Favorite Photos from 2013

Okay, so I have a reasonable excuse for why this post is so tardy. Until last week, I didn't actually have all of my racing photos from 2013 edited. That's right--there were pictures from an entire race day that had never seen the light of day until just now. I do apologize to the masses starving for my photos from the Cumberland County Fair. Being a professional photographer can sometimes mean putting "fun" photos on the back-burner for months at a time.

I shot more races than usual last year, mostly due to the fact I discovered Thoroughbred racing at local Illinois county fairs. These small-time races made for a ton of fun, and I came away with a deep affection for the fair circuit. So much so, don't be surprised if they get their own post as a preview for this summer.

Anyway! Without further ado, here's a look back at my favorite racing pictures from 2013. It was a pretty good year.

"Ooh. That's the spot."

Favorite photos from 2011

Not gonna lie. 2011 wasn't my favorite year, neither for racing nor for me, personally. So I wasn't particularly motivated to blog, or even put together a best-of post. But hindsight is 20/20, right? I now have a better appreciation for the races I shot last year and have decided to put together a better-late-than-never post about my top ten favorite racing shots from 2011. So here, without further ado, is my least-sucky shots from a less than stellar year.

The Factor finds a scratchin' post

 I took an impromptu trip down to Hot Springs, Arkansas to shoot the Rebel Stakes. While I was there, I stalked The Factor on the backstretch, where I discovered the gray/roan colt has quite the personality. During a bath, he started playfully shoving around his assistant trainer and used him to rub his head. I loved how this moment showed the bond between these two.

A farewell to Rachel Alexandra the Great

The following was the hardest racing-related article I've ever had to write. Thank you, Rachel, for the ride of a lifetime...


The first time I ever saw Rachel Alexandra was on April 30, 2009 at Churchill Downs. It was Thursday morning, the day before the Kentucky Oaks. It took less than 30 seconds for her to convince me I was looking at a creature unlike anything I'd ever seen with my own two eyes.

I'd been waiting with my husband and Steve, a new friend we met at the morning works, on the landing at the winner's circle. I was giddy with anticipation in the hopes of getting my first glimpse of Zenyatta, and Steve, a Churchill regular and great racing fan, kept telling us, "I can't wait until you see Rachel." And that morning, the big track screen in the infield announced her arrival for one last jog before the Oaks, and we drew in our breath as she came circling around that hallowed bend toward us. Words fail me when I try to accurately describe that moment, so I can only throw out similes and metaphors in the hopes of relating what it was really like to be there on that morning and see her.


Please click here to read the rest of my article.

"For the sake of the sport, we will withdraw."

Marylou Whitney is my new hero.

It seems each day in the Rachel Alexandra-Preakness saga, there is a new whirlwind of developments. Today marked the day that Mark Allen, the co-owner of Derby winner Mine That Bird, tried to cook up a scheme to keep out Rachel Alexandra, the dominant Oaks winner, out of the Preakness.

It breaks down like this [in my own summarized words]: Mark Allen called up Ahmed Zayat, the owner of Pioneerof the Nile, and said, "Hey, I'm entering a horse in the Preakness in addition to Mine That Bird in order to keep out the filly, Rachel Alexandra. That filly is going to steal my jockey, and show up my Derby winner. We're the real stars in this race, we can't let her in. Will you also enter a second horse?"

Zayat thinks to himself, "The new owners of Rachel Alexandra are being disrespectful of America's greatest race for making history by putting the Derby-winning jockey on their filly in the Preakness. That filly shouldn't be in the Preakness, anyway, because fillies are weak and two weeks is too quick of a turn around. Besides, I want my horse to win, and he stands less of a chance if he has to meet that monster in a race. It's not fair for a newcomer like Rachel Alexandra to spoil my fun, so I'm going to enter another of my horses in the race so she won't be able to enter."

Then he changed his mind and said this (directly quoted from Bloodhorse.com): “Nevertheless, after talking to the president of the Maryland Jockey Club I have decided I don’t want to be viewed as not being a sportsman, so I am happy not to block her for the good of the game. Please understand this is not about me; this is about the industry, and although what is right is not very clear to me I am happy to reconsider my decision for the fans.”

Riiiight. Looks like you said enough to make yourself a villain, Mr. Zayat. (See the complete, long-winded quote in the full Bloodhorse.com article.)

