In her remarks at the September 30 Thoroughbred Club of America dinner honoring her, Penny Chenery acknowledged a predecessor:
“I knew Isabel Dodge Sloan,” Chenery said. “I was scared of her. I saw her at the racetrack all the time and I never saw her open her purse.”
The first woman to top the leading owners list by earnings — in 1934, the same year her colt Calvacade won the Kentucky Derby — Dodge Sloan was the subject of a Claire Novak story for Kentucky Confidential in 2011.
“Racing and breeding horses are to me many things,” she said when she was honored by the TCA in 1951. “They are my hobby, my business, my pleasure and almost my entire life.”
Dodge Sloan was the first female honoree of the TCA; Chenery is the third. That’s in 81 years — as Chenery said, “Come on, guys.”
Posted by JC in Racing on 10/01/2012 @ 8:03 pm / Tagged Isabel Dodge Sloan, Kentucky Derby, Penny Chenery, Racing History, Women in Racing / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Mike Watchmaker on the Super Saturday Santa Anita main track bias:
Look, horses like Game On Dude and Executiveprivilege were probably going to win Saturday whether or not there was a bias, so I don’t think they should be penalized for riding the crest of the way the track was playing. I am less convinced about Love and Pride and Power Broker. But I do know that the way the track was playing, well bet closers such as Richard’s Kid, Include Me Out, Amani, and Capo Bastone had absolutely zero chance. And that’s not fair.
Come the Breeders’ Cup, will we have reason to miss the Santa Anita synthetic?
Posted by JC in Racing on 09/30/2012 @ 7:46 pm / Tagged Bias, Breeders' Cup, Handicapping, Santa Anita, Super Saturday, Track Surfaces / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Trainer Michael Hushion after The Lumber Guy won the Vosburgh:
“This is always a good time of year for 3-year-olds. They’ve gone through that maturing. I like 3-year-olds vs. older horses this time of year.”
It’s the best part of fall stakes racing, when it happens.
Posted by JC in Racing on 09/29/2012 @ 8:24 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
