Author Archives: admin

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 →

( Did you know that Rivers of gold is interactive?  Hence not only easily read on electronic devices like iphones and ipads, but stories come to life: horses and races from days long past.  The idea began with Cigar.  While … Continue reading →

(The first really significant gold strike occurred when I discovered Robert Alexander, the most important horse breeder in the US 150 years ago, sent many of his good horses to Canada during the Civil War.  The next was that the dynamic … Continue reading →

(I still find it extraordinary that British horse breeders turned their backs on Diomed.  But then, no one wanted to buy Northern Dancer.  Perhaps when it comes to seeing the soul of a horse we humans are not always as … Continue reading →

“… Since British horses breeders refused to send their mares to Diomed, Bunbury put the aging stallion up for sale.  Diomed was 21 years old when Colonel Hoomes purchased him for $250.  In horse years 21 is old.  Nonetheless Diomed … Continue reading →