By Ed McNamara The improbable journey began long ago in Laredo, a dusty Texas town on the Mexican border. For the Asmussen clan it’s always been about grinding relentlessly, rising before the su...
By Ed McNamara They’ve been running the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes since 1928, and so many great horses have won it — War Admiral, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Alydar, Easy Goer, to name only a few. Yet ...
By Ed McNamara J.J. Pletcher is 83, and his hair has been gray for a long time. It’s safe to say that worrying about his only child didn’t cause it. On Friday, this career horseman will sa...
By Ed McNamara The late, great Woody Stephens loved to talk and was always worth listening to. One of Woody’s pearls of wisdom has stuck with me for a long time. Whenever an odds-on favorite los...
By Ed McNamara The pedigree screamed turf. Her sire was Irish River, winner of seven Group 1 races in France. Her damsire was Roberto, hero of the 1972 Epsom Derby. It was August 1988, and I couldn...
If you grew up in New Jersey, as I did, during the summer you never said you were going to the beach. You went “down the shore,” a Jersey-ism whose origin is unknown. For as far back as I can reme...
By Ed McNamara Saratoga isn’t just a unique racetrack, it’s a destination. “The Summer Place to Be” has lured tourists, casual fans and serious horseplayers every year but star...
By Ed McNamara He promoted gambling but really did bet with his head, not over it. His persona of wise-cracking curmudgeon masked a love of racing. Most of his countless fans never met him, yet they c...
By Ed McNamara The late Dick Enberg was such a fine announcer that he could have made play-by-play of an ant race entertaining. In 1984, he hosted the first Breeders’ Cup, and his likeable perso...
By Ed McNamara Rule of the Earth No. 1: The rich always get richer. Exhibit A: Godolphin LLC. Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum’s international superpower has ruled the world in 2021. For three months,...
