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Sean Clancy It was a simple question, asked to fill space, small talk on a sweltering afternoon at Saratoga.
“How long has it been?”
“Eight, 10 years…” Jimmy Foulk said. “No, maybe 20.”
Gail Foulk set it straight.
“Jimmy, it’s been 40 years.”
John Nerud called Angel Cordero Jr. Three months ago, the 102-year-old Hall of Fame trainer called the 72-year-old Hall of Fame jockey, asking him to come see him at his house on Long Island. Cordero didn’t hesitate. When he arrived, Nerud handed Cordero a photo, it was Cordero’s 3,000th winner, Cordero had inscribed it to Nerud.
It was 2003.
Mike Hushion suggested we write a story on John Nerud, the man who trained Dr. Fager, Gallant Man, Delegate, Intentionally, Ta Wee and countless others.
“Oh, the stories,” Hushion said. “The other day he was talking about Ben Jones, Pancho Villa, Dr. Fager…you just want to listen. Getting to know him over the last few years is one of the best things that’s happened to me in this sport.”
You’re holding a breakthrough edition of The Special. The first double issue, a Wednesday/Thursday paper. That’s part of the breakthrough, the physical act of combining two days into one paper – two days of previews, two days of handicapping, two days of Name of the Days, one Cup of Coffee.
Saratoga, you have a new fan.
The most captivating woman in racing met the most captivating town in racing. It was love at first sight.
Australia’s Gai Waterhouse ventured to Saratoga this week – a high-energy town for a high-energy woman, a stylish town for a stylish woman, a racing town for a racing woman.
Sometimes you have too much story for one story. Especially, when a horse like Honor Code wins the Whitney in the last jump and especially when it’s midnight and your deadline has long since past. When my brother hovered in the doorway of my office Saturday night/Sunday morning and said, “Come on, Ernest,” I knew I needed to land the plane. But it’s tricky, when you want to land a full plane.
Jimmy Jerkens walks down his low-roofed shedrow on the Oklahoma side and gives a history lesson on his barn.
“My father was in this barn in 1955,” Jerkens said. “He would always pull up and say, ‘Yeah, Admiral Vee was in this stall, I had these stalls…’ Laz Barrera was in this barn when he had Affirmed.”
Kendrick Carmouche and his agent, Kid Breeden, set a goal before the meet. Win 10 races. After 14 racing days in their first foray of riding full time at Saratoga, the Mid-Atlantic duo are over halfway there. Six wins, including the Lucky Coin with Shore Runner, the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya with Goldy Espony and a double Friday.
John Servis brought his two kids, Blane and Tyler, to Delaware Park for a day’s work. It was 2003, maybe 2004. Blane was 15, 16. Tyler, three years younger. They got out of the car and walked toward the barn and saw a dozen stall screens leaning on the outside posts of the barn.
“What did you learn?”
That’s what I was asked as I crossed Fifth Avenue Thursday morning. The lessons began at 5:30 and kept going until 11:00. Some were about horses and some were about life. As always, there was a lot to learn.
