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By Michael Fenrich Sunday, June 28, 2026, marked one year since the late, great Hall of Fame trainer Mr. D. Wayne Lukas passed away. I used to hot walk at the Lukas barn at Belmont Park in the mid 1990s and have many fond memories of my short time there. I am very grateful for … Read more
Same couch. Same day. Same page. At least it isn’t raining. There was an easy theme last year. It started with the simplest form of writing. Go with the weather. Set the scene. Water rolls over the gutters and pools into puddles, a statement of intent, a day of disruption. The Belmont Gold Cup washed … Read more
A racing fan, or a guy at the races anyway, approached Todd Pletcher in the upstairs seating area at Aqueduct Racetrack with a pen, a copy of the Daily Racing Form and a question. “Will you sign my Form?” the guy asked. “Sure,” replied Pletcher, who signed his name and handed back the paper. The … Read more
The South African Jockey Academy called Gavin Lerena’s parents with an offer. It was the first chance he had gotten at the acclaimed five-year program. Following his grandfather, his father, his uncle, his whole family into racing, Lerena enrolled in the apprentice program and took an instant hit. Denied. Lerena was relegated to the equestrian … Read more
“What’s your name?” The question came from the clouds. Like Big Brother. Walking through the front gate Thursday afternoon, a retired agent stopped, a retired jockey stopped, a writer stopped. The agent and the writer backed up quietly, sliding out of the conversation. The question came booming down again. More like a demand. “What. Is. … Read more
These are the good old days. Someday we’ll look back on this and it will all seem funny. Read those in a singing voice and they sound a little more sensible, or something, because there will come a time where someone will look up Belmont Stakes historical records, and shout across a crowded room, “They … Read more
It was a throwaway line, a token gesture. If you need anything, I’m around. I sent it to Emme Fullilove, who was helping with Jack Fisher’s runners for Wednesday’s Beverly R. Steinman Stakes at Saratoga. A longtime steeplechase ally, Fullilove has a full-time job galloping flat horses for trainer Tom Proctor. She’ll take you up … Read more
By Ryan Clancy Corbin texted me on the last Sunday in April to ask what I had going on the following weekend. I deflected. Weekends are for picking up dog poop, mowing, menial house projects, watching the Orioles struggle, maybe an afternoon at the zoo if everything goes right. I don’t have to ask what … Read more
It was just before 5 p.m. Wednesday and the eight horses who finished the last race at Keeneland were jogging back to the frontstretch to meet their connections, be unsaddled and be led back to the barn. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except 10 horses started the race. What was unusual was the sight … Read more
By Taylor Barraclough Racehorses are often remembered for their speed figures wins, and earnings. What happens to these athletes after their final start is frequently overlooked, but for I Love Jaxson, retirement marked the start of his second success story. I Love Jaxson was bred, foaled and raised at Saratoga Glen Farm. In 2017, my … Read more
