Medina Spirit
Today, Derby Day, I’ll be thinking of Medina Spirit. He won the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Then, after testing positive for a substance banned on race days, he was disqualified in…
Canadian Triple Crown
Mighty Heart has a chance today to be the 13th Canadian Triple Crown winner. The three-year-old colt won the Queen's Plate at Woodbine, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort…
John C. Mabee Stakes
The John C. Mabee Stakes is a 9 furlong Grade II turf race for fillies and mares at the Del Mar track in San Diego County, California. John C. Mabee…
Man o’ War
In 1920, the most promising 3 year old horse in the United States did not run in the Kentucky Derby. Later in May, that horse - Man o' War -…
Jump!
I've wondered what real jockeys think about horse racing novels. Especially those where newcomers - human and horse - manage against all the odds to win THE BIG RACE. It's…
Justify
A big chestnut colt won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Five weeks ago, Justify won the Kentucky Derby. Three weeks ago, he won the Preakness. So he won the Triple…
The Story of Seabiscuit
The Story of Seabiscuit was released in 1949, only two years after the great racehorse died. It is the story of his life - sort of. His son Sea Sovereign…
Pegasus World Cup
This Saturday, January 27, is the 2nd annual Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The richest horse race in the world, it costs one million dollars to enter.…
Hanover Horses
A Facebook share - Waco Hanover celebrates his 40th birthday in 2017. He's a Standardbred pacer, living in Vermont.* From his name, I knew he was of Hanover Shoe Farms.…
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was a harness racing horse, a pacer. He was crazy good, they said. 110 years ago, he was the best pacer ever seen. He was a huge celebrity…
I’ll Have Another
This was first posted on my St. Thomas Dog Blog, May 10, 2012. This Saturday, May 7th 2016, it's Derby Day again. It feels different this year - it's the…
Breeders’ Cup
Saturday was Hallowe'en. A big day. This October 31st was a big day for another reason. The Breeders' Cup Classic horse race and the chance to see something that's never…
Ron and Secretariat
Last weekend, my dog and I went to Grand Falls/Grand-Sault in northern New Brunswick to see a statue unveiled. It is Ron Turcotte and Secretariat crossing the finish line at…
American Pharoah
Saturday, I saw something I've never seen before: the winning of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. I hadn't expected it to happen, but I hoped. American Pharoah made…
Track Royalty
This coming Saturday, May 2nd, is the Run for the Roses, the first leg of the Triple Crown. The 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. The young royals of mainly…
Cigar 1990-2014
The news from the Kentucky Horse Park that Cigar died Tuesday Oct. 7 made me look through photos I have of him. After retiring in 1999, he lived in the…
Northern Dancer
There are some athletes so well known that, fan or not, you can place the name without thinking. Gordie Howe, Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Northern Dancer. 50 years ago, the…
Turcotte, the movie
If you live in or are from New Brunswick, if you’re Canadian, if you like horse racing, the NFB has a film for you: Secretariat's Jockey: Ron Turcotte (2013). In…
New Charity Cat Project
The Charity Cat project, under the umbrella of the STDOA, began due to cats who turned dog people into cat people. It started last summer with, literally, a cardboard box…
Dick Francis: A racing life
The back cover of Dick Francis: A Racing Life, a biography by Graham Lord, calls it “warm, affectionate, yet sharp and perceptive.” I usually read the jacket information before starting a…
Francis Family Books
If you had the sad job of picking the topic of the last novel you would write, I don’t think you could choose better than Dick Francis did. Crossfire, co-written…
Hats off (or on) to the past few days!
It’s been quite a four days – perhaps best summarized with The Hat. Everybody’s had a go at this new game. So hats off to creativity. The Hat - the…
Click Fatigue
Every day I gave .6 bowl of kibble to shelter animals and 10 pieces of kibble to other shelter dogs and 10 pieces to cats. I had 2 foster dogs…
Secretariat: The Movie (2010)
The thing that annoyed me most about the movie Secretariat was that the horses playing him were not in the credits. In particular, the one who played him in close-ups…