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Sean Clancy “It’s nice to see you back, um, well you never went anywhere…you just weren’t, um…” It began as a statement, became a retraction and was verging on an apology, until Shug McGaughey came to the rescue. “I know what you’re saying, it slowed down for a while,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “That wasn’t … Read more
“I promise you, Jack, you don’t need to go see him. Save the flight to California. You won’t be disappointed.”
Nobody in racing experienced a wilder week than jockey Xavier Perez. On April 14, the Maryland-based jockey became a Youtube sensation, guiding (?) Spicer Cub through a hole between the outside rail and the gate to just miss in a maiden at Pimlico (it had 98,336 views on Maryland Racing). Six days later, Perez piloted Dance To Bristol to a 9-length score in the Sugar Maple at Charles Town.
Goodbye Storm Cat. The 30-year-old stallion was euthanized at Overbrook Farm Wednesday. A winner of four races from eight starts, Storm Cat sired eight champions and 35 Grade/Group I stakeswinners. At his zenith, the Overbook homebred stood for a $500,000 fee while his yearlings fetched monumental prices at public auction.
It was a trick question. The ultimate trick question for a trainer with two horses – two brothers – nominated to the same race. “On their best day, who would win?”
Hall of Famers Mike Smith, Bob Baffert – and Joe Torre – plundered Charles Town, taking the Charles Town Classic with Game On Dude. Al Stall continued his detour of the Derby with Departing, taking the Illinois Derby. In steeplechasing, perennial leading owner Irv Naylor returned to the top of the standings with stellar days at Middleburg and the Grand National. Here’s your Here and There for Tuesday, April 23.
Flat or jump. It’s all the same to me. It’s horse racing. Part of the reason I love European racing is because the two codes mesh. A winner at Cheltenham or a winner at Royal Ascot? Doesn’t matter, all goals, all accomplishments. Aidan O’Brien trained classic winners on the flat and over jumps. Dermot Weld, the same. Graham Lee rode on the flat, over jumps (winning the Grand National in 2004) and returned to the flat last spring. Champion jockey Richard Hughes has ridden both, loves both.
Mike Smith paused, then summed up his thoughts about Game On Dude tackling three tight turns in Saturday night’s Charles Town Classic. “As long as he’ll go around there, I’ll go with him.”
One of my mentors, Mike Freeman died Wednesday. I got a call while sitting in a coffee shop in Middleburg. Susie Alexander, who was there for the first Saratoga Special, called to tell me that her mentor (too) had died. Great man. Old school. Fair and loyal. After going through two computers looking for a … Read more
Thursday morning, I went in search of…looking for an article I had written in The Saratoga Special one summer. That’s the problem, I know I wrote it one summer, just don’t know which summer. There are 13 to choose from…I went in the closet and found my old iBook G4. It hadn’t been turned on in years. Wow, my life, my work, my loves, my losses…my horrible organization. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, but found this excerpt. Classic. Name who said it and I’ll send you a Saratoga Special hat, a 5-dollar bill and a jar of Kentucky Derby dirt.
