My Breeders' Cup experience: Thursday shenanigans

After getting my hopes up about the Kentucky Derby, only to have them shot down, I didn't want to get excited about the Breeders' Cup. It was sort of devastating, to be told your lifelong dream-come-true is going to happen, only to find out a week before you leave on the trip that actually, there was a mistake and there wasn't enough credentials for you. (Yes, this actually happened to me.) So all the while I drove down to Louisville, I kept expecting to get a text message or a phone call breaking the news to me in the ninth hour that I wouldn't be credentialed to shoot the Breeders' Cup World Championships after all. I was almost expecting it, all the way up till I went to the Galt House Hotel to pick up my press credentials. It wasn't until I looked down at my name printed on the thick plastic card did I finally feel the pressure release and let myself believe that it really was going to happen. I was seriously about to shoot the biggest two days in racing I'd ever witnessed in my life. What was more, I was going to have a front-row seat to one of the single greatest races of my generation: the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic, where the great Zenyatta would make her career bow.

That being said, I had prepared a little by creating a “Horse Racing Playlist” on my iPod, which consisted mostly of songs I pictured Zenyatta war-dancing to in the Classic, as well as songs that would dramatically illustrate the pounding hoofs of the field turning for home, and the angelic chorus that would sound as the big mare began to unwind her devastating late kick. So I guess a little part of me did want to believe in miracles. Thankfully, I wasn’t denied mine this time around. This playlist was my constant background music the entire Breeders' Cup, pumping me up each morning and preparing me for the the final showdown at the end of it all. By the time I was shooting the races, "Kashmir" was ingrained in my radiohead on a constant loop.

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.


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In summation...

Note from Jamie:

I've neglected this blog something awful this year, which is a shame, because so many good things have happened, and I've witnessed so many amazing races. I apologize for being away for so long and want to thank my readers (if, indeed you're still there) for checking back on me. I will try to fill in some blanks and keep a more current blog running, even if that means cutting back on how much I write. While I embark on this process to update what needs to be filled in, here is an overview of my favorite moments from my year so far...

Portraits of a year

Originally posted in SPORTS to The Call To The Post by Jamie Newell on Friday, September 17, 2010 at 3:00 pm

With the racing year winding down as we near Breeders' Cup, there isn't a lot going on at the moment, and so I thought it would be a good time to take a little handicapping break. Instead of talking about the Woodbine Mile this Saturday (which you should watch), I wanted to bring my readers something unique—a reward, if you will—for hanging with me for the past two and a half years The Call to the Post has been running. I have been very fortunate to travel to eight different race tracks across America this year and be able to get up close and personal with the game's biggest superstars. From Santa Anita to Saratoga, Zenyatta to Rachel, my camera lens has been there to capture both some of the quietest moments and most thrilling at the track. A lot goes on at the races or on the backstretch that I am not able to mention in my regular articles, so I'm taking the opportunity now to share them with you, my faithful readers. Ordered from the beginning of the year to the present, here are my top ten favorites photographs from this year... so far.

1. Perfection

I know, technically, Zenyatta's retirement parade at Santa Anita took place in December, but it felt like a whole new year. Anyway, it marked my first time seeing Zenyatta in person since the 10 seconds she passed in front of me while jogging at Churchill Downs in 2009; I thought this would be the last time I ever got to see her on a race track. The fact she was promptly brought out of retirement and raced for another season proves to me that the racing gods do exist.

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Promises

I promise, promise, promise, to write down everything once tomorrow is over. I can't believe how little time I've had over the past two days. Here's a picture to prove it's all been good, clean fun...

In the meantime, go Birdie, go!

Now on ESPN.com

My now-famous Rachel Alexandra pic has also been featured on ESPN.com. It's on the cover of their Triple Crown page in the horse racing section. It's crazy to me the picture is being used only now, and at least I never saw it anywhere before the Preakness, which I thought would've made more sense. But like I said, nobody has been telling me where and if my pictures are being used by someone through Horsephotos.com, so I may have missed others. Oh well, at least I know to look at these two sites every day from now on.

First NTRA... then the world!

Rachel is the new Madonna

I'm sure by now you've heard the big news of the day, that the Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra will be skipping the Belmont Stakes. Part of me feels disappointed by this news, but generally I'm happy about it. I want to see Rachel fresh and ready for a great summer campaign. Plus, if the showdown with Zenyatta happens, she's going to need to be at the top of her game, and the Big Sandy has a way of sucking the energy out of a horse after a 1 1/2 mile effort.

Unexpectedly cool news of the day: Rachel Alexandra will be featured in the August issue of Vogue magazine. Fashion photographer Steven Klein hauled a backdrop out to the Churchill Downs backstretch and put on a photo shoot worthy of Madonna, if Madonna was wearing only a halter and a lead shank (hey, I'm sure she's come close). Being both a photography nerd and a worshipper of Alexandra the Great, I can't wait to see the end product. It'll mark the first time I ever actually go out and buy Vogue.

And finally... I got my second cover today! I almost missed it, and thanks to one of my Flickr contacts, I was informed my photo of Calvin Borel in the paddock after the Kentucky Derby was on the cover of NTRA.com. They like me, they really like me!

My first cover photo!

I was a little surprised and very enthralled yesterday to find my photo of Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks on the cover of NTRA.com. My husband actually pointed it out to me-- I didn't get any notification from anybody my photo had been bought or used (I'm still fuzzy on how these things work). But it's a credit! A legitimate credit with one of the top Thoroughbred sites the interweb has to offer! Success! I'm not doing this all for my self gratification, after all!

Let the ponies rejoice!

Now let's see if I get those credentials for the Belmont...

Friday's article + overlooked workout pictures

Just in case you're not yet tired of my Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks wrap-ups and romances, my newest article is up on smilepolitely.com:

"Bo-Rail" sitting in unprecedented position after Oaks-Derby double

Oh, and I found some workout pictures of Mine That Bird I overlooked while I was drooling over Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and the Derby favorites...