We all know about Hansen, Bodemeister, and Union Rags, but the real wiseguy horses this week are Mommie’s Luke and Bob’s Big Bunch. Click here to read about two Thoroughbreds who are competing in this Saturday’s AA-rated Garden State Horse Show’s $4,000 Thoroughbred Jumper Classic.
These are definitely the two busiest weeks of my entire year. Although I’m virtually inactive on Flickr and this blog at the moment, you can see my racing photos at the Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN) page on Facebook and in the newsletter itself.
For many, Thanksgiving means the Three F’s: food, family, and football. To this, I add Fotography. And Fillies. And many Furlongs of graded stakes action.
Cigar Mile Day is generally the last hurrah of the season for New York racing fans. This time of year, the weather gets chilly, racing at Aqueduct moves to the inner dirt course, and the holidays approach.
I brought my friend Lisa to the track and she did a great job as my assistant. She also learned quite a bit about the light at the track and how to get the proper exposure for bright sun and the shade of the grandstand.
Before you know it, Derby Fever will be upon us. This Saturday gave racing fans a little more information about their favorite two-year-olds.
Launch N Relaunch broke his maiden with ease.
Buddy’s Saint (center) won the Remsen handily.
Although they did not take a trip to the winner’s circle, there were many other nice colts at the Big A that day, including Imaging:
Lentenor, full brother of Barbaro. Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby was one of my favorite races of the decade, but I never got to see the great colt in person so it was a treat to see his younger brother carrying on the legacy.
But the day was not all about the colts. Stardom Bound had an eventful return from her layoff. Peach Brew stumbled out of the gate at the start of the Gazelle- if you view the video (below), you can see that it happened in the blink of an eye, but the photo shows how much it can affect a horse’s game.
The marquee race of the day was the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap. Kodiak Kowboy won the race and a real shot at this year’s Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter.
Furlongs and Furlongs of Fun for this Fotographer. Hope you had a good weekend as well.
I’ve been back in New Jersey for a few days now, but my head is still spinning from the amazing experiences I had in Kentucky. Rolex, the Derby, the Oaks, the farms, the Horse Park… it was an unforgettable adventure.
When I first arrived at Churchill Downs, I must admit I was underwhelmed. It was raining, I was lugging a lot of equipment, and my amazing experiences at Rolex were fresh in my mind (more on that soon!). I expected to gasp at the sight of the Twin Spires and marvel at the experience, but it was not until Oaks Day when I was shooting the races when it really hit me. The history, the tradition, the horseflesh. Rachel Alexandra in her epic run. Mine That Bird battling the field and winning by 8. And I had the best seat in the house. I’ll break the weeks down into bite-sized pieces and share them with the RNR Blog community.
Continuing my collection of Top Ten lists from my favorite photographers, writers, musicians, and athletes in the world of rock and racehorses. Check out the Top Ten lists of Barbara Livingston, Bill Finley, Bud Morton, Jonathan Andrew, Kevin Martin, Holly Van Voast, and Jon Forbes.
New York racing fans are a tough bunch. They don’t take kindly to just anybody. They’ve seen it all, from Man o’War to Secretariat. They are stingy with their applause and only reserve it for a select few. After the 2009 Wood Memorial, the New York applause thundered through the small but tough crowd. Joe Talamo and I Want Revenge were officially welcomed to the fold.
Before we go on, take another look at the 2009 Wood Memorial.
Watched it? OK, good. What did you think of Joe Talamo’s ride? I loved it. Balanced riding out of the gate when the colt awkwardly broke, infinite patience waiting to make his move, and a quiet ride to the wire, encouraging his colt but not pushing him any more than needed. Gotta save some of that run for the first Saturday in May.
I’m a racing fanatic, but I’m also a fanatic of excellent riding of any discipline. Check out Talamo’s position at the start of the Wood: eyes up, elastic and giving hands, patient posture.
How does a 19-year-old jockey develop these skills? Where did he come from? Who taught him? Was he born a rider? Being a Louisiana native, he cut his teeth on the very same tracks as many of the greatest riders in the sport. Check out the little HRTV clips: Joe Talamo’s Meteoric Rise: Part 1 and Joe Talamo’s Meteoric Rise: Part 2.
I met Joe very briefly at a work function when I was in California shooting the 2008 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. I only spoke with him for a few moments, but I could tell that he was keen to make a good impression with anyone who spoke with him. I can imagine the same keenness when he is hustling mounts at the barns at dawn every morning. Coupled with excellent riding skills, it takes a certain amount of charisma, discipline, and boldness to get a good reputation.
