Post by peterlgross on Mar 10, 2009 5:23:22 GMT -5
You might think that after waking up at 2:15 am five days a week, a guy would enjoy sleeping in Saturday morning. But last Saturday, I was up and anxious at 6 am ( actually, that feels like sleeping in to me) because I had booked myself for a date with the Woodbine backstretch.
I can't ever remember being at a racetrack backstretch when I didn't think it was the most relaxing, calming experience I've ever had. Even on a cool March morning, the activity level was high - there were dozens of horses going in a variety of directions. I got there just before 7, but the exercise riders, grooms and trainers had been up before 5. For me, the project was to find several riders of the unsung variety and ask them about their experiences.
I must have stopped about a dozen of them.
"Hey, pose for me," I requested, pointing my camera at them and, in each case, the riders would hold their horses while I snapped. Not necessarily an easy thing - a thoroughbred on a crisp winter morning can be on the sharp side and often fights his rider. Mostly I was asking just how miserable it was a few weeks ago when the wind chill was around -30 in the mornings.
I talked with Tyrone Harding, Caroline Whey, Damian Jones, Cindy Cox and Lisa McCallum ( and several others) and they all laughed at the question while admitting, it was miserable. It's dark and bitterly cold in February, but the horses need to get fit and these are the people who do it and rarely get any special attention for it.
I met Stephanie Hammett, the wife of trainer Jody. Stephanie owns the horses her husband prepares and she told me that they really value the contributions of the exercise riders, going so far as to reward them with 5% of any winnings their horses produce.
I wandered in and out of a few barns. In one I met Hugo Taft who owns four horses and does his own riding. While I was talking to him, one of his horses, a rogue colt named Cool Guest stuck his head out of his stall and took a huge bit of my left arm. Fortunately, I was wearing a leather jacket, but it sure stung.
A few minutes later, still in the same barn, my long-time friend, Jordy Lay rode by on his horse Rowenberry Road. I pulled out my little digital tape machine and reaching as high as I could, asked Jordy questions about working his own horses and how he bears up in the none chilling cold.
"It was awful," said Jordy. "It was the least fun I've ever had on a horse. When it's that cold, the horses are sharp and the riders are dull."
Jordy gives good quotes. I didn't realize that we had completely circumnavigated the inside of the barn. I walked right by Cool Guest again and for a second time, he chomped down on my left arm.
What's that expression? Bite me once; shame on you. Bite me twice; shame on me.
I had a mean looking mark on the arm. If you want to see it, check out Keith McCalmont's Triple Dead Heat blog (He seems to know how to download pictures; I'm not sure I can do that here.)
Anyway, a visit to the backstretch in early March is not only a thoroughly thoroughbredly enjoyable activity, it's a reminder that the flat racing starts on Saturday April 4 and that for me is almost always the surest sign that winter is done.
Also this..yesterday in the mail I recieved my invitation to the annual Woodbine Royal Week of Racing Golf Tournament. This is the one everyone in the media kills to get it. I'm a ridiculously bad golfer, but I love to get free stuff and this event teems with parting gifts.
Most of the holes are sponsored and golfers are treated to cigars, sample beverages, prizes for landing on the par three greens. Golf Carts loaded with drinks, sandwiches and chocolate bars circulate freely just in case the 12th hole hamburger stand and the first hole barbeque leave any of the participants hungry.
Woodbine VP of communications Glenn Crouter and Christina Barth do an amazing job on this event. I could probably scalp my invite for enough to bet the entire card at Aqueduct this weekend, but I won't.
The tournament is in mid-june...now I start to count down..only three months to go.
I can't ever remember being at a racetrack backstretch when I didn't think it was the most relaxing, calming experience I've ever had. Even on a cool March morning, the activity level was high - there were dozens of horses going in a variety of directions. I got there just before 7, but the exercise riders, grooms and trainers had been up before 5. For me, the project was to find several riders of the unsung variety and ask them about their experiences.
I must have stopped about a dozen of them.
"Hey, pose for me," I requested, pointing my camera at them and, in each case, the riders would hold their horses while I snapped. Not necessarily an easy thing - a thoroughbred on a crisp winter morning can be on the sharp side and often fights his rider. Mostly I was asking just how miserable it was a few weeks ago when the wind chill was around -30 in the mornings.
I talked with Tyrone Harding, Caroline Whey, Damian Jones, Cindy Cox and Lisa McCallum ( and several others) and they all laughed at the question while admitting, it was miserable. It's dark and bitterly cold in February, but the horses need to get fit and these are the people who do it and rarely get any special attention for it.
I met Stephanie Hammett, the wife of trainer Jody. Stephanie owns the horses her husband prepares and she told me that they really value the contributions of the exercise riders, going so far as to reward them with 5% of any winnings their horses produce.
I wandered in and out of a few barns. In one I met Hugo Taft who owns four horses and does his own riding. While I was talking to him, one of his horses, a rogue colt named Cool Guest stuck his head out of his stall and took a huge bit of my left arm. Fortunately, I was wearing a leather jacket, but it sure stung.
A few minutes later, still in the same barn, my long-time friend, Jordy Lay rode by on his horse Rowenberry Road. I pulled out my little digital tape machine and reaching as high as I could, asked Jordy questions about working his own horses and how he bears up in the none chilling cold.
"It was awful," said Jordy. "It was the least fun I've ever had on a horse. When it's that cold, the horses are sharp and the riders are dull."
Jordy gives good quotes. I didn't realize that we had completely circumnavigated the inside of the barn. I walked right by Cool Guest again and for a second time, he chomped down on my left arm.
What's that expression? Bite me once; shame on you. Bite me twice; shame on me.
I had a mean looking mark on the arm. If you want to see it, check out Keith McCalmont's Triple Dead Heat blog (He seems to know how to download pictures; I'm not sure I can do that here.)
Anyway, a visit to the backstretch in early March is not only a thoroughly thoroughbredly enjoyable activity, it's a reminder that the flat racing starts on Saturday April 4 and that for me is almost always the surest sign that winter is done.
Also this..yesterday in the mail I recieved my invitation to the annual Woodbine Royal Week of Racing Golf Tournament. This is the one everyone in the media kills to get it. I'm a ridiculously bad golfer, but I love to get free stuff and this event teems with parting gifts.
Most of the holes are sponsored and golfers are treated to cigars, sample beverages, prizes for landing on the par three greens. Golf Carts loaded with drinks, sandwiches and chocolate bars circulate freely just in case the 12th hole hamburger stand and the first hole barbeque leave any of the participants hungry.
Woodbine VP of communications Glenn Crouter and Christina Barth do an amazing job on this event. I could probably scalp my invite for enough to bet the entire card at Aqueduct this weekend, but I won't.
The tournament is in mid-june...now I start to count down..only three months to go.