Meanwhile, Marylou Whitney had a horse named Luv Gov she wanted to enter in the Preakness, oblivious to this Allen-Zayat scandal. The trainer for the horse, D. Wayne Lucas, called up the Maryland Jockey Club to enter the horse and found out that Luv Gov would be #13, and Rachel Alexandra would be #14 as the entrees stand. Only 14 horses are allowed to enter in the Preakness field, and Rachel Alexandra will need to be supplemented for $100,000 to enter the race and is not Triple Crown nominated. Triple Crown nominated horses have preference in the field and could kick her out of contention if the field was filled up to capacity.

Here is the direct quote of what her husband and racing manager, John Hendrickson, said upon discovering their position for Luv Gov in the Preakness: "If we are the deciding factor, we will not enter. [Rachel Alexandra] is good for the sport. For the sake of the sport, we will withdraw."

That right there brought tears to my eyes. THANK YOU, Marylou Whitney and everyone who holds the same standards as you in this game. How unsportsman-like for the owners of the top two finishers in the Kentucky Derby to want to keep out this amazing filly from the second jewel of the Triple Crown. It's a race, not a sure bet. Obviously, Rachel has them shaking in their boots if they were seriously considering entering dud horses in order to exclude this champion from taking part in the greatest tournament of sports. Ms. Whitney has a true contender with a legitimate chance of winning the race, yet she is sacrificing her horse's chance because she wants to see what's BEST for the sport. I applaud this First Lady of Racing. We shall see what hand karma deals, my friends.

Sunday night, Mark Allen decided not to enter his 0-for-9 maiden horse Indy Express in the Preakness after it was clear the bulk of the racing world was aghast at his sinister plan.

So now, we have seen the underbelly of the underdogs.

Honorary Jess Jackson Day

I hearby dub this day honorary Jess Jackson Day, in honor of the man who kept jockey Calvin Borel in the irons of Kentucky Oaks winner, Rachel Alexandra, for the Preakness Stakes. All the nation's citizens will be treated to a free glass of wine, a parade with horses adorned in yellow and red flowers, and a float of Curlin made out of Werther's Originals.

How sweet life is. Thanks, Mr. Jackson, for making things right.

From Bloodhorse.com:

Borel commits to 'Rachel;' filly in Preakness

The Daily Racing From reports that Borel's decision to ride Rachel Alexandra, and not Mine That Bird, in the Preakness marks the first time in history a jockey has opted not to ride the horse he won the Derby on in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

If this doesn't spell Alexandra as being a superior horse, I don't know what does.

Here is a list of reactions from Preakness contender trainers about the possibility of Rachel Alexandra facing their colts (from drf.com):

"I think she's in a different world than the rest. She is something spectacular." - Gary Stute, trainer of Papa Clem.

"I would rather she didn't show," said David Fawkes, who trains Big Drama. "With her running style, that may hurt our chances."

"Any man would be a fool to welcome that filly. She's tough. As much as I don't want her to go, she'd be taking my rider." - Chip Woolley, trainer of Derby winner Mine That Bird.

The girl has the colts, and their trainers, shaking in their boots. Let's just hope she wakes up as fit as a fiddle and in perfect health on Preakness Day... and that less than 14 horses want in the gates once they see her trademark blaze heading to Maryland.

Intermission

Right, I know, this isn't Part II of my Kentucky Derby overview. Please excuse the time lapse-- it'll be up for tomorrow. I couldn't not comment on these several bits of news that cropped up over the past two days.

1. I Want Revenge's injury is more serious than previously thought. Hearing this news made me almost ill. Thank God his connections did the right thing and kept him from running in the Kentucky Derby. I would rather the horse be safe and sidelined for several months than meet a tragic end on the path to glory.

I am worried, however, that he will be retired even if his therapy leaves him completely capable of having a comeback. If he does recover completely, and will be able to race at the caliber that he had prior to the injury, I hope his people consider racing him as a 4-year-old. We need more older horses to root for, and I Want Revenge is a horse with a heart worth following. By the comments David Lanzman, breeder and co-owner of the colt, made in this Daily Racing Form article, it seems the chances of him racing at 4 would be great if he should fully recover.

2. Desert Party injured himself in the Kentucky Derby. A bone chip in his left front ankle will be surgically removed, and the horse will be sidelined and Godolphin hopes to return him to racing in the second half of the year and continue racing him in 2010.

Maybe this is a clue to why Desert Party faded in the few final furlongs of the Kentucky Derby? I had him highly-rated after re-watching the 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby. Desert Party is a fine colt and hopefully is able to come back and prove his talent in America, his birthplace.

