You can’t get mad at people for not voting in an election, and also get mad at people for their voting choices. Or can you? No, you can’t. So I’m not mad at the way the steeplechase Eclipse Award voting turned out. In his only American start of 2022, Irish raider Hewick dominated the $250,000 … Read more
January ends next week, which closes what might qualify as a quiet month at ST Publishing. The calendars are sold, mostly. The Saratoga Special is six (OK five and change) months away. Other projects grind on, but this time of year offers a chance to breathe, regroup, get tied on for the coming ride on … Read more
It’s Monday night. Entries are out. Take a look. At what you ask? Far Hills of course. The Far Hills Races, the top steeplechase meet in the United States, goes to the post Saturday in New Jersey. Seven races, big purses, bigger crowd, wagering, live television, international runners, you name it. So here’s an early, … Read more
They ever have jump racing at Aqueduct? The question arose in early July – even before NYRA announced the shifting of Belmont Park’s Fall Championship meet to The Big A – and gained steam as Saratoga’s 2022 season unfolded. The answer, of course, is yes. But not for a while. Officially, the most recent steeplechase race … Read more
New website? In what’s-getting-to-be-late June? Sure thing, what could go wrong? Hopefully nothing. As the photo shows, and the SEO optimizer tells us, it’s time the new version of thisishorseracing.com breaks from the gate. We gave TIHR a much-needed facelift, which should be noticing right about now. It’s been a few months of work, some … Read more
Write a column. For more than a week, those three words have been part of the list on my current reporter’s notebook I take pretty much everywhere. Technically I wrote one, sort of a Preakness preview, last week but that’s not what I meant. I meant write a column about winning the Old Hilltop Award … Read more
Preakness Eve. From what may be the world’s most sprawling suburban hotel while Connor McDavid lights it up in the NHL playoffs, the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown stands about 20 hours away. The Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike stayed in Kentucky, leaving a mixed bag of nine runners in the $1.5 million classic … Read more
Nik Juarez goes for runs near Monmouth Park racetrack all the time, but this one – at 3 in the morning – was different.
“What are you doing?” hollered a security guard.
“I’m running.”
“It’s 2 o’clock in the morning.”
“No, it’s 3 o’clock.”
“We’re closed.”
“I know. Can I just run around the parking lot?”
Past performances . . . Mask . . . Gloves . . . Glasses . . . Digital recorder . . . Phone . . . Pen . . . Past performances . . . Mask . . . Gloves . . . Glasses . . . Digital recorder . . . Phone . . . Pen . . . Past performances . . . Mask . . . Gloves . . . Glasses . . . Digital recorder . . . Phone . . . Pen . . .
Past performances . . . Mask . . . Gloves . . . Glasses . . . Digital recorder . . . Pen . . .
“Joe, why do you run so much?”
My joke answer to that question from a neighbor, friend or family member typically goes something like, “So I don’t become an ax murderer,” and gets met with an odd pause before I laugh and say that I’m not really sure why. I didn’t run as a younger person, not regularly anyway, but I’m a regular now and managed to cross off the 1,000-Mile Challenge presented by iRun Local this week. The challenge idea took root in January when Tom Law and my brother Sean brought it up during our annual winter summit.
