Joe Clancy

Brian Crowley left Heathrow with three bags and a carry-on. He landed in Philadelphia Jan. 12, 2010, with the carry-on, that’s it. In the dead of winter, in the snow, to Jonathan Sheppard’s farm.

And the beat goes on. Jonathan Sheppard won four of five steeplechase races at Saratoga last summer. The Hall of Famer has won two of three so far this meet, sweeping Thursday’s all-jump daily double with Bill Pape’s Divine Fortune and Hudson River Farm’s Royal Rossi. Brian Crowley guided both winners, continuing his skein of Saratoga winners as well.

Pop quiz. How many 2010 Eclipse Award winners train regularly in Saratoga?

Let’s see, there’s Uncle Mo . . . Gio Ponti . . . that’s it, right? Big Drama is still in Florida, but might be on the way . . . Oh wait, Todd Pletcher. That might have tricked most people. And Ramon Dominguez, don’t forget Ramon. That’s got to be all of them. Four. Two equine, two human. Final answer.

Chad Brown won his first Grade I stakes as a trainer Saturday and thought about everything – coach/mentor/boss Bobby Frankel, the location of the trustees’ room for the ceremonial toast, his pregnant wife Terrill, the introduction to owner Martin Schwartz via Michael Dubb here last year, all of it.

When it comes to Unbridled Humor, trainer Graham Motion pays full credit to exercise rider Jody Petty. “Where I might not have persisted, Jody has,” Motion said. “He didn’t give up.”

Fay Donk came home from the barn, the grocery store, the dry cleaners, somewhere and told her husband of less than a year, “I found a house.” David Donk nearly crumbled.

Just a man and his horse. Traveling the world.

“The Blue Spruce? Oh no, not The Blue Spruce. I don’t want to go if we’re staying at The Blue Spruce. It smells, the water tastes bad, the beds are scratchy. That’s it, I’m staying home. Lassie’s is better. It’s far away, but it’s better.”

Ron Anderson asked a simple question. “How many of them are easy? I mean, how many do you just sit down and write like nothing.”

I just like the conversations. All morning long. Whether it’s commiserating with Fernando Abreu about tearing his ACL playing softball or getting history lessons from the Chief or debating the latest issues with Rick Violette or talking pressure with Ramon Dominguez, I love the conversations.