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Sean Clancy Nine rows high. Three rows wide. And maybe five rows long. Leaning. A few have fallen like shards of glaciers into the sea. Shrink-wrapped, in stark white plastic bags, the tower of wood shavings delivered, an order with a slip and a bill. They lie in wait outside an empty barn, ready to be dispensed into empty stalls. Anywhere else, you’d walk past them and never notice.
Has it hit you? Like, really, hit you. Like, stop-and-sink hit you.
“Sorry about yesterday, sometimes you get this thing so jammed up I don’t pay any attention to it.”
It was 5:53 Friday night, the Belmont Stakes loomed in 23 hours, 49 minutes and Barclay Tagg had unjammed his phone to call The Special. We had left a message Thursday and added a “missed call” Friday morning, another Friday afternoon and still another Friday evening.
“A day in the life…” That’s how Mike Stidham starts off the conversation while checking on one of his three venues Thursday morning. Stidham and his partner, Hilary Pridham, were at Monmouth Park, looking over 65 horses with assistant Ben Trask. Pick another day and they might be overseeing their 48 horses at Fair Hill Training Center. In a few weeks, they’ll be at Keeneland to see assistant TC Stuckey and their 10-horse brigade. After that, perhaps, Colonial Downs with a projected 20 for the Virginia meet.
“Miles, turn on channel 9705.”
“What?”
“Turn on 9705. Watch the turf race at Belmont.”
And then there was steeplechasing. The sport returned with its first meet of the season, a full card at Middleburg Spring Races in Middleburg, Va., June 13.
Oh, what might have been. That’s the story of the Triple Crown for so many through the years. For all but 13, actually.
If only Alydar was born another year. If only Smarty Jones could have rated another few strides. If only Real Quiet hadn’t moved when he did. If only California Chrome could have…if only Funny Cide would have…if only…if only.
Champion jockey Mikey Mitchell remembers riding eight races in a day. Once. In New Zealand at the end of a long season. Today at Middleburg Spring Races, he rides 10 races. Ten jump races, that’s 24 1/2 miles if you’re counting. Has it ever been done?
Saturday’s feature at Santa Anita Park, the 51st edition of the Charles Whittingham Handicap honors the late Hall of Fame trainer who won the race seven times in his legendary career.
Darrel McHargue hit a sweet drive and was on his way to the green for a three-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole at Palm Desert Golf Course in California when his phone rang.