3. Rachel Alexandra has been sold to Jess Jackson (Stonestreet Stables) and some other dude (Harold T. McCormick, whoever that is). Not only has the ownership transferred hands, but the Daily Racing Form says the trainer will, as well-- to Steve Asmussen.

Now, I've been as bitter as anybody about Alexandra's current trainer's (Hal Wiggins) adament stance on fillies racing against colts: keep 'em separate; I think she deserves better competition, and she will find it racing against the boys. I'm sure this is what Jess Jackson, the sportsman is also thinking, because he created a stance a year ago when he decided to bring Curlin back as a 4-year-old to help improve the complexion of the sport. I don't think, however, that means he should mess with a good thing.

Hal Wiggins has trained Rachel Alexandra into her winning ways, and whatever he's done, it's working. I don't know one thing about training differences, but I'm superstitious, I guess you could say. I don't think it's good karma to rip a filly out of winning connections when she's just raced the best race of her life, and place her into a new environment, under new hands, with different people caring for her. Even though they have their differences, couldn't Jackson and Wiggins reach some sort of agreement?

Whatever the case, Wiggins had her targeted toward the Grade I Acorn on the Belmont undercard for her next start. This disappointed me, since I believe she could've blown away the competition in the Kentucky Derby. Will Jess Jackson pave a new road for Alexandra, toward the Preakness and the Belmont? Could it be move over boys, the princess is coming to town? I, for one, hope so.

How amazing it would be for the sport to have a "super filly" (as Durkin dubbed her) take the Preakness and Belmont? Obviously, she will have plenty of competition, but it would once and for all silence the critics who made the ridiculous accusation that Eight Belles never should've raced in the Kentucky Derby.

Rachel Alexandra racing against the boys? I'm so there!

4. Musket Man is confirmed for the Preakness, with Eibar Coa sticking to the irons. Musket Man will not go on to the Belmont, says his trainer, Derek Ryan; he will target toward the Haskell after the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

I think this is a pretty good decision. A lot of horses are opting for the Belmont instead of the Preakness, surprisingly. Musket Man doesn't have the breeding for the Belmont, though he's been pretty much making up his own blueprint as far as distance goes. He'll have a nice, long rest after the Preakness and be fresh for the late summer meet.



5. Don't forget to pick up the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, where Mine That Bird becomes the first horse since Smarty Jones to grace the cover!

The Kentucky Derby, through the haze: Part I

Last year on Derby morning, I woke up much more nervous. I had never been to the Derby before, and anxiety hit me like a tidal wave. I'd barely gotten any sleep, I kept thinking about the year in racing leading up to that point, and I was nervous I wouldn't be able to see the race. I learned a lot from last year.

I took sleeping aids every day of the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby. I knew I would be able to see the race because it would be misfortune to anyone who dared get in the way of my giganto lens. The Oaks experience the day before had proven you can stand at the rail all day long, no matter where your seat was assigned (two drunks from the infield would later drive home my point as they got by security and found us on the rail, where they asked how to get back to the infield tunnel). More than anything, I was exhausted by the week of getting up at 6:00am, and I was still feeling the ghost of the 300mm lens from Oaks day in my shoulder and arm muscles. In short, a week of Derby festival culminates with simply trying to survive through it all; but I wouldn't have missed a moment of it.

I'd brought a breezy 20's-style dress and high heels to wear for the Derby, but as I thought about the prospect of hulking around that 300mm lens the whole day again, and the fact the news said the high was 60* with a chance of rain, I opted to buy a Kentucky Derby 135 hoodie; the hoodie cost more than my dress, but it was worth it to be snug and warm the entire day while other ladies in their sun dresses and big hats ended up stealing their men's jackets to find warmth. I still got to wear my straw fedora, so I was festive enough.

When I got to Churchill Downs, my morning agenda consisted of 1. Retrieving the Hulk, as I have dubbed the 300mm, from Horse Photos (I had been told, after giving them my Oaks pictures, to "take two Tylenol and come back in the morning") and 2. Find Steve 3. Make bets

I ate at Wagner's one last time (and a little gladly it would be the last time that week-- I'd become a little sick of eating grease and fat each morning, but the tradition must live on!) and was in the restaurant when a news reporter said to a patron off-handedly, "I hope I'll have better luck later on. My horse scratched this morning."

