Sean Clancy, Author at This is Horse Racing

Cheltenham Day 3: One for the Stayers

March 16, 2017

Don’t ever be afraid of one horse. That’s what the oldtimers always say. Well, there were nine who were plenty scared of Douvan but showed up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase anyway. Veteran chaser Special Tiara certainly didn’t look or act scared, scampering away from the peerless Douvan, who jumped inconsistently and without any of his usual acuity. It was over early as veteran chaser Special Tiara and veteran jockey Noel Fehily put Douvan and his other foes on the defense from the outset.

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Cheltenham Day 2: Douvan’s Day

March 15, 2017

“A late double? I’ve never heard of it.”

“A late what?”

“We don’t have those here. Whatever those are.”

Those were the responses to my question of what the late double paid at Cheltenham Tuesday. Now that they close the bars before the last race, we watch the finale from behind the grandstand and flee before the winners’ enclosure celebration, before cashing our tickets.

The ticket is in my pocket, it says Tote Double, I’ll know in a few hours what it paid or if it even exists.

The Inside Rail

Bittersweet Gold Cup memories

March 14, 2017

The doors swing open with the breeze. The butter and eggs sit on the counter. The horses rustle from below and beyond thick windows. The birds wake you, different songs, but the same tunes. The dogs lounge like they were here first, the house built around them. The Racing Post is open on the table. The racing show is on the background. That’s life here. Racing life.

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Cheltenham Day 1: Great to be back

March 13, 2017

Let the games begin. We are back at the Cheltenham Festival for the 15th time in 16 years (yes, I’m still lamenting that we missed last year). The greatest four days of racing in the world begin Tuesday.

The Inside Rail

Plane ride

March 13, 2017

Airplanes. They used to be mean freedom. Now, they mean consequence. Well, they represent consequence. They used to mean escape. Back when I lived with my parents, back when I rented a room for $150 a month, back when I could touch everything I owned from my bed. Now, well, a plane doesn’t bring freedom, it brings dread and stress and worry and concern. I fly, but I’m not flying.

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Throwback Thursday: Giant Oak

March 9, 2017

Grade 1 stakes winner Giant Oak died last week at Millennium Farm in Lexington. The towering son of Giant’s Causeway came to Saratoga in 2011 where he immediately became a favorite of The Saratoga Special and anyone standing at the Morning Line kitchen as the big chestnut trained every morning.

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Monday Afternoon Rewind: In the black

March 21, 2022March 6, 2017

Good, bad, ugly or indifferent, we look back at our weekly Saturday Special and see how we did in our predictions and profiles.

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Throwback Thursday: Trevor and Michael McCarthy

March 2, 2017

It doesn’t seem possible that jockey Trevor McCarthy was embarking on his apprentice year just four years ago. For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we bring you Sean Clancy’s profile on McCarthy, which appeared in Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. McCarthy rides early Kentucky Derby contender El Areeb in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct this weekend.

The Inside Rail

Swimming on a February morning

March 1, 2017

And now for this week’s how-do-you-solve-a-problem-get-a-bigger-one portion of the program, we thought the problem was the broken board in the new floor or the broken septic line to the barn or perhaps the simple lack of productivity from all involved.

Those aren’t problems.

“It’s in the pool…It’s still breathing…I can’t do this by myself…Get over here.”

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Monday Afternoon Rewind: Winning, losing

March 21, 2022February 28, 2017

The Saturday Special started at Lingfield, starred Fair Grounds and slid to a finish at Turfway Park. As always, our writing appears to be better than our handicapping as our picks proved costly. Ah well, enjoy a look back at the highlights and lowlights from The Saturday Special where Cheltenham and Churchill clues came hard and fast.