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There’s a lot of murmuring about this year’s Eclipse Award. The trophy, which recognizes the Horse of the Year, has been more of a clear-cut decision in years past. And yet, one name keeps popping up through all the hubbub: Havre De Grace.

She recently topped a poll over at NTRA for HOTY, despite finishing fourth in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Gary West of ESPN wrote a glowing article on her, stating: “clearly nobody has had a better campaign than Havre de Grace.”
 

What do you guys think? A glance at her record for the year makes us think Mr. West may be onto something. But, is that enough? 

Throw us some of your picks on our Facebook and Twitter! 

Our unabashed love for female jockeys is well documented on the site. It’s not obsession or anything; we just think they’re awesome. Alright?! So, for Women’s Equality Day, we wanted to do something special. We asked ourselves: Who’s the most dominant female in the sport of “kings?” The answer was obvious.

“She may be the greatest racehorse in history.

“Mentally perfect.”

“The most splendid creature we’ve ever seen.”

Zenyatta. Her talents transcend gender, age, and heck, even species. Those close to her don’t see an animal, but instead an equal. They chat with her as if she’s an old friend- sometimes even over a Guinness.
There’s plenty of articles, analyses, and breakdowns on the horse available online; but for a nice overview and up close and personal time with the horse, check out this 60 Minutes piece. There’s even some behind the scenes footage to supplement.

The piece takes place as she’s preparing for the 2010 Breeders' Cup- her final race. At this point in her career, she’s won 19 out of 19 races. She was the oldest horse in the impending race at a mere six years old, and not to mention a full-blown celebrity. Yet, she’s not a prima-donna. She’s friendly, serene, calm- all unique and uncommon qualities for a thoroughbred.

She started racing at age three, a bit late in the world of racing, but immediately showed promise. Her racing style could be described as no less than theatrical; often starting at the back of the pack blasting her way to the front. Her flamboyant personality became her trademark and garnered her fans worldwide. She was a girl’s girl, but when it came to racing it was all business.

The 60 Minutes piece ends on a hopeful note for her final race in the Breeders' Cup. “She knows something big is coming up,” said her jockey Mike Smith. “But her mind’s in a good place right now.”

After coming from behind, showing amazing strength, grit, and steel, she lost by a head. The heartbreak was quick, sharp, and real. But you know what? It didn’t matter. The emotions were quickly replaced by a feeling of gratitude. It was an amazing race by an amazing horse. We’re sure we’re not the only ones that thought: “Damn, I love this horse.”

She’s now living the luxurious life of a retired horse. Now a proud mama, and has foaled with fellow champion Bernardini several times; surely getting a higher asking price on her pups what she was purchased for: a measly $60,000.

Her legacy lives on her in passionate and caring fanbase. Check out her website for more news, events, and merchandise. 

Saturday, June 4 will be the first ever "Meet the Drivers" day at Pocono Downs!

Matt Kakaley (whom we've interviewed before) will be chatting up fans from 5-6pm.

Yannick Gingras (who we've also interviewed before!) will take over duties from 6-7pm.

We can tell you from first hand experience- both guys are great, down to Earth, and easy to talk to.

So come on down and kick back on the patio overlooking the track with some of the top riders out there!

They thought the horse was stillborn. His trainer is a heart-transplant survivor. His former rider was temporarily paralyzed in a terrible accident at Gulfstream Park. And for many, he's the sentimental favorite in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. These are the stories - the personal stories - that make racing such an amazing tradition.

When a company expands, often things get left behind. Care, effort, and a personal touch are thrown by the wayside to create a more streamlined and efficient process. Ghost Ridge Farms is breaking this mold.

Since its establishment in 2006, Ghost Ridge has grown exponentially in size, stretching over 100+ acres in lovely Brogue, Pennsylvania. Despite its continuing growth, Ghost Ridge ensures that every horse receives the personal attention that is necessary to succeed in the thoroughbred industry. Believe me, they know a thing or two about success. Ever heard of a little horse called Smarty Jones? Welcome to Ghost Ridge.

Services offered at Ghost Ridge Farms are varied. General Manager Carl McEntee brings his comprehensive history and experience to the Breaking and Pre-Training program. The Boarding program is first-rate, with clients nationwide. Full and part-time boarders are offered a 24/7 veterinarian, daily updates on their horses, and the promise of excellence for your horse’s future.

Beginning January 28^th, 2011, Ghost Ridge Farms will be open for public tours- truly an essential visit for any horse lovers out there. On every second and fourth Friday of each month from 11am-12pm, Ghost Ridge will allow limited groups to tour their picturesque grounds and have a look inside this masterful compound.