Gamblers and horse racing fans alike have known about Smokin’ Joe Talamo since he took California by storm in 2007, winning Grade 1 races at the tender age of 17, becoming the youngest jockey to ride in a Breeders’ Cup race (Monmouth Park 2007 aboard Nashoba’s Key), and winning the Eclipse Award for Best Apprentice Jockey. A larger population got to know Talamo through Animal Planet’s hit series, Jockeys. Talamo’s drive and determination are a large part of the show’s success and the show is currently filming its second season as we count down the days til the Kentucky Derby.
What does the jockey of the 2009 Kentucky Derby favorite deem the top ten movies of all time? Check out his list:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Goodfellas (1990)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Seabiscuit (2003)
5. American Gangster (2007)
6. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
7. Cinderella Man (2005)
8. Wedding Crashers (2005)
9. Phone Booth (2002)
10. A Bronx Tale (1993)
Wood Memorial 2009!
Saturday 4/4/09
Derby Fever has smitten even the most reasonable racing fans. Today was action-packed and many a handicapper is wrestling with the mental gymnastics provided by the results of today’s races. On the West Coast, grey wonder The Pamplemousse (aka Fruit Loop) was scratched from the Santa Anita Derby due to a tendon issue. In his absence, Pioneerof The Nile dominated.
A few hours earlier at Aqueduct, I Want Revenge won the Wood Memorial under jockey Joe Talamo. If you have not seen the video, check it out. I Want Revenge has a slow and awkward start (pictured below) and overcame traffic to win comfortably. Talamo’s riding was superb- he sat chilly on the horse and aided him as he threaded his way through the field, finishing smartly with minimal encouragement.
Here they are out of the gate…
And a few other photos from the race. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a LOUD cheer from the crowd when Talamo returned to the winner’s circle and again when he walked through the paddock. Increased awareness of these amazing athletes is a wonderful byproduct of the success of Animal Planet’s Jockeys.
Check out my Flickr photostream for more photos of the day’s racing.
Saturday 3/7/2009
Cabin fever. Derby fever. Spring fever. Call it what you want. The gaggle of racing photographers had it in spades when they all flocked to Aqueduct for the first Saturday in March. The whole gang was present and accounted for and we shot the Aqueduct inner dirt with enthusiasm in our eyes and roses in our minds.
I Want Revenge and Jockeys star Joe Talamo won by over 8 lengths, thus capturing the imagination of many Bloggers and columnists. Captured a little gas money for me, too. I managed to hit the Gotham trifecta :^)
Did you watch the race? What did you think? Who is on the top of your Derby list?
I receive a lot of inquiries about the tack used in racing. My hands-on riding experience is with hunter/jumpers, but I’ve learned quite a bit (ha!) by watching and shooting so much horse racing. The basic principles of bitting and horsemanship cross disciplines and continents. The age-old sentiment about even the mildest bit being dangerous in cruel hands is just as true in horse racing as it is in dressage, reining, or endurance riding.
Due to the sheer quantity of bits available to trainers, I’ll share more bits in future posts. Here are five to get you started:
1. The Chifney Bit. The Chifney was invented by a jockey named Samuel Chifney (1753 – 1807). Used for leading in hand and commonly seen at Thoroughbred sales. It’s also called an anti-rearing bit and it can have a straight or ported mouthpiece. Click here for a view of a chifney with a curved mouthpiece. The bit has three external rings: two attach to the horse;s halter and one attached to a lead line. When I see young horses at sales, I’ve noticed that the chifney has an added benefit: the horses play with the mouthpiece, which can be calming for them. During the time when young horses are prepped for a sale, they are trained to lead and stand, but these skills are put to the test in the unfamiliar surroundings of a sale.
2. Regulator. Also known as, “what the heck kind of bit is Curlin wearing?” You can see the leather-covered mouthpiece here. In training, Curlin tended to tilt his head sideways (he did not seem to have the same problem on race day- perhaps it was only at slower gaits). A bit like helps keep a horse travelling straight. Although Curlin always smoothly navigated his turns, I’ve also seen this type of bit on horses who bolt or drift out on turns.
