Monthly Archives: December 2019

They say to ignore history is to be condemned by it.  So, for me at least, it seems important to know where we’ve been, in order to know where we are headed.  Indeed, writing this blog reminds me of how … Continue reading →

When pondering Gary Stevens call for a revolution in North American horse racing, I wonder if, for the moment, we can simply focus our attention on our horses.  And from all perspectives.  Rachel Bucciaccho, a highly-regarded student of bloodstock in Australia, … Continue reading →

Since heeding jockey Gary Stevens ‘revolution’ call, I have been pondering how the heck North American horse racing arrived at this juncture.  No doubt there were signposts all along the way, but it appears they were ignored.  Back when I … Continue reading →

Where to begin?  How about something I wrote 25 years ago in Northern Dancer: the legend and his legacy: “Northern Dancer’s return to the National Stud Farm not only symbolized fulfillment of the dream to raise a Kentucky Derby winner … Continue reading →

This past week jockey Gary Stevens asserted that this is “time for a revolution to save our sport.”  He was, of course, referring to horseracing across North America and innumerable challenges facing the sport, the most significant of which is … Continue reading →

(Inspired in part by jockey Gary Stevens and his call for a horseracing “revolution” in North America this morning, I plan to make this piece the final Rivers of Gold blog.  At least for now.  If readers are hooked I suggest … Continue reading →

The anti-racing legislation in the US was born of a brand of wild west lawlessness: “In the later part of the 19th century the sport had grown so rapidly,” explains William Robertson, “and in such a helter-skelter fashion that it … Continue reading →

(Throughout my career as author, feature writer at both North America and Japanese magazines, and editor of the horseracing magazine, I occasionally came across the Jersey Act.  Yet didn’t seem to pertain directly to anything I was writing about, hence, ignored … Continue reading →