Tom Law

New York-bred stakes winner Icabad Crane went from America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred in the fall of 2014 to one of the most followed horses among racing and non-racing fans alike in 2015. He also got his eventing career off to a strong start earlier this and one of his first updates is the ninth most popular story at This Is Horse Racing for 2015.

The general consensus in the immediate days and weeks after the Breeders’ Cup was staged for the first time at Keeneland Race Course was that the event was an unmitigated success. Well before the first temporary structure went up and the first championship race was run there were doubts from some whether Keeneland and the city of Lexington could pull it off.

Time to recap a little now that we’re into the second week of the countdown of the This Is Horse Racing’s most popular stories. The first four in the series – No. 15 through 12 if you will – included pieces about the Triple Crown, specific horses, efforts to bring racing to the Southeast and important decisions. None were overly pointed, but the 11th most popular story of 2015 certainly can be considered opinionated.

Everything the connections of Frosted threw at the son of Tapit in 2015 he handled, practically begging for more and ultimately rewarding them for training the gray colt like a star from days gone by.

Everyone needs a break in between trips downtown for that almost last-minute holiday shopping, so what better way to spend the afternoon than taking in some of the final big races of 2015.

The push was on early and throughout 2015 to bring pari-mutuel wagering – specifically in the form of Thoroughbred racing – to Georgia.

Since the holidays are all about tradition we decided to make a tradition out of our annual look-back series and proudly present the 15 for 2015 list for This Is Horse Racing.

There are few things New York racing fans like better than honest hard-trying geldings “of a certain age.” Witness the jubilation in early November when 9-year-old multiple stakes winner and turf specialist Compliance Officer wired a 10-horse field of $32,000 claimers to capture his first victory since June 14, 2014 at odds of 18-1. Race caller John Imbriale gushed from the booth: “They’re not going to catch Compliance Officer! The old boy rolled today!”

How’s the Christmas shopping coming along? Holiday parties? What about the tree, lights, wreath and the baking? Check, check, check and check? If so congrats, if not, don’t worry and put it off another day and settle in for some racing.

Overseas and here at home, we’ve got your covered with this week’s Saturday Special presented by Pin Oak Stud, home to Alternation, Broken Vow and Cowboy Cal.