“If Wishes Were Horses”

PLANTATION, Fla., February 2, 2012— I finally caught up with Episode 2 of the HBO horse racing drama series Luck and once again was amazed how it struck just the right racetrack tone, in harmony with a good old-fashioned who-did-what-and-who-will-do-what-to-whom storyline.

It’s the sort of the dark comedy that’s a fact of life on both the front- and the backsides of America’s racetracks; the sort of thing that David Milch did so well in Deadwood only this time incorporating humor along with the darkness.

Critics might not have been unanimous in their praise with “only” about nine out of 10 loving it. The best news, however, is that the series has been renewed for a second season. There have been nine episodes to date and now 10 more will be added beginning January, 2013.

According to an HBO press release, the series will go back into production by the end of this month.

Of all the reviews we’ve seen, the best entered my inbox earlier this week courtesy of my daughter Linda, who admitted she probably spends too much time on Vulture, the entertainment blog of New York Magazine.

Linda also explained that it was rare when a Vulture recap accentuated the film making aspect of a piece over plot line considerations.

The following excerpt isn’t as much a review as it is a paean to racetrack life, which begs the question: How can it be that a non-racing medium gets what it means to be a racetracker when the industry, including its media, never have figured a way to describe that sensation in order to attract more people to it?

We Are Fam-i-ly

PLANTATION, Fla., January 17, 2012—If you’ve ever tried to explain this game to someone untethered to the race horse, I’m sure you found it difficult to reconcile the fact that despite the intense and often manic competition, Thoroughbred racing is capable of rendering itself down to some equine version of Love Boat.

That was the sense one got while watching the 41st annual Eclipse Award presentation on cable TV Monday night, an evening that in my den would see Dr. Gregory House finish a very distant second to a real life Jeannine Edwards.

I confess that in my four decades of immersion into this passionate pastime, I’ve sat through my share of awards dinners, even hosted a few as a past President of the New York Turf Writers Association back in the day when the NYTWA actually honored those who toiled right in front of our press box eyes. Sadly, that’s a story for another day.

The point is that awards presentations, even those hosted by Ricky Gervais, can be tedious--speaking of which, I was very proud of the fact that on my imaginary Golden Globes ballot for actor in a television series drama appeared the name of Kelsey Grammar who, like George Clooney, found his role of a lifetime. But, I digress.

Edwards, easier on the eyes than either Gervais or Hugh Laurie, did fine work, getting out from behind a podium and helping to deflate some of the formal stuffiness of the occasion. I’m not sure everyone understood the sight-gag Tebow homage, and there might have been one too many without-further-ados, but that picks at nits. Edwards’ effort certainly was worthy of an encore performance at the 42nd annual.

The winners from three finalists in every category, except that for Horse of the Year, bore not a single major surprise, and it’s always good when the best, or most accomplished, horse wins. No one looks for value at Eclipse Award time, not even John Doyle, the 2011 Handicapper of the Year. Form has its place.

For Gulfstream’s Weekend Stars, What’s Next?

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL., January 31, 2012—Much like the Northeast, South Florida has been on a pretty good weather roll this winter.

It was supposed to rain on the Sunshine Millions parade but didn’t and so fans and players alike were treated to fast and firm conditions and a spectacular show; Awesome Feather and Mucho Macho Man both exceeding expectations. How good is Awesome Feather? I can’t think of a word that trumps perfection; excellence, faultlessness, precision? I suppose it doesn’t matter if the point is made.

The best news concerning the filly, given her past tendon issues, is that she came out of the Sunshine Millions Distaff “real good,” according to trainer Chad Brown, who’s now pondering his next move with the undefeated four-year-old.

“We’ll get her back on the track in the next couple of days, see how she’s doing, and then pick something out.”

In her case, working backward from the Breeders’ Cup is easier said than done. There are spacing and distance issues to consider, in addition to making sure she’s happy and, most of all, healthy. “It’s a delicate situation,” Brown told us after Saturday’s race. “With her it’s one race at a time.”

The question is whether her connections are planning to check out a map of Maryland to find a place named Havre De Grace, or do they just wait for November to do that? At this point, my money’s on Over October.

