The 54th Annual Eclipse Awards
In this year’s Annual Eclipse Awards, Horse of the Year was an easy decision and 99% of you will agree with me (there’s always that one). Champion Jockey was also pretty straightforward, as my selection set new records in two categories this year. We’ll see if you concur. As always, you may not agree with all of my opinions; in…
Top 25 Experiences for Saratoga 2024
Summer is here, and the 2024 Saratoga Race Course meeting is underway! If you’re planning a visit to Saratoga Springs, this is required reading. This list was initially created in 2017 and has been updated annually. My husband and I bought a home in Saratoga Springs in 2018, so we are “locals” now, but the list also includes input from…
Race Horse Injuries
Like many people involved with horse racing, I was at the track in 2023 and watched, on more than one occasion, a tragic breakdown right before my eyes. The range of emotions from those around me ran the gamut: heartbroken, apoplectic, distraught, inconsolable, frustrated, despondent, etc. No one knew what to do, what to say, or who to say it…
2023 Eclipse Award Voting
This year was not nearly as difficult as the last couple of years, with the exception of trying to decide on those second and third spots in a few categories. I tried so hard to vote in the Steeplechase category. Trainer Keri Brion, whose stable includes both flat and steeplechase horses, was nice enough to write a piece for the…
2022 Eclipse Award Voting
Those of you who have read my Eclipse Award voting posts over the past couple of years already know that I believe it’s important to not only take a defensible position in one’s voting, but also to share one’s reasoning behind those votes. In no year is that more important than this year: a year in which Champion three-year-old colt…
Top 25 for Saratoga Springs 2022
I’m a little late getting my Top 25 list out this year as opening weekend for Saratoga Race Course is already here! As am I—in Saratoga Springs, that is. However, if you’re still planning your trip to the Spa city, this list is right on time. So much has changed in Saratoga Springs since my first visit in 1995,…
2021 Eclipse Award Voting
It’s that time of year again—Eclipse Awards voting. As a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) I have the privilege and the honor of having a vote in the Annual Eclipse Awards but, as I’ve said in prior years, I believe that vote comes with some responsibility. For me that means a few things. One, abstaining in…
47th Annual Global Symposium on Racing
December 7 & 8, 2021 I attended my first Symposium on Racing, held in Tucson, Arizona and presented by the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. I attended because I was interested in the proposed agenda topics and because I’ve learned that I get so much more out of attending a conference or symposium than I do by simply…
What’s Right and Wrong in Horse Racing and the Need for Cooperation
This is an article that first appeared in the Paulick Report in two parts. I felt compelled to write this piece because so few people talk about what horse racing is getting right these days. There is a lot of good news to report and many reasons to feel excited about the future of horse racing. However, I couldn’t write…
Top 25 Things To Do In Saratoga Springs
Opening Day of Saratoga Race Course is upon us and the fans are back!!! It’s time to start planning your visit to the Spa City. Here’s my Top 25 list for Saratoga Springs, a city that I have visited every summer for 25 years and, since 2018, have called home—well, my second home. I’m still a Kentucky girl at heart. Racing…
