JC / Railbird

Miscellany Archive

Headlines: January 23

– Do you long for the days when crowds filled grandstands and racing mattered? “Take a trip back into time, a trip to Oaklawn Park.” (ESPN)
– Six months after Pennsylvania passed a law allowing more than 61,000 slot machines to be placed in 14 locations, state officials are still struggling to work out the kinks of launching the program. (Sun)
– “Snow KOs racing.” Aqueduct, Laurel, and Philadelphia Park are among the tracks that cancelled racing this weekend. (NYP)
– Russell Baze passed Bill Shoemaker as second on the list of winningest jockeys Saturday. (MSNBC)
– Opelousas Daily World sports editor Tom Dodge announces a new racing column. First up, a glossary for novices. (ODW)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted in Miscellany on January 23, 2005

Headlines: January 22

– A snowstorm moving across the eastern half of the country today may jeopardize Laurel’s highly anticipated reopening. (Sun)
– “Ten years ago, you probably could have taken bets against Oaklawn’s survival and certainly against its continuing as a major player on the sport’s national stage,” writes Gary West. “But Oaklawn not only has survived, it has prospered” (ST) … Almost 23,000 turn out for opening day. (DRF)
– Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron plans to open a jockey school in Kentucky. “There’s a need for it because there is no such thing as a real legitimate jockeys’ school in this country,” said McCarron. (CJ)
– Jockey Russell Baze may surpass Bill Shoemaker as second on the all-time victory list this weekend. (DRF)
– NYRA announced on Friday that it, with the New York Horsemen’s Association, would fund more research in improved testing for performance-enhancing substances. The announcement followed Tuesday’s news that NYRA is developing a post-race milkshake testing program. (NYDN)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted in Miscellany on January 22, 2005

Headlines: January 21

– Trainer John Servis makes himself comfortable in Hot Springs as he preps the undefeated colt Rockport Harbor for the Kentucky Derby (MSNBC) … Oaklawn opens today. (AT)
– Photos show an unruly horse at Tampa Bay Downs knocking down trainer Richard Ciardullo Jr. in the paddock, who amazingly came away uninjured. (Trib.)
– The 2004 Fans’ Champion Award winners are revealed. Smarty Jones trounces Ghostzapper for Horse of the Year. (ESPN)
– The Jockeys’ Guild hopes to introduce legislation in California that would prevent anyone with a financial stake in racing from serving on the racing board. (LAT)
– Send links, comments to railbird at jessicachapel dot com

Posted in Miscellany on January 21, 2005