Looking Back at 2004
What a year. There was Smarty Jones’ try for the Triple Crown, Azeri’s thrilling victory in the Go For Wand, and Funny Cide’s triumphant win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Trainer Steve Asmussen surpassed Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg’s single year record of 496 wins with an amazing 554 wins, and slots came to Pennsylvania. Here in Massachusetts, the MassCap returned to Suffolk Downs, and before a crowd of more than 17,000, Funny Cide, Offlee Wild, and The Lady’s Groom dueled down the stretch in one of the most exciting races at the track this year.
But it wasn’t just a good year at the races, it was a good year in the press. Smarty Jones, Zippy Chippy, the Breeders’ Cup — all inspired some great writing and reportage. Here are a few of the articles on the sport, the horses, and the players that I think are among the year’s best:
“Despite upset, a crowning moment for the sport”
Bob Ryan on the Belmont Stakes (Boston Globe)
“Down the stretch they come”
Meghan O’Rourke on loving horseracing (Slate)
“Free House, gone too soon”
Jay Hovdey on the death of Free House (Daily Racing Form)
“The good sports behind Azeri’s return”
Bill Finley on the decision to continue racing Azeri (ESPN)
“Happy horse keeps on winning”
Stan Bergstein on the filly America America (Daily Racing Form)
“Life among the ruins suits La Reine’s Terms”
John Scheinman on a 9-year-old turf runner (Washington Post)
“Media Empire ends up as one of the lucky horses”
Bill Christine on one horse’s rescue (Los Angeles Times)
“Too bad it pays to retire early”
Andrew Beyer on Smarty Jones’ retirement (Washington Post)
“Winning isn’t anything”
Bill Gallo on Zippy Chippy’s last season (Denver Westword)
“It’s a colt’s life”
Marcus Green on a yearling up for sale at Keeneland (Courier-Journal)
“Horseplayer, 81, raises cane”
Larry Lee Palmer on longtime horseplayer Gerry Ahnstrom (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
“A sport breaking its form”
Kevin Modesti on horseracing’s growing respectability (LA Daily News)
“Preparing for showtime”
Gary West on watching morning workouts (Dallas Morning News)
“A day at the races”
Julie Lyons on Breeders’ Cup day (Dallas Observer)
“Classic recap: chasing a ghost”
Steve Haskin on the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Blood-Horse)
“Abandoned by bin Laden”
Emily Wax on Osama’s racehorse (Washington Post)
“Woman lives racing’s insurance turmoil”
Janet Patton on injured rider Remi Gunn (Lexington Herald-Leader)
“New York’s broken system”
Matt Hegarty on Catskill OTB and the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Pick 6 scandal (Daily Racing Form)
