With the uproar over Big Brown's retirement, the confirmation that Curlin will be defending his title and the news that both Henrythenavigator and Duke of Marmalade will be contesting the Breeders' Cup Classic, one strong contender has been overlooked: Raven's Pass....
Read More
In a previous entry, this blog provided details about the heel bulb injury that predicated the disappointing retirement of champion three-year-old Thoroughbred Big Brown. This post will give some background into the type of injury for those unfamiliar with foot anatomy and injury....
Read More
This Saturday is New York Showcase Day at Belmont; seven New York-bred stakes races will be run for more than a million dollar in purses, and a variety of family-friendly activities are planned, including hay rides, face painting, and pumpkin carving. ...
Read More
After coming into it's partnership with the Breeders' Cup starting in 2006 the Disney owned ESPN/ESPN/ABC Channels promised us the world in it's coverage and promotion of the event including coverage leading up to the Breeders' Cup. Now entering its 3rd year of coverage on the Cable network, I feel like an underfed kid at the dinner table, fed some leftovers instead of the 5 course meal I was promised....
Read More
Racing faces the daunting task of marketing an identical product to two disparate audiences: the gambler and the fan. Racing can't exist without the former, and it shouldn't exist without the latter....
Read More
Back in June, Gene Kershner mentioned briefly on his EquiSpace blog that it might be time to change the format of the Triple Crown races. Heresy, you say?...
Read More
A quick look at what some other TBA members are writing about....
Read More
I play the lotto not because it is the worst odds imaginable, not because I don't realize it's a "stupid" tax, but it allows me to write these dreams out like I really have a chance. TVG is up for sale, and the NTRA has always been a fan of the channel. So why not buy it outright, and do something good with it. My suggestion: Fix racing with it. ...
Read More
I like Ladies' Day. I've been asking for Ladies' Day for quite some time, and I'm not the only one, but now that it's here seems like many are against it. And, no one is saying they like it anymore. It seems like we've driven off by terms like "sexist" and who can blame us. Well, I'm not going down without a fight. ...
Read More
Every sport has image problems. The NBA had the Jailblazers, the NFL still has the Bengals, MLB battles drugs, and the NHL is well, if you've heard of it, it's the hockey league. Many in our industry point to the NHL as another sport going through rough times. Like horse racing, paper coverage is dwindling, it gets low ratings, and its season is said to be too long. It's horse racing but on Ice! Well, no not exactly. ...
Read More
I believe the most pressing issue in the sport is the ADW issue. And yet when someone talks about it I wonder if it would hurt that bad if I stuck a fork in my ear and twisted. Talks are again being, well talked, and not much is coming from them accept acrimony. Shock I know....
Read More
Whether I was listed as being there or not (Esther what did I say for you to forget me?) , I was in fact at the NTRA annual marketing meeting. A group of fans put together what we believe to be an easy first step in helping our sport become viable in today's "connected" world. I've spent the last week writing about my experiences, and mostly gushing over how great it was. It's been said I'm now in the NTRA pocket, and I can't disagree too much. ...
Read More
My name is Patrick, but I'm regularly known by my blog name, Handride. I am part of a group of Bloggers, the TBA, that formed around 3 years ago to help themselves generate readers, and to help gain more fans amongst casual watchers. In the three years since we've climbed to over 40 blogs from Japan to New York and all places in between....
Read More
