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On Denman and Kauto Star at Cheltenham. "As with all seductions, however, the more pulsating the anticipation, the greater the potential for disillusion. It's no good for racing to hitch up its skirts so provocatively, if it turns out that a couple of oranges have been tucked into its bra."
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Bright side: Less competition from the Rail during the Triple Crown season.
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Compare any two terms used on Twitter, such as Zenyatta (legendary, beautiful), Rachel Alexandra (fast, perfect). [
View spectrum graphic.]
Posted by Delicious in Miscellany on 02/20/2010 @ 10:01 am / 2 comments
On the Second Pass, John Williams resurrects Joe Palmer for a new audience:
I don’t want to give the impression that an interest in the sport, or a knowledge of its history, is entirely unnecessary to an enjoyment of This Was Racing. But it’s easy enough to skim any confounding details and focus on the more universal sentiments. Like many great writers and conversationalists, Palmer mostly circled his ostensible subject, rarely landing on it. The most memorable stretches of the book aren’t about racing at all. They’re about recipes for jellied whiskey or the Australian hobby of “kangaroo chasing” or listening to a band torture “My Old Kentucky Home.” (”I could have played it better on a comb.”)
More than half a century removed from his work, it is good to be reminded of what a master turf writer Palmer was. Read the complete review (and then, if you haven’t, “This Was Racing”).
From the archives: An excerpt from “This Was Racing” about trainers Duval and Hal Price Headley, Menow, and the 1938 MassCap.
See also: One of Palmer’s most recognized pieces is “Common Folks,” a near-perfect report of the recently-retired Stymie’s appearance at Jamaica.
Posted by Jessica in Readings on 02/04/2010 @ 2:30 pm / Tagged Joe Palmer, Racing History, This Was Racing, Turf Writers, Turf Writing / Comments Off
… Mad Men character Peggy Olsen is holding in the video still below, found on the official Churchill Downs’ “Plan Your Derby Party” page:

At least it’s not Roger Sterling in blackface singing “My Old Kentucky Home.” That really could have been embarrassing.
From the Twitterverse: Says o_crunk, “@EJXD2 solid marketing. Ganja goes down better than a mint julep. Untapped potential in couch potato potheads waiting to get hooked on TVG.” Of course! Churchill is wisely reaching out.
2/8/10 Update: So, it wasn’t subversive marketing, after all. The Derby Party page is now free of all mentions of Mad Men and the episode three video clip.
Posted by Jessica in Miscellany on 02/04/2010 @ 10:26 am / Tagged Churchill Downs, Derby Parties, Funny, Kentucky Derby, Mad Men / Comments Off