3. Dexter Ring Bit. You can see the mouthpiece here. The ring bit has two mouthpieces: one jointed snaffle mouthpiece and one ring that encircles the horse’s lower jaw. The snaffle portion of the bit can have metal, plastic or rubber coating and the ring is metal. The cheekpieces are of varying shapes, as are the metal “spoons” below the mouth. A ring bit is commonly used on strong horses since it adds stopping power. The bit also increases steering power since a rider has the added leverage on the horse’s lower jaw.
Big Brown raced in a ring bit. Jockey Kent Desormeaux used the bit to rate the strong and powerful horse in the beginning of his races.
Note that Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown trained in a loose ring snaffle in the mornings:
Which brings us to:
4. Loose Ring Snaffle. Dressage riders, you’ve seen this one, right? Jumpers? Western riders? This is one of the most universal bits. It’s also considered one of the mildest bits.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey commonly trains and races his horses in a fat loose ring snaffle. This is Offshore, half brother to the brilliant and ill-fated filly Pine Island.
5. Full Cheek Snaffle. Ahhhh, show and pleasure riders, another familiar bit, eh? A full cheek snaffle has a round ring on each end, with a straight piece that rests on the horse’s cheeks. The straight pieces help with steering on green horses and also prevent the rings from passing through the horse’s mouth with one-sided rein pressure. Full cheek snaffles are not as common on track as some other bits but I do see them every once in a while.
Saturday 2/7/09
In the world of a racing fan/rock dork, the drive to the racetrack is special thing. The ten-minute long, windows-open, hair blowing in the breeze, arm-out-the-window jaunt to Monmouth Park is the embodiment of summer at the Jersey Shore. The ride home from Delaware Park is a balmy ordeal, sitting in weekend traffic on the Turnpike. And there’s the holiest of racetrack sojourns, the drive to Saratoga. My Saratoga trips are most evocative, partly because of the destination, partly because of the time I leave my house (1am or so), and party because of the distance I drive (a little over 3 hours). My car is loaded to the gills with rock for these journeys.
On Saturday, I took the hour-long drive to Aqueduct. The weather was unseasonably warm so I was able to do my favorite thing ever: blast music with the windows open and the heat on in the car. Who did I listen to? The usual suspects: The Wipers’ “Up Front”, Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up”, The Cold War Kids’ “Something is Not Right With Me”, The Thermals’ cover of “Misfit”, and so many more.
It was a short and extremely pleasant day at the track. I saw a few friends, some really nice horses, and Ramon Dominguez’s 5-race win streak.
Haitian Sensation won in style, piloted by Dominguez.
Here’s Cary Away, half brother to Congaree:
Haynesfield was the star of the day, winning the Whirlaway Stakes with ease, giving Dominguez his 5th win on the day. The colt’s last win was the Count Fleet Stakes. Haynesfield’s next start is next month’s Gotham Stakes. I’m already compiling music for my next trip to the Big A :^)
It’s tough being a horse racing fanatic. TVG is nice for seeing the actual races, but you have to suffer through awful commentary, not to mention commercials for ShamWow, the Snuggie and Mighty Putty. Horse racing trade publications, racing blogs, and forums provide news and opinions, but there are few people with the industry knowledge, scope, and experience to provide racing fans with real insight into the sport.
Bill Finley is one of the finest writers in horse racing. He speaks to handicappers, fans, and to members of the racing industry. I admire his unwavering dedication to the Sport of Kings, as well as his visionary ideas to improve it. Finley has the courage to buck popular thought about the racing industry and speak out about deep problems within the institution. He writes for the New York Times, USA Today, and ESPN, and in 2008, he published Betting Synthetic Surfaces, a book of in-depth research and analysis of what makes a winner on a synthetic track. He’s also a co-host of Down The Stretch, a racing program on Sirius Satellite Radio and has appeared in editions of ESPN’s SportsCentury.
Check out Bill’s thoughts on the 2008 Eclipse Awards, the unsung heroes of 2008, the legacy of Barbaro, a throwdown between Big Brown and Curlin, Eight Belles’ tragic demise, and some early 2009 Kentucky Derby picks (including Old Fashioned, pictured above with trainer Larry Jones).
… and check out Bill Finley’s Top Ten Albums of all time!
1. English Beat: I Just Can’t Stop It
2. The Clash: London Calling
3. The Clash: Sandinista!
4. The Who: Who’s Next
5. Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run
6. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
7. Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
8. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: Rock Art and the X-Ray Style
9. The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
10. Graham Parker: Squeezing Out Sparks
Rock and Racehorses: Sarah K. Andrew 
