In 1990, Frank DeFrancis and I introduced the idea which would become the American Championship Racing Series to D. Wayne Lukas. He had come to Pimlico with some top stakes horses to train post-Derby, as he often did. He won the Pimlico Special that year with eventual Horse of the Year Criminal Type. It was [...]

This week I attended World Series Games Three and Four in Philadelphia. Those that know me would not be surprised as I am a life-long devoted Phillies fan. This weekend my champion sports enjoyment continues with the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. I will relish both events with family and friends. This has been a favorite [...]

James Delahooke died Wednesday, and I lost a very special friend. I had the great pleasure of working together with him, especially over the last 15-plus years. Tuesday, we spoke about our Keeneland filly short list, of Chris McGrath's great profile of Bobby Flay's equine program to which he had been a major contributor, and [...]

Mentor: 1. a wise and trusted counselor to teacher 2. an influential senior sponsor or supporter From Greek, Mentos , a character in the Odyssey, who was a loyal friend and advisor to Odysseus entrusted with the care and education of Telemachus (his son). I met my mentor, John T.L. Jones, Jr., in the late [...]

With Dick Enberg's sudden passing, racing has lost a great friend. You will read words describing Dick as a true gentleman, the consummate professional, a great teacher of broadcasting (he started out as a college professor after earning a PhD in health science)–all with unbridled enthusiasm. As a friend for over 30 years, I can [...]

David Cassidy and I met and became friends over 35 years ago. Becoming friends was easy, as we shared three of my passions–thoroughbred racing, Saratoga, and Broadway. We are the same age and met in our thirties, so I missed his days of the Partridge Family TV show and playing stadiums. He was still performing [...]

In 45 years, I've seen a lot of exhilarating, moving things in the horse business, but I've never seen anything like Saturday night. Mark “Snake” Thompson was barely an acquaintance of mine, but the promotion in the TDN for the benefit to raise money for his medical expenses piqued my interest. The fact that some [...]

For hundreds of years, horsemen and women have faced their charges off against one another to see who is faster. At the heart of this endeavor is, of course, personal pride of ownership, and, for breeders, the pride of creation. But the foundation was built on sportsmanship and letting these courageous animals speak for themselves. [...]

With the passing of Michel Henochsberg, the world of Thoroughbred racing has lost a great citizen. I have lost a most special friend. We shared a friendship for over 35 years, which centered on our love of Thoroughbred activities, but was deepened by our mutual enjoyment of sports, current events, art, theatre, fine dining, and [...]

In June, 2014, I questioned the wisdom of the Breeders' Cup's decision to award the 2015 World Championships to Keeneland. No knock on Keeneland, which does a wonderful job of putting on its racing and sales every year, but I wondered aloud if the track was too small and the town was too small to [...]