{Friday, August 29, 2008} SARATOGA'S FINAL WEEKEND - PREVIEWING THE WOODWARD Rare indeed do we see a reigning Horse of the Year race at Saratoga. Rarer even does a reigning Horse of the Year win a race at Saratoga. In the '80s, Lady's

{Tuesday, August 26, 2008}  If Hollywood wants to do the human equivalent of the film Seabiscuit, jockey Garrett Gomez would be the likely subject. Five years back, Gomez was doing time for various substance abuse charges, his life, family and career

{Sunday, August 24, 2008} PIESEN HITS FIVE WINNERS AT TRAVERS!!!
ONE HORSE ON TOP!!!
2 EXACTAS AT $97 AND $60.50
AND A TRIFECTA FOR $687!!!!!!   Mid-Summer Vindication for Harty and Colonel John

{Friday, August 22, 2008} Travers Day comes up perfect Clear, fast and firm for Saturday at Saratoga. With a dozen starters, the largest Travers field since George I was in office, it's the best betting Travers in years...so wide-open

{Wednesday, August 20, 2008} These are tough times for turf writers...bless their hearts. First of all, I learned last weekend on a trip to Saratoga that there are only two -- that's right, two -- full-time racing writers left on mainstream newspapers in the

{Friday, August 15, 2008} The Mad Bomber, whom readers of this space recognize as the Pennsylvania-based attorney who supplements his income by making -- and cashing  -- six-figure show bets, was in action on Monday. No, not at Saratoga. At Prairie

{Tuesday, August 12, 2008} At one point last night, I was busy handicapping Wednesday's Saratoga pick six, while listening to John and Susan shedding tears for the Yankees on the radio, and watching the opening scenes of a Law and Order rerun on TV. And,

{Sunday, August 10, 2008} Spirit One prevails in paceless Million In retrospect, the Friday withdrawal of front-running Sudan (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) proved to be the turning point of Saturday's $1 million Arlington Million (G1). Without

{Friday, August 08, 2008} Flash: Saratoga Sizzler goes today... This Sharpshooter goes for all the money at Saratoga, see below. Despite losing out to Valdosta (Ga.) as Titletown USA at ESPN, Chicago sports is still doing OK this year. The Cubs and White

{Wednesday, August 06, 2008} Racing is in the spotlight one weekend a year -- last weekend -- in the State of New Jersey, and, for one of those rare times, everything went off without a hitch. Blessed with perfect weather, a crowd of 25,000 showed up Saturday

{Tuesday, August 05, 2008} BROWN'S OWNER: CUP IS THE GOAL SARATOGA SPRINGS - Is Big Brown's glass half-empty or half-full following his gut-busting victory in last Sunday's Haskell at Monmouth Park? A beaten horse turning for home, the "Brown

{Monday, August 04, 2008} Big Brown, Workmanlike and Courageous, Takes Haskell When I arrived early on a beautiful Haskell morning, Big Brown was being wiped down, having had his bath, and exercise rider Michelle Nevin was standing, relaxed, outside barn

{Sunday, August 03, 2008} For Big Brown It's Redemption or Retirement "What are you doing here?" a racetrack acquaintance asked as I got the lay of the Monmouth land late this afternoon. "You wait all year for the horses to come up to Saratoga then you ship

{Friday, August 01, 2008} For the racing fans of New Jersey,
this is really the only weekend that counts On Saturday afternoon at The Meadowlands, they are running the $1.5 Hambletonian for trotters, by far the most important race on