Simply Brilliant
Horse Racing is no longer a mainstream sport. Something really exceptional has to happen in the Grand Game in order for a racing story to capture the media's / the nation's attention. In the early 1970's it was Secretariat who graced the cover of magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and Time. For the better part of 3 decades, beginning in the late 1940's the big stories in the UK revolved around a genius from Ireland by the name of Vincent O'Brien. In the 1920's it was the legendary Man O War, but then again, racing was more of a mainstream sport back then.
Yesterday, not to get political, "something happened." It happened at Santa Anita, in the Malibu Stakes. A lightly raced three year old demolished a stellar field by more than 11 lengths. It wasn't the first time. In his brief career the horse many are already talking about, named Flight Line, has made a habit of distancing his opponents, winning his two prior races by 13 1/4 lengths and 12 3/4 lengths. Flightline was awarded a 127 Equibase Speed Figure, the top number earned by any horse racing on dirt in North America this season. As he coasted past the finish wire yesterday, there was a roar of approval from the crowd on hand.
Flightline's brief career to date—his first start in April as a 3-year-old and his second last September—was due to a couple of setbacks, one an incident between Flightline and a fence. I guess you could say the fence won that battle. He has come a long way since then with a lot of patience via owners & trainer.
"There is a lot of pressure on you, but it is the pressure you want," said Flightline's trainer John Sadler. "It's like the high school coach for LeBron (James). You know you have something special, and he is much the best." "The next race is up to the horse," Sadler said. "We have to be true to the horse. This horse is so brilliant. This is not an ordinary horse—this is a very special horse."
I'm predicting that one day he'll be a household name.
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I never in my life attended a horse race. My dad told me that the worst thing that could happen to you was to go your first time to a horse race, place a bet and win. If I ever went, I'd bet on Paul Revere.
So many get hooked on it! For most it's an addiction, for some a form of entertainment and for a select few a sweet form of income.
If I ever went, I'd bet on Paul Revere.
Oh, yes, via Nicely Nicely!
Yes, Nicely Nicely. When I was 16 my parents took me to NYC and we watched the original cast including Stubby Kaye in Guys and Dolls on Broadway.
I never got to see the play on Broadway. I did, however get to experience the "culture" and the "characters!"
I used to be involved in the harness racing industry for over 20 years. My husband, brother and I owned a few race horses and I spent endless hours at the track taking care of and racing them.
Really? One of my first jobs as a kid had me working at Foxboro Raceway (where Gillette Stadium is now). Aside from the trainer's license and a lot of memorable stories, it was quite an education.
I had a owner, trainer, groom license. I did it all. Even shucked those stalls. We were at the Meadows and my brother is still there.
You may recall that the trainer's license required not only a test but 3 signatures by others stating that you had actually worked around the aforementioned horses? Believe it or not, two of the people who signed for me later committed suicide. The other was a local driver who used the name Peter Blood. I don't know what became of him.
Also believe it or not, we (I had partners) claimed a horse that came in from the Meadows.
That’s just sad Vick.
Small world.
Both young and one was a leading driver at the time. I never understood it.
Small world.
Now that I know about your Standardbred side, don't expect special treatment...Lol!
(The more dependable breed)
I remember when I was just getting started and working for a trainer who gave me what he considered the worse horse in his stable. His name was Cameron Street and hardly ever made a check so the trainer didn’t really give him much attention.
Well, I gave that horse so much care and attention that in 3 weeks time he breezed across the finish line first. He kept doing well and I was a wee bit crushed when the owner sold him.
There was a trainer I knew, who came in from the cold. There was a book out there called "The Care and Training of the Trotter and Pacer" written by James Harrison. He used that book as his guide. As a matter of fact if he had to deviate from the book, he was lost. He had some friends from college, that were in the Real Estate business. They were his owners. The best thing he did was hire a girl who loved the horses. She was the one out there early in the AM giving them the good loving care and we all knew that she was a big part of his success.
Here’s my very first horse that got me hooked! Oddly enough I don’t know half the people in the photo. See even in the nineties people were pulling off the photo bombs lol.
Jane. did you ever get to any tracks in Virginia?
Unfortunately I never traveled with the horses if they raced at other tracks. I had a little boy and stuck close to home.
My brother would travel with them.
The local fairground recently made an agreement with a harness racing group and did a lot of improvements and added races and events to go with races.
Smart move by the harness racing group. Fairs are a good place for the younger horses to get a few races under their belts.
And is also the place that drivers etc get their start. Around here it used to be the fairs & small tracks up in Maine.