Instantly, I was on alert. When the camera was shut off, I got the news from him that MY pick, I Want Revenge, the favorite for the Derby, had been scratched with "a foot abscess" (it later turned out to be a swelled ankle). I couldn't believe it. Just a moment before, I'd been grinning ear-to-ear at an ad in the Daily Racing Form with the profiles of a snarling I Want Revenge and Pioneerof the Nile: "Duel at the Downs." I couldn't WAIT to see the re-match.

Duel scratched. I was crushed, utterly crushed. It wasn't as bad as Zenyatta's scratch, because there were more horses in the Derby I liked, but still... my previous favorite, Quality Road, had been scratched Monday. It seemed there was no end to the last-minute disappointments. I only hoped there would be no injuries in the races that day. At least, I consoled myself, they'd been looking out in the best interest of the horse.

I made my new picks Friesan Fire, Pioneerof the Nile, and Chocolate Candy; with General Quarters, Mr. Hot Stuff, and Dunkirk as the orbiting exactas. Stupidly, I left out Musket Man, who I'd been rooting for all year. I figured he wasn't up to the caliber of horses in the Derby. Idiot me. Always root for what's in your gut, not in your head.

I entered Churchill Downs through the infield entrance. I really don't know how to explain the infield experience to a full effect. It's a little like Woodstock, but instead of legenary music, they barely get to see historic horse races. There's the same discarded trash, sandals, sleeping bags, and tents to be found in the aftermath, and the same intoxication and clouds of smoke, only it's from cheap beer, over-priced mint juleps, and cigars. Much to my chagrin, cigars are EVERYWHERE.

Herein I found Steve, the cool track regular I'd made friends with during the workouts. He'd shown me the silks of past stakes winners in one of the cafes inside the grandstands, explained some quirks of Churchill Downs (like the turf rail being pushed out to keep the rail grass nice for stakes days), and was a good handicapper. Every year, he and his Derby buddies set up camp in a corner of the infield next to the fence, where they are literally inches away from the horses during the turf races. You can find him by the little American flag his camp sticks in the fence.

It turns out, Steve placed what he called a "wheel" bet on the Derby field, which ended up paying him off pretty well. I'm not sure which sort of wheel bet he placed, but it sounds he at least broke even, which is more than I can say about my bets.

When I went to go pick up my lens, I found out another photographer had already secured it, so I was left with my old faithful Li'l Bastard. That's okay, that meant I wouldn't have such an arm ache for Derby day.

I had an aisle seat in section 120; not bad. I didn't end up using it much, though. Sadly enough, the day was pretty much an endurance test of standing at the rail and trying to break out of my haze. Churchill Downs only sells Lillies on Oaks day, and I wasn't about to touch another mint julep, so I had to sustain myself on bottled water, the Wagner's in my stomach, and some nachos for lunch.

Of interest around me in the grandstands was this little girl, she had to be about 8 years old, who kept picking winners seemingly out of no real knowledge at all. From what I was gathering, she was picking her horses based on the color of their saddle towels. It truly was a sight to see. She picked 4 winners in a row, but her streak was snapped when my boy Einstein came out to win his second Woodford Reserve in a row, the first horse to ever accomplish the feat. I was screaming for him at the top of my lungs. Cowboy Cal really put in a good fight to the end, but it was the champ who won out in the end. I was so happy for him. There's nothing to wake you up quite like a neck-and-neck battle to the wire!



Part 2: The Jaw-drop Reard 'Round the World coming tomorrow...

And a one, and a two...

This is the inaugrual post of Ghostsnapper, a blog from the backstretch photographer's point of view. I've been writing a weekly turf column, "The Call to the Post," over at http://www.smilepolitely.com/ but still need more space to spew out all of my thoughts pertaining to the ponies. Today, my first batch of photos went up at http://www.horsephotos.com/. If you're searching for Old Fashioned or Papa Clem, mine will be some of the first to pop up (the latest are listed first). As I've only just been admitted to the Horse Photos fold, I have yet to shoot a race "professionally," but will document my first days of that here. I'm sure to be scared shitless once that day comes. Until then, which will be in the coming months, I will be documenting the races I attend as a fan, and tune into when I'm not snapping away at those heart-pounding moments in the flesh.

Tonight, I'm leaving for Louisville in preparation to the Derby Festival. I'll be attending the all of the workouts that I can, try to squeeze in that crowd to witness the Derby post position draw, and gawk at the Pegasus Parade. I've got tickets to both the Oaks and the Derby and am leaping in my skin at the prospect of seeing Zenyatta in the Louisville Handicap on the Oaks undercard.

It's gonna be a wild week. But this is the Derby, and the two go hand-in-hand.