Tom Law

Saturday officially brings an end to the 2013 racing season when 17 championships, including the coveted Horse of the Year title, are handed out at Gulfstream Park during the 43rd annual Eclipse Awards ceremony.

Plenty of people in the Palm Coast, Florida, area know Bill Boland, and even more folks who turn up at either of The Grand Club’s Cypress Knoll or Pine Lakes golf courses know what he did in the saddle on the racetrack during the game’s halcyon days in the 1950s and 1960s.

The world of racing loves its seasons. Some are annual and official, like say, the Saratoga, Keeneland and Del Mar seasons. Some are quasi-official, like the breeding stock sales season, pre-Triple Crown season or Breeders’ Cup prep season. Others are loose, like the time between the Breeders’ Cup and when votes are cast for racing’s champions.

The finish line is in sight. No, not for the First Night Saratoga 5k run that goes down Tuesday, post time 5:30 p.m. up on the Skidmore College campus in what looks to be sub-20-degree temperatures and a light snow. And no, not for the year that was 2013, although the days are now down to hours and soon to be minutes and seconds.

Alright, it’s New Year’s Eve. Don’t pop the cork on the champagne or break out the noisemakers just yet. There’s still two more memorable moments to relive.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always a good time to look back. This exercise – coming up with our most memorable moments from racing in 2013 and putting pen to them – has been difficult and easy. Easy to remember some great days. Difficult to whittle the list down.

Four spots on the top 10 list of most memorable moments from the world of racing in 2013 and only three days left in the year.