Atlantic City Race Course

Stella Thayer, the president of Tampa Bay Downs and the President of the National Museum of Racing from 2005 through 2014, came across a book of historical European racetracks during her travels. Sensing that there was a void in the U.S. where no such book existed, she set out to create one. The timing was perfect as 2025 coincided with the 75-year anniversary of the museum's founding. Brien Bouyea, Communications Director of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and renowned racing writer Jay Hovdey were given the...

Neil Pessin, who trained the late Bob Lothenbach's Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) to a victory in the GI Derby City Distaff in its COVID-delayed renewal in 2020, is leaving the training ranks effective immediately. The affable conditioner's final starter was Finn McSorley (English Channel), who finished eighth in a Keeneland maiden special weight on the grass Apr. 25. "I'd like to keep training, but financially it's very tough and I was down to two maiden turf horses, one maiden claimer, and it's just not financially feasible to keep going," Pessin...

Do you remember Bowie? The Marshfield Fair? Or, how about Liberty Bell? I do. I've been to them all. Someone sent me a link the other day to a list of all the defunct racetracks in the country and it got me thinking how sad it was that I had been to so many that have disappeared into the ether. That and whether or not I hold some sort of unofficial record of having attended more former racetracks than anyone else. I have been to 28 North American tracks that...