Having grown up in Missouri and worked at tracks in Illinois, I have known hooligans who bragged about pushing cows over in fields. I hope they were just bragging. But I have never heard anyone talk about pushing a racehorse over, with their hands or anything else. Sleeping or wide awake. The “scene of the [...]

When I was Fred Capossela's assistant announcer for NYRA in 1971, Cappy used to tell stories about the Widener chute at Belmont Park, named in honor of Joseph E. Widener, President of the Westchester Racing Association. Wednesday's Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot reminded me of the of stories, because it was a straight mile with [...]

Can you ever remember a memorial minute of silence at a racetrack? I can't. But just after Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrived via royal Landau carriage pulled by four white horses, the hurly-burly in every area of Ascot came to a halt in an eerie silence. In memory of the recent terror attacks in [...]

When you think of “old” or “historic” races or racetracks, The Travers at Saratoga or perhaps The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs come to mind. Those events and venues are rookies when it comes to the racecourse about an hour east of London called Ascot. Queen Anne saw this glorious chunk of flat real estate [...]

Editor's note: Dave Johnson is a racecaller and sportscaster (famous for his signature `and down the stretch they come!') who is attending his 23rd consecutive Royal Ascot meeting this year. He will be writing a daily Ascot report for the TDN. Do you have a family photo from years ago that a great deal more [...]