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Joe Clancy 
The 7 a.m. text could have come from Ireland or Scotland, or maybe some mythical land with a made-up name. A lone horse stands in a field of spring grass. To the right, a fence line stretches, following the contour of the land, then disappears into the fog. The horse’s ears are up, alert, checking out the photographer or some far off interest. His blaze is the brightest thing in the photo.
Tom Law, the managing editor of ST Publishing’s projects The Saratoga Special and thisishorseracing.com and a senior writer for Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, will receive the David F. Woods Award for coverage of the 2017 Preakness Stakes.
The Winterthur Point-to-Point runs for the 40th time this year and celebrates with an upgraded card of timber races and much more on the grounds of the Winterthur Museum and Gardens in Delaware May 6. An anniversary makes you look back, and this one is no different so we present 40 reasons to love the Winterthur Point-to-Point (in no apparent order):
Linda Gaudet remembers a “very plain brown-paper wrapper.” She also remembers hair-raising laps of the training track at The Meadowlands, a few stakes wins among nine total victories, a scary moment in a race – and, ultimately, a horse who found his calling.
Every January, it would happen to Duncan Patterson. His friends and business associates knew he did something with horses, knew the Winterthur Point-to-Point was coming up, knew they just had to ask him.
“Are you riding at Point-to-Point this year?”
Patterson would laugh and try to explain. First, there’s more than one point-to-point so don’t call it that. Second, nobody really knows if they’re riding in a horse race until it happens.
Still decked out in the white-wrapped halter of a long ship, the chestnut horse paces the stall a little, munches some hay, checks out a visitor, begs for a mint, looks out the back window of his stall and then repeats the cycle – walk, munch, check, beg, look.
You can almost hear him take a deep breath and, if he could talk, clear his throat to tell a story.
“Man, you wouldn’t believe the trip I’ve been on . . . Where am I and how did I get here?”
If you know the name Temple Gwathmey, chances are it’s the steeplechase race that comes to mind. But long before the race, the man (James Temple Gwathmey) was a major owner, sportsman and businessman. When he died in 1924, his friends created a race and a memorial fund in his name. Both continue today. We … Read more
Back when the English Grand National from Aintree found its way to American television screens, back when the famous race was called “the ultimate test of a horse’s courage,” back before hand-held phones and texting and social media and account wagering and all the other trappings of progress, there was Red Rum. He might be … Read more
This time of year, potential Kentucky Derby horses are like high-school juniors. The SAT will be here soon, and it’s time to study. Nine students go postward in Gulfstream Park’s test – the $1.1 million XpressBet Florida Derby – Saturday.
In honor of its 40th running this year, the Winterthur Point-to-Point steeplechase meet presents a weekly Steeplechase Throwback Thursday feature. We’ll look back on historic moments, horses and people in the jumping game – at least a few connected to the race meet on the grounds of the famed Winterthur Museum and Gardens just north of Wilmington, Del. This year’s races are Sunday, May 6.
