Joe Clancy

Thirty-nine seconds do not really make a work. Unless it’s been seven months since your last one. Grade I winner Toby’s Corner, making a long trek back to fitness, went through his first easy breeze Friday – going 3 furlongs in 39 and change. Call it a slow step one, with many more to follow.

Back in 1994, we marveled at the performances of Warm Spell, Mistico, Lonesome Glory, Revelstoke and so on. The horses wowed us, at every step. All these years later, that’s still the best part of producing this newspaper. The amazing came early, late, often in 2011:

The first is about achievement. The second, approval. The third, affirmation. Paddy Young became the first steeplechase jockey to win three titles in a row since John Cushman dominated the trade, winning four consecutive crowns back in the 80s.

It comes down to this. Tom Voss leads Jonathan Sheppard who leads Richard Valentine. Three trainers, two wins apart, five races at Camden, 23 starters between them, a title in the balance. Drop the flag.

Imagine pushing the buttons, pulling the levers, turning the cranks. You own the team. You make the decisions and live with them. You hire, you fire, you buy, you sell.

Breeders and original owners Diana and Bert Firestone . . . owners Debra Kachel and Irv Naylor . . . trainers Neil Morris, Ricky Hendriks and J.W. Delozier . . . jockeys Matt McCarron, Paddy Young, Jacob Roberts and Carl Rafter . . .

Bruce Fenwick likes to tell people he traded a new mower for Bon Caddo. Jonathan Sheppard recalls a used manure spreader. Under pressure, they both admit to being guilty of spinning tales. But neither is that far off.

Sweet Shani stepped off the van in Pennsylvania and Jim Bergen shuddered.

Shug McGaughey has done it all. Choreographed the career of undefeated Personal Ensign. Won the Travers and Belmont with Easy Goer. Captured nine Breeders’ Cup races. Campaigned nine champions. Won more than 1,600 races for more than $100 million in purses.

He just appeared one day. I don’t remember how he got there, why he got there, who sent him or when he left. We were living in an old yellow house on the edge of Route 82 in Unionville, Pa.