TDN Podcast

From TDN Look: Are Krone and Peterson an Unbeatable Team?

Sue Finley — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 21:41:51 +0000

Julie Krone is back at Monmouth Park; this time, with a new job: jockey agent. She will represent Ferrin Peterson, a veterinarian with dreams of becoming the next Julie Krone.

Keeneland’s Life Work Project No. 4: Rick Nichols

Sue Finley — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:07:13 +0000

In hindsight, the trust and fidelity that have united Rick Nichols and his patron over the past 35 years were transparently available within the first 35 seconds they had anything to do with each other. Sheikh Hamdan was then making his first bold incursions into the international bloodstock market.

Successful and Wise: Meet the Dan Brothers

Sue Finley — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:22:08 +0000

If you drive down Athens-Boonesboro Road at the right time of day, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a hulking chestnut horse and his equally imposing bay brother romping through their field. With the residents of the adjacent paddocks at Forest Lane Farm being Angus cows and Quarter Horses, it would not be surprising for a passerby to think the playful geldings were just a pair of pleasure horses. However, educated horse racing fans would recognize that they were in fact looking at a six-time Eclipse winner and his near millionaire half-brother as Forest Lane Farm belongs to trainer Charlie LoPresti and his wife Amy, the longtime caretakers of Wise Dan (Wiseman's Ferry) and Successful Dan (Successful Appeal).

Keeneland Life’s Work Project #3: Ted Bassett

Sue Finley — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:42:39 +0000

It barely seems a figure of speech, in fact, to describe James E. Bassett III as a pillar of the American Turf. His whole bearing remains so upright that it condenses not only the indelible stamp of his wartime service, with the U.S. Marines, but also the authority and integrity he seamlessly transferred to civilian life.

Behold. Her.

Sue Finley — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 15:12:22 +0000

With four Eclipse Awards, three Breeders' Cup victories, 11 Grade I wins and over $6 million in earnings, Beholder is truly the horse of a lifetime-of many lifetimes, really. The future Hall of Famer has accomplished what most can only dream about and did so in a way that left the racing world in awe.

Performing on the biggest stages for years was, in fact, Beholder's specialty, and while she may no longer be doing so in front of adoring crowds, the 9-year-old mare is still the star of the show at Spendthrift Farm. This was evident on my trip to the Lexington farm, where I visited with the superstar mare and her offspring. Beholder was not born a leading lady, however. She earned it with each and every scintillating racetrack performance over her lengthy career.

Christie DeBernardis talks to Ned Toffey and others at Spendthrift about Beholder's life at the farm.

Keeneland Life’s Work Project: John Phillips

Sue Finley — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 12:00:56 +0000

His grandfather's greatest achievements, on the Turf, were all about looking outward; about opening minds and dismantling boundaries. Listening to John Phillips, however, you realize that the impetus for the whole adventure–for the mutual enlightenment, either side of the ocean, achieved by sending Roberto and Ribot in opposite directions–could not have been more definitively American. Listen to Chris McGrath's podcast with John Phillips, part of the Keeneland Life's Work project.

The Man O’ War Project

Sue Finley — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 17:07:24 +0000

Of all the terrible things that mankind has inflicted upon one another, there is none so terrible as war. Estimates of the total number of people killed in war in the history of the world range up to a billion lives, and for the combatants, oftentimes just surviving the conflict seems like the goal. But of course, too many people come home from combat only to find that they cannot leave it behind. In 2013, the Veterans Administration released a study which showed that 22 veterans a day were committing suicide. And now one man, former U.S. Ambassador Earle Mack, has decided to do something about it.

Horologist Owner Cameron Beatty is Getting a Second Chance at Life

Sue Finley — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:58:15 +0000

Saturday, 27-year-old Cameron Beatty will watch his filly Horologist compete as one of the favorites in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx. Just eight years ago, however, he thought he had lost everything when a motorcycle accident cost him his college football career, and left him seriously injured. We talk to Beatty about his recovery, his life, and his star filly.

