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…
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…
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…
A Celebration of Women in Racing
As a longtime fan of Steve Haskin’s writing and his “Derby Dozen” column that he wrote for Blood-Horse for years I’ve continued to follow him wherever he goes. No, not literally! I’m not a stalker. But, for sure, wherever I can find his writing, I access it. I found this piece on his Facebook page. This homage to women in…
2020 Eclipse Award Voting
My first high-pressure assignment of the New Year: Eclipse Award voting. While it is both an honor and a privilege to have a vote, it’s important to me to get it right. I take none of these categories lightly as an Eclipse Award win (or loss) can mean the world to the people involved. While I try not to be…
ANOTHER NONPROFIT EXPOSED: A READER’S RESPONSE TO MY ARTICLE, PETA IS A BULLY
A Note From Donna: This is an article written by Amy Hoffer, in response to my last blog post “PETA is a Bully” . To be sure, neither Amy nor I are under the illusion that horse racing is perfect. It is not. We can and must do more to protect the horses. However, we are in vehement disagreement with animal rights extremist groups that…
