Tom Law

The word “great” is thrown about rather loose these days. This horse is great, this jockey, this trainer, this track, this race … you get the picture. We attached the word to champion steeplechaser McDynamo in a headline announcing his passing and there’s nothing loose about it.

Here we go, down to two. Nothing dominated the headlines in racing more in 2019 than reports, analysis and commentary about the rash of breakdowns at Santa Anita Park. A lot came out of the crisis, aside from the gnashing of teeth from those inside the sport and suggestions on solutions from those outside.

We mentioned previously on the countdown about the steeplechase world enduring more than its share of losses. Another hit a member of our team hard when three-time Maryland Hunt Cup winner Paddy Neilson died in early September after a bout with cancer.

Then there were four. We’re down to the final quartet of most read stories of the year here at This Is Horse Racing and back to the most publicized annual event of the season.

The steeplechase world seemed to lose more than its fair share in 2019. We’ve already noted one in the first half of the countdown and the fifth most read piece of the year remembers another.

No story dominated American racing for 2019 like the Kentucky Derby. Whether you agreed or disagreed, won or lost, you certainly had an opinion about the 145th running of the world’s most famous horse race.

Racing could not escape tragedy in 2019. Everyone knows it, everyone felt it and some even did something about it. Some. Racing could not escape tragedy in 2019. Everyone knows it, everyone felt it and some even did something about it. Some.  The steeplechase world couldn’t escape it either and tragedy hit hard in the American … Read more