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Many first-year students at the University of Kentucky feel the hair rise on the back of their necks when they hear the words “freshman English.” Back in the day the class often separated the wheat from the chaff while offering a series of writing challenges from descriptive essays to argumentative papers. In the fall of 1978, I chose to write why ...

1 Irish War Cry Graham Motion Curlin—Irish Sovereign, by Polish Numbers It’s not as if he backed into the No. 1 spot, as in my mind he was ranked on equal terms with McCraken. Now he must earn the right to stay there. The big question is whether he will take back off the pace in the Fountain of Youth, and with the presence of Three Rules, ...

With Stewart Elliott being named the winner of this year’s prestigious George Woolf Award and with Smarty Jones’ birthday this coming Tuesday, it rekindled memories of those glorious five weeks in racing and Triple Crown history that will endure for as long as the sport’s great Cinderella stories are recalled. Here then is a behind-the-scenes ...

Kentucky Derby (G1) winners carry a certain cachet, but the winner of the 1999 Run for the Roses was truly Charismatic. The memories of the coppery chestnut colt, who slipped from this earth Feb. 19 at Old Friends near Georgetown, Ky., are still fresh nearly two decades on. His arc—a scant two months that spring and summer—was brief, but it was oh ...

1 McCraken Ian Wilkes Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by by Seeking the Gold By having three preps, even if he does regress slightly somewhere down the road, don’t expect Wilkes to fret over it. He won’t allow what happened in last year’s Tampa Bay Derby to Destin, who peaked too soon, to happen to McCraken. Remember his two Derby wins with ...

I read the other day that Hall of Fame trainer Buddy Delp’s daughter Pajeen, who has been involved with the sport since she began hotwalking for her father at age 12, is leaving the racing industry. What struck a nerve is the reason she is leaving something that was born in her and what she loved. After all, this is someone who learned under the ...

Watching TVG’s coverage of Tampa Bay Downs’ Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and its supporting stakes Feb. 11 was encouraging. The racing was captivating, but we were also impressed by what was going on in the background: parking areas appeared to be packed and an apron full of fans took in the fun, the sun, and the action. The Davis program, along ...

1 McCraken Ian Wilkes Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by by Seeking the Gold I have to admit I kept changing my mind who to put No. 1. I love Irish War Cry and hated lowering him after only one week. Although he has shown more brilliance, I have absolutely no questions regarding McCraken, and his style of running and powerful turn of foot stamp ...

Many in the industry have lost touch with the importance of the Experimental Free Handicap, which was released by The Jockey Club Feb. 2 and appears on page 38 of the February 11, 2017 issue of BloodHorse magazine. It remains a vital historical marker for a sport that allows for pretty straightforward comparisons from generation to generation. ...