The House Always Wins

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL., January 28, 2012—For a defending champion, albeit one year removed, you don’t hear much about Awesome Feather. She’s an kind of inside baseball kind of Thoroughbred.

That is until she reached the finish line of the Sunshine Millions Distaff in 1:49.17, 5¾ lengths in front of Delightful Mary.

It was the kind of wow performance that left fans breathless and the bay filly by Awesome of Course from the Gone West mare Precious Feather undefeated at 9-for-9.

“Tell you the truth, I don’t know how many gears she has,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I’m afraid to press on the gas pedal.”

Horses and the Screen

I’m heading to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania today to write a story for Mountain Home Magazine about a horse, a horse bought by a Civil War general, Wellsboro’s own war horse. Naturally, I had to go see “War Horse,” before Regal Cinemas sent it out to pasture.

One showing, 9:20, Friday night. That’s 20 minutes past my bed time. Oh, boy.

Alex Brown wrote a great review through the eyes of a horseman. Also, he did some classic reporting, finding out the real name of Joey, the leading horse of the movie, and what his racing career was like.

All I can do is write a review through the eyes of a story teller. A couple things struck me: why doesn’t the popularity of a racehorse or war horse on the big screen translate to the racetrack or literature? With the exception of “Seabiscuit” (because of Laura Hillenbrand’s talent) and “Secretariat” (because it was Secretariat), no book on racing has had any type of success. My feeling is that the horse is a visual creature.

Un-Like Mother, Like Daughter

At first I had an idea about writing about the exclusionary tone Mike Watchmaker took in this column about the presumption that turf writers with an Eclipse ballot didn’t take it seriously, by Watchmaker’s standards. So what if some folks wanted Rapid Redux to be Horse of the Year? That’s their choice and just because he’s not a stakes-caliber horse shouldn’t demerit the few who chose to vote for him. I’m sure they’d make an educated case. It’s that type of voice from the older guard of turf writers and handicappers I’ve found disheartening. I guess this means I'm not "reasonable." I like to think I am, but to each his own.

What should happen on January 22, 2012 at 2:40 p.m.? Rachel Alexandra delivered a 125 pound (!) colt at Stonestreet Farm in Lexington, KY. According to a press release he climbed to his feet about 90 minutes after birth and Rachel Alexandra kindly took to him.

Unlike her own mother.

Hail To the King of Chicago

Mark Guidry is about to become a Hall of Famer. It’s about damn time.

The man, one of only 22 jockeys to ride more than 5,000 winners, will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame on June 23 and take his rightful place alongside the stars from professional and college football, baseball, basketball and all sorts of other sports who grace the facility. When the committee evaluated a record 142 nominees from 24 different sports and poured over a 25-page ballot, they surely came up with the right guy.

“Gid” is a talented, tough and terrific rider. Those 5,044 trips to the winner’s circle came from 31,321 mounts who brought home over $100 million in purses. Guidry’s other nickname is “The King of Chicago”, earned from 18 riding titles on the circuit: two at Arlington Park, seven at Hawthorne Park, and nine more at the old Sportsman’s Park. His most high profile win came in 2006 aboard Lemons Forever in the Kentucky Oaks, but he rode plenty of mighty fine horses for a lot of good horsemen for a very long time.

Jess Jackson’s Equine Legacy

SALEM, N.H., January 22, 2012-Crack open a bottle of Kendall-Jackson’s finest wine.

Send congratulations, and a big basket of apples and carrots, to Rachel Alexandra and Curlin, for they are now the proud parents of a healthy, 125-pound colt born at Stonestreet Farm in Kentucky at exactly 2:40 on the afternoon of January 22.

By coincidence, and perhaps as a portent, Sunday was also the date of the National Football League’s AFC and NFC Championship games, with the winners advancing to the Super Bowl.

Could this beautiful bay colt, who has a white star on his forehead and is said to look like a mini-me of his mother, be a future Eclipse Award winner?

Or perhaps even a Triple Crown champion? After all, he is the product of a pair of champions and they both have victories in the Preakness (and the Woodward) on their resumes.

Even better, Rachel Alexandra was the 2009 Horse of the Year and Curlin won the honor in 2007, and in the business of Thoroughbred racing, it is about the bloodlines.