Visit http://www.ghostridgefarms.com/ or call (717) 747-1728 to reserve your space today!

"Great Moments In Racing" highlights inspiring, noteworthy, record breaking moments in racing history. Each post will be dedicated to one extraordinary champ who has made some of these moments- moments. 

During his 3 yr. old campaign, Shadowplay set two World Records. He won many races, beat the big names, and placed well in big races. At four, he retired. Good going, Shadowplay. Compared to him, I was such an unimpressive three year old. 

Let's talk World Records. 

His race record shows the impressive numbers. I'll show the impressive videos. 

In 2008, Shadowplay marked a World Record and won at 1:48.2 during an elimination of the Adios Pace on a 1000 metre track ::VIDEO:: To add to the world record celebration, he won the 2008 Adios Pace Final.

In the same year, he set another World Record. This time at Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio. The first one 1:50 during elimination. Watch it ::VIDEO:: Boy, that gave me the horse racin' chills. The second one 1:50.1 during the Little Brown Jug Final ::VIDEO::

Where is Shadowplay now? He's in Ontario enjoying his retirement.

(This is the second part of a two part story. Click here to read the first part.)

1879 proved to be Sleepy Tom's best year. Early in the season he lowered the world record for pacers to 2:14 in Columbus OH, not far from Phillips's Xenia, and followed that up with a brilliant victory on July 24-25 in Chicago, where, after losing the first two heats and having darkness force the postponement of the rest of racing the first day, Sleepy Tom came back to win the next three heats and the race. And in the last heat he was timed in 2:12 ¼ -- beating his own mark by 1 ¾ seconds! It had been 24 years since any horse had lowered the pacing record so much.

But the race that draws our interest today was a contest in Toledo, between the races in Columbus and Chicago. In those days a horse had to win three one-mile heats in order to be declared overall winner of the race. Sleepy Tom and Phillips won the first two heats, but in the third event a challenger got in a little too tight on Tom and Phillips and made contact, breaking the right wheel of the sulky and dumping Phillips to the ground. The rest of the field whizzed on by.

Sleepy Tom quickly pulled himself up and stood absolutely stock still. He didn't know what to do next. You see – Sleepy Tom was blind.

During the race Stephen Phillips gave him calm encouragement, and by voice told him when to make the winning move. He talked to blind Tom the whole race, and Tom usually responded and won.

But now, with Phillips dumped from the bike, injured, and unable to give him direction, blind Sleepy Tom just stood and waited, hoping for the calm voice of his friend. Remember the two cruel men who overtrained Sleepy Tom at the start of his career? The strain to his system brought on a cold or other disease that gradually robbed Tom of his eyesight, so by the end of his two years of abusive training, he was totally blind, which led to his career in newspaper transportation.

The horse always had the speed and the heart of a champion. But standing there by himself in the Toledo stretch, Sleepy Tom was lost without his companion Phillips. They called the races for the day, and somehow Sleepy Tom was led back to his barn.

Racing resumed the next day. Phillips was still too injured to drive, so he gave another driver the vocal key to unlocking Sleepy Tom's enormous ability. The substitute won the first heat of the second day, giving Sleepy Tom three heats and the race.

Phillips bounced back, as we know – he drove Sleepy Tom to the 2:12 ¼ world record. They were quite a pair – the calm, patient horseman Stephen Phillips and his pacing superstar Sleepy Tom, robbed by fate of his vision, but fortunately leaving his courage and desire absolutely intact.

(This is the first of a two-part story...)

In the late spring of 1868, a prominent Ohio stallion named Tom Rolfe sired a colt who, during the first few years of his life was unimaginatively called Tom. Tom was not put into training to be a racing harness horse until age five, rather late, and the two men who had control over his training fate in consecutive years pushed the relative youngster savagely. Tom was soon thought to be a washout as a racer, and came to the job of newspaper delivery.

The two big Sunday papers of the day in that area, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Gazette, shipped their papers to the northern town of Dayton, from which they were delivered by horse-drawn wagon to the smaller town of Xenia. The Enquirer, hearing he was a former racehorse prospect, hired Tom, now called Sleepy Tom, and soon it was a "sure thing" as could be that the Enquirers arrived in Xenia first, and thus had a big head start in selling over the Gazette.

