For Curlin!

I'd like to give thanks to the JRA (Japan Racing Association) for making horse racing in Japan amazingly popular through...

... encouraging their owners to keep their horses racing long past the age of 3. (Sometimes as long a 6 to 8, and not just geldings!)

... marketing a winning Jockey so well that he has become a universally known name in this country. Like how even non-football fans know who Peyton Manning is. Everyone knows Take Yutaka.

... marketing their horses to the point of literally making them a sports star. Like the way it used to be in the States.

... marketing the sport to constantly attract new, young racing fans.

... constantly racing top females against the top males. More out of lack of space, time, and G1 races than anything but its great none the less. Gooo Vodka!

I am an American living in Japan if you can't tell. heh

Kate--I'd love to hear more about Japan does all of that marketing.  What do they do that's so successful?  Please post again, or e-mail me through Brooklyn Backstretch.  

Thanks--

-- For Alysheba coming home.

-- For Evening Attire for being himself ... ageless.

-- For Midnight Lute at any time.

-- For Lava Man at any time.

-- For having seen Lost In The Fog.

-- For having met Steve Cauthen (even if he DID           ride the wrong horse!)

-- For having met Genuine Risk.

-- For having met Cozzene.

-- For the Curlin team  giving us one more year with the Big Guy.

-- For Tom Durkin's calls of the races of Arrrrr and Dorefasolatido, and ALL the other races for that matter.

-- For Pepper's Pride and Carriage Trail and Eight Belles and Proud Spell and Zarkava and Zenyatta and ALL the rest of the girls.

-- For Steve Haskin's stories...ALL OF THEM.

-- For knowing Michael Blowen and being able to call him "friend".

-- For having 2 1/3 horses in my pasture...lawn ornaments all, but loved beyond belief.

-- For the joy of seeing Curlin run one more year

-- For the greatest sport in the World

-- For the web site oddsonfavorite.blogspot.com

a day or two late, but....

-for anyone who gives a retired racehorse a good home, including Old Friends.

-for those farms in KY who allow  times and/or open houses for visitors to see their heroes, (especially thanks to Winstar, Darley, Lanes End, Three Chimneys...)

-for anything written by Steve Haskin

-for the hope that springs eternal in each 2 yo crop

-for that first warm spring day  and the last warm fall day at Keeneland

-for the feeling you get when you walk into Churchill Downs and see the names of all the Derby winners spread across the buildings

-for all the owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms who truly care for their horses and do their best by them

For all the grooms  and other backstretch workers

For all the farm workers

To the Mom and Pop Farms, you do matter and dreams can come true

To us, the fans,  we keep the game going also.

but first and foremost to ALL the horses, who lay it down day after day.

From the cheap to the Champion they all are beautiful, wonderful and live and or die for our sport. Thank you all.

Thanks to all of us for loving and supporting horse racing.

Thanks to the owners and trainers for bringing it to us.

Thanks to the jockeys for risking their lives to bring us enjoyment.

Thanks to the good folks at TVG and HRTV for bringing it to us all day everyday right in the comfort of our own homes.

And personally...

Thanks to the kind stranger at Del Mar who took my picture with Gogo (after I thrust my camera at him and told him to..lol).

Thanks to Ron Ellis for seeing me trying to get a picture of Laffit Pincay Jr.(also at Del Mar) and coming over and asking if I would like to take a picture WITH Laffit, and then taking it himself. It is the best picture ever!! Me and Laffit! Thank you, Ron, Thank you!

Thanks to Russell Baze for ridng at Del Mar one day when I was there, giving me a chance to see him ride.

Thanks to Laffit Pincay Jr., Garrett Gomez, Mike Smith, Rafael Bejarano, Alex Solis, Victor Espinoza, Corey Nakatani and Pat Day for the autographs. Special Thanks to Pat Day for being SOOO nice, he is easily the nicest person I met this year.

Thanks to Evening Attire for all of the memories, and to Better Talk Now for his gallant heart.

Thanks to Zenyatta and Peppers Pride for showing us perfection.

Thanks to the Saudi King for sending our baby home.

Thanks to the internet, where we can follow the sport closely regardless of the lack of mainstream media coverage.

And finally Thanks to the Racing Gods who make all the magic.

For Curlin, his good health, and all horses everywhere--they have been a consistent joy in my life!

- Thanks to all of the horses.

You are all beautiful and I love

each and every one of you.

- Thanks to all of the owners, trainers and everyone that loves and cares for these great animals.

- Thanks to all of the rescue groups that try so hard to give and get loving and caring homes for everyone that needs one.

- A big thanks to Old Friends.

 I hope to someday be able to

 visit there.

- A last thanks to Eight Belles,

 for letting me watch her race.

 I proudly wear your wristband

 24/7. You will not be forgotten.

Needler in Virginia  -  where in Virginia are you?  

Thanks, for seeing Seattle Slew twice in retirement, and for a morning in the summer, 1999, standing outside of his stall at Three Chimneys, feeling for a moment it was just the two of us.  And thanks for the warmth of Affirmed's coat as I stroked his sleek, red coat at Jonabell...And thanks for being allowed in Unbridled's stall at Claiborne, and the pictures I snapped of him lying down, and standing before me in a great wush...And thanks for that cold morning in 2006 at the KY Horse Park, seeing Cigar again and an ornery John Henry the last time.                           And thanks for the chance to see numerous Preaknesses-Alysheba taking the lead right before me, Belmonts-Afleet Alex blasting to the lead and Rags/Curlin slugging it out, Breeders' Cups-Tiznow's two wins, and two runnings of the KY Derby.                     Thanks for seeing Slew O' Gold in all his splendor before the 84 Woodward.

LONG LIVE THE KING PERIOD...

I'm thanking Wanderin Boy et al big & small for running their hearts out for us, for giving us the game we love so much...we will keep working hard for you.

For all the things you listed, Teresa + CURLIN - what a thrilling nearly 2 year ride it's been.

For big, beautiful Zenyatta.

For getting to see the icons at Old Friends & Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Fame.  

A Virginian, too.

For Eight Bells, Shakis and Wanderin Boy.  RIP.

I give Thanks for this website, having only discovered it recently.

Thanks to all the horses who have gave us so much joy.

Thanks to Santa Anita for a great breeders cup.

I have to say thanks to my mom for taking me to the track for my 11th birthday, even though she hardly knew tail from mane about horses!  If she had known I would end up on the backside she might have thought twice about taking me, but here I am and I thank her!  

Alysheba back in the usa

Curlin and Big Brown retired sound

Kona Gold and Lava Man have great homes

All responsible owners and trainers

Rest in peace Eight Belles and Wanderin Boy

To Luvthehorses.....we're in the dead center of the Shenandoah Valley, tucked up against the Blue Ridge on a rural route of the town with the greatest name EVER.......Vesuvius. Where are you????

And, OOOPS! I forgot to thank the KHP for being there. What a wonderful place to retire.....

I am thankful For artificial surfaces. Zito may hate artificial surfaces but Wanderin Boy may be alive today if NY had an artificial surface. And look at poor Springside. Another brilliant horse may never run again.

Polly Trak--

I respectfully disagree.

For the little guy,, who keeps the racing going on the small scale, with very little money, but just for the love of the game and love for the horses!!Thanks!!