– Jay Hovdey previews “American Dream Derby,” the new racing reality show, which premieres on Monday. (DRF)
– A most intriguing horse: Is Lost in the Fog an “incipient superhorse” or a freak? (ST)
– Santa Anita is auctioning a “VIP Day at the Races” to aid tsunami victims. (eBay)
– Aqueduct’s United Tote system went down before the fifth race yesterday, leaving bettors unable to wager until the seventh. NYRA estimates ontrack handle was down $120,000 because of the glitch. (NYDN)
– With 48 hours to work out the kinks following Monday’s disastrous opener, day two of racing at Gulfstream went flawlessly. “This was just a great day. Everything went just the way it was supposed to,” said Gulfstream President Scott Savin. (DRF)
– A California judge overturned the suspension of “talented but troubled” jockey Pat Valenzuela. (LAT)
– British jockey Kieren Fallon looks to prove himself in the US. (BBC)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com
Posted by JC in Miscellany on 01/07/2005 @ 9:30 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
The finalists for this year’s Eclipse Awards were announced Wednesday afternoon. Ghostzapper was nominated in both the sprinter and older male categories and is one of two contenders for Horse of the Year (MSNBC). He wasn’t the only horse nominated for multiple honors: Kitten’s Joy and Ouija Board are also up for two each (LA Times). Many of the nominees have Texas ties (Star-Telegram), and unsurprisingly, quite a few have Kentucky roots (Courier-Journal).
Maryjean Wall wonders if the Eclipse Awards are for journalists to decide (Herald-Leader).
Past performances for the nominees are available at the Daily Racing Form.
[Read more →]
Posted by JC in HOF/Awards on 01/06/2005 @ 7:00 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
– New York Daily News handicapper Russ Harris has picked 30,000 winners, give or take, in his 48-year career. He has, “no doubt … picked more winners than anyone in the history of this game.” (ESPN)
– On Martin Luther King Day, January 17, Jimmy Winkfield will become the first jockey to have a NYRA flat race named in his honor. “I look upon this as the first opportunity for (NYRA management) to just let everybody know about the accomplishments and significance of African-Americans in racing,” said Mike Jarvis, a NYRA trustee. (TU)
– Azeri will be bred to leading stallion Storm Cat. “His line matched up well with her, and obviously, he’s the premier stallion in the world,” said owner Michael Paulson. (TT)
– Former Calumet Farm President J.T. Lundy completed his federal prison sentence on Tuesday. Lundy was convicted in 2000 of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy in the collapse of the famous Kentucky farm. (DRF)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com
Posted by JC in Miscellany on 01/06/2005 @ 6:40 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