The Curragh: Ireland’s Bedrock of Champions

Sue Finley — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 16:55:00 +0000

The Curragh has recently undergone a much publicised €80 million redevelopment, but it is much more than just a racecourse. Set in Ireland's Thoroughbred heartland of Kildare, it is home to the country's largest training centre and more than 800 racehorses. Listen as Emma Berry talks to some of the industry icons who call The Curragh home.

Keeneland Life’s Work Project: Seth Hancock

Sue Finley — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 17:53:35 +0000

“You ever see me around the sales wearing short pants, you better run for cover-because the world's getting ready to come to an end.” Seth Hancock is remembering Swale. Bittersweet animal! He slaked Claiborne's ancestral thirst for a Kentucky Derby, trained by the great Woody Stephens. A week after Swale added the Belmont, Hancock was back in New York to see one of the farm's fillies run in the Mother Goose. Listen to the entire podcast, with Chris McGrath.

The Incontri: A Magical Meeting in Siena

Sue Finley — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:16:53 +0000

The experience of sitting in a semi-darkened church overlooking the Val d'Orcia, one of Italy's most beautiful vistas, with just around 200 other people and listening to this music is so profound, and such a rare chance to focus in today's world full of distractions, that leads me to start thinking about all of the things I value and enjoy in life. Travel, certainly, and history. Family, tradition, art, great food and fine wine, friendship, landscape, scenery and beauty. And now, music. Listen to Sue Finley's story on the Incontri in Terra di Siena, a music festival unlike any other.

Magic In Chile: Taking a Wine Tour on Horseback

Sue Finley — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 18:21:54 +0000

It is easy to think of 'The Cowboy' as an American entity, but plenty of other cultures have their own equivalent. As part of the celebration for the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano—which was won by Ya Primo (Chi), who since ran second for Chad Brown in the GII July 27 Bowling Green at Saratoga-huasos came out on the track and put on a demonstration before the race in Santiago, Chile. Ride along with Amanda Duckworth and some huasos on a wine tour of Chile.

David Burke: A Celebrity Chef with Racing Connections

Sue Finley — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 18:28:59 +0000

Not unlike the rise of supertrainers in racing, the last decade has given birth to the rise of the super celebrity chef-restaurateurs who operate in multiple locations, compete in televised competitions, and have their own shows on the Food Network. David Burke currently operates 10 restaurants, has a line of cookware, has appeared on numerous t.v. programs, is developing his own reality series, has written two cookbooks, participates in numerous philanthropic endeavors, and serves as a consultant to a number of corporate organizations. Sue Finley visits with him at his restaurant near Monmouth Park, and discovers his many racing connections.

Serena’s Song: Still Going Strong at Denali at 27

Sue Finley — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 18:40:20 +0000

There were few people more visible in the highest echelons of the sport of horse racing in the 1990s than Bob and Beverly Lewis. The California couple spent large sums at the yearling sales and were rewarded with six champions-including two Kentucky Derby winners-in the span of 10 years. But it is likely they are most remembered for their copious volumes of grace and class. Bob and Beverly were married for 58 years before Bob's passing in 2006, and they developed similarly loyal relationships with those they employed in the Thoroughbred industry. In a 2017 TDN story following Beverly's death, trainer Bob Baffert said, “They may have been the only owners in racing who no one ever minded losing to. They were both so well-liked and such nice people.” Kelsey Riley visits with their most famous horse, Serena's Song, who is still happy and healthy at Denali Stud at the age of 27.

Newmarket: A Place of Wonder for the Racehorse

Sue Finley — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 18:36:04 +0000

It has been 400 years since the first Spring Meeting was run at Newmarket, during the reign of James I, in 1619. While racing took place in different guises and at other locations around the world before that time, the formalised sport of horseracing as we now know it began in the small East Anglian town which remains a global focus for the 'sport of kings'. Listen to Newmarket resident Emma Berry's podcast on her hometown.