One local amateur horseman who had heard about Sleepy Tom was Stephen Phillips – the
uncle of the Stephen Phillips whose invention of the mobile starting gate some 60 years after this story would revolutionize harness racing. The mid-1870's Phillips bought the horse for $150 and set about to train him.

Phillips knew he had a fast horse in front of him, but he wasn't sure he was getting the most out of his charge, wasn't helping him to reach his peak, so he asked his friend Fred Stark, a local railroadman and horse enthusiast, to watch a training mile. When Sleepy Tom shaded 2:30 in a training mile (the world record then was 2:16 ¼), Stark declared that Phillips had "the greatest pacer in the world," and should be taking him on the road, on the big stakes circuit, where he could make some "real money" with him.

And so Sleepy Tom and Phillips the elder went on the racing circuit and soon became the stars of the show, popular with fans and drawing the respect of all horsemen, whether
racing with (more likely behind) him, or just watching.

(Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of the story!)

What was happening in 1902? I'm not much of a history buff myself, so I couldn't tell you a whole lot. I'm pretty sure trains were around. There might have been football? Who knows?

But it was in the year 1902 when a Minneapolitan man named Marion W. Savage paid the unheard of sum of $60,000 for a horse. That horse's name? Dan Patch. Wealthy from his stock food company, Mr. Savage had a keen eye for Dan Patch's inherent talents. A year after coming under new ownership, Dan Patch set the pacing mile record, but he wasn't close to being finished.

Dan Patch fever was reaching its height in 1905. He had never lost a race throughout his illustrious career. This horse was such a threat on the track, other owners often refused to race against him- leaving Patch alone, racing against the clock. Professional Baseball player Ty Cobb was making $12,00 a year. Dan Patch was pulling (no pun intended) in over a million bucks! Imagine A-Rod's salary being squashed by a horse! Although he was making a solid amount from race winnings, most of Dan Patch's money came from endorsements of a range of products. America loved Dan Patch.

On September 8th, 1906 Dan Patch set the fastest time by a trotter for a pacing mile, at an astounding 1.55. Despite being matched, Patch's record wasn't beat for over 54 years.

He retired in undefeated glory in 1909. People would flock across the country to visit the grand, yet humble horse. Dan Patch the "King of Pacers" passed away July 11, 1916. Owner Marion Savage passed away a mere 24 hours after his beloved horse.

Dan Patch was truly a remarkable horse. He was known to give a nod to the audience after completing each of his races, as if to say "Sup?" He was a gentle celebrity. Perhaps this is why there was such a fanfare around him. People could identify with him. There was Dan Patch tobacco, a washing machine, and even a dance called the "Dan Patch Two Step."

I don't see anyone doing the A-Rod shuffle.

Charles Leerhsen wrote an acclaimed novel titled: "Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan PAtch: The Most Famous Horse in America" You can purchase it here.

I'm going to presume you maybe know the name Secretariat, that you maybe know he won the Triple Crown in 1973 and that if I go into a little bit of detail here it won't be entirely redundant.

Winning the Triple Crown is a huge deal. It's not just winning three big races- these races are of significantly different distance. Whereas a good sprinter will dominate the field at short length, a good sprinter will have nothing over a better distance runner at length. A horse winning all three races of the Triple Crown is a special horse, indeed.

Not only does Secretariat's Kentucky Derby record still stand, each quarter mile he ran was faster than the one before it. The story here is that the longer the horse had to run the faster he went. Normally it's the opposite. He won the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes by a full 2 1/2 lengths and the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, to smash not just the track record but THE record for fastest mile-and-a-half run by a horse. Ever. And still.

So the horse is fast and isn't that exciting? I guess so. But to watch the horse run is more than that. If you watch just one of these videos, watch the Belmont Stakes. That horse is beautiful. He loves his job. He wants to run and he wants to win. It feels good to watch a winner win because of his overwhelming spirit, speed and heart. (Literally, his heart... it was three times the size of an average thoroughbred's heart!).

While it's nice to see these greats on places like Youtube and read about them in books, it's also nice that we can visit the track and have a taste of the action ourselves. It's fun. And like I always say, you don't need to know what you're doing to have a good time at the races. The horses and jockeys and drivers, the grandstands and betting and bars. It's good times, people.

If you haven't seen the trailer for the movie Disney's making on the legendary Secretariat, I recommend it highly. I can't wait to see it. Here's hoping the Secretariat movie is worthy of its namesake. I also want to link to this story, from the Saturday Post blog, about Sham, Secretariat's biggest rival at the Triple Crown in '73. It'll help bring out the horse fan in ya!