Join The Saratoga Special Readers Club for exclusive access to news, swag, discounts, special events and more
Sean Clancy Happy New Year and welcome back to The Special for 2023. We took a bit of a hiatus for the holiday season, with spotty appearances here and there but we’re back with another big weekend of racing. We’ll kick things off with some of the favorites, and catch up one some news from 2022. Here’s … Read more
Who’s ready for the holiday weekend? How about Saratoga? Or Del Mar? Like it or not they’re here, or almost here, as we turn the page to the second half of 2022. Whew, where did the first half of the year go? Remember the Dubai World Cup, Triple Crown and spring steeplechase season? Yeah, they … Read more
Deep breath. The Triple Crown and spring steeplechase season in the books, and now less than four weeks until Opening Day of Saratoga. We’re revving up at our ST Publishing outposts in Fair Hill, Middleburg and Saratoga Springs, readying for the 40-day season and Issue 1 of The Saratoga Special. We have 20 on tap … Read more
Catching up from Sean Clancy’s daily posts since March. Thursday, June 16, 2022.Horse Tracker on Racing Post. Part ticker. Part black book. Part Post-it Note. Part alarm clock. It’s filled with eyecatchers from somewhere along the line, a lot of hunches, a few tips and touts, fresh faces and old friends. Some I remember, with … Read more
Only a week to go before the 2022 Triple Crown season wraps up, but before we turn our gaze toward Long Island and Belmont Park there’s much to do here on this first weekend of June. Stephen Foster Preview Day looms large at Churchill Downs, which hosts a bunch of stakes Saturday. Our handicappers dug … Read more
It’s at the top of Cleeve Hill, right before we dive into the maelstrom that it hits me. Festival Radio crackles to life, the course opens like a picnic blanket in front of you, the memories and the possibilities rattle and it’s all at the touch. My friend, George Baker, said it better than I … Read more
Lose an hour of sleep? Spring ahead. What the hell is this? Ah, I’m usually on an overnight flight to Cheltenham when this ridiculous occurrence occurs. You basically lose a night’s sleep, the hour lost in the shuffle of international travel. Land running, energized by what lies ahead. Highclere Lunch with the Bakers Sunday. Early … Read more
I did it. Yup, I did it. Pulled up all the snow sticks. It was a beautiful afternoon a few weeks ago, the sun was shining, blue skies, short sleeves and spring was here. For real. I pulled up the white plastic stakes with spray-painted blue tops from the house to the barn and had … Read more
Some days you look up and it’s 8:14 on a Friday night and you haven’t written a word here. Four thousand words for Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. City Dreamer and Include It schooled, reports pending. Grocery Store. Zoom call with the NSA. The eighth at Golden Gate. Now, halibut and a fresh salad with a friend on … Read more
I’m not going to Cheltenham this year. There I said it. I’m taking a hiatus from my favorite trip this year. This will be the third Festival I’ve missed since 2002. Herniated discs in my neck in 2016. Covid last year. And now this year, for a variety of reasons. I’m OK with it this … Read more
