JC / Railbird

RIP

Real Quiet, RIP

Victory Gallop and Real Quiet at the wire in the Belmont (Flickr/Budmeister)

Pity Real Quiet, dead at 15 following a paddock accident. Narrowly denied the Triple Crown by Victory Gallop in the 1998 Belmont Stakes, news of his death on Monday was overshadowed by news of Rachel Alexandra’s retirement. “As one who feels he has made it his life’s work to perfect the art of the rotten beat,” writes Mike Watchmaker, “I have always empathized with Real Quiet.” Amanda Duckworth remembers the Kentucky Derby winner, nicknamed “The Fish,” as an underdog, which was, for her, much of his appeal.

Real Quiet’s final race was the 1999 Hollywood Gold Cup. He retired a winner.

Posted in Racing on September 29, 2010 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, Champions, Hollywood Gold Cup, Real Quiet, RIP, Triple Crown

Vic Ziegel, RIP

The 72-year-old sportswriter died Friday:

… and the only one who could lighten such dark and heavy news would have been Ziegel himself.

Nobody had a more deft touch with written words or humor than Ziegel, The News columnist and former sports editor, who spent his life making readers smile or chuckle over the one-liners he so painstakingly crafted.

I can’t remember ever reading a bad Ziegel column. He could do humor without snark, criticism without condescension. Even covering the biggest racing days, when every little detail that could be reported seemed to have been so, his words always sounded fresh, his stories always new.

“It astounded my father — a man who rode with the Cossacks; the friendlier Cossacks — that a son of his earned a living writing 24-21, 4-3, $12.60 to win,” Ziegel once wrote of his career. “The truth? It still astounds his son.”

7/27/10 Addendum: Allen Barra remembers Ziegel. “But at a particular time, hell, there were times when I think I was the best.” No question.

Posted in Media on July 24, 2010 / Tagged New York, New York Daily News, RIP, Turf Writers, Vic Ziegel, Writers

News of Old Friends

– Via Foolish Pleasure, I learned last week that Fleetheart, who became a Railbird favorite when she began her career with four straight eye-catching SoCal wins, was back in training after a lengthy layoff. Entered in an allowance at Indiana Downs last night, the now 6-year-old mare went to post as the 3-5 favorite in her first start since November 2008; she found the winner’s circle for the first time since 2007 by running between horses, then finishing a game 1/2 length ahead of Brean Can. It was a flash of the old Fleetheart, and nice to see after a long run of unfortunate losses.

– Via Green but Game, sad news about Papi Chullo.

Posted in Racing on July 9, 2009 / Tagged Allowances, Favorites, Fleetheart, Indiana Downs, Jamaica, Papi Chullo, RIP