of horses once, but no longer, in our barn. They come like postcards from old friends, mini-updates in five lines or so. They [...]
It’s Preakness time in Baltimore — a.k.a. Charm City — which is, of course, the best time in the Maryland horse racing year.
Well over 100,000 will attend the event — a number that will swell to approximately 17.6 million (at least, who will have claimed to have been there) if it happens to be the [...]
According to an article in the Thoroughbred Times, Magna Entertainment will fire Chris Dragone, president and general manager of the Magna-owned Maryland Jockey Club, following Saturday’s Preakness. Tom Chuckas, for 11 years the CEO of the nonprofit organization that owns the Maryland standard-bred track, Rosecroft Raceway, will replace him.
Magna kingpin Frank Stronach explained: “Chris [...]
The Baltimore Sun is reporting here that Magna Entertainment, parent company of the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, may relieve MJC president and general manager Chris Dragone of his duties.
If so, it would be the second time in less than eight months that the MJC had changed leaders. [...]
Six days away from the Preakness, which means that Maryland racing will put on its best clothes and don its party hats for the week.
We’ll put aside the disastrous Laurel winter meet — featuring declining handle and New York shippers coming in to take about half of the open stakes races.
And we’ll ignore, for the [...]
Though our races are run in circles, we speak of them as journeys.
Horses are sent off, away from the post. They have a good trip, or a bad trip. And most poignantly, they come home.
Except, of course, when they don’t.
And yesterday, in a Kentucky Derby that combined triumph and tragedy in equal measure, [...]
