Category Archives: Uncategorized

Not long after I set out to write Northern Dancer’s biography I drove to Maryland to spend time with our great Canadian hero.  Sitting on the grass doing little else but watching him for hours on end provided valuable insights … Continue reading →

Researching the book Rivers of Gold I became fascinated by the genetic makeup of today’s great champion Thoroughbreds.  I particularly enjoyed discovering the Canadian horses – some famous, some not – that play a role in forming the disposition and … Continue reading →

While Enable’s victory in the Breeders Cup Turf surely was the defining moment at this year’s equine extravaganza, Accelerate’s win in the Classic was a great achievement, and on many fronts. But it sure wasn’t a shoe-in.  Initially the chestnut … Continue reading →

Enable’s stretch run in the Breeders Cup Turf surely left we mere mortals gasping for air.  She is grand.  She is elegant.  She is courageous beyond measure.  Surely a gift from the horse gods and goddesses. We all knew going … Continue reading →

She did it!   Winx handily added her 4th Cox Plate to her astonishing record. And watching the crowds go wild in the presence of Winx I am reminded of something I wrote many years ago about Northern Dancer.  He was, … Continue reading →

Talismanic.   With his four white stockings and the massive blaze, he surely is a ‘showstopper.’  His name means “producing magical results.”  And he certainly looks magical. Last year’s Breeders Cup turf champion, Talismanic is slated to return to North … Continue reading →

Some horses simply ‘fill your eye.’  In the case of Shamardal, he also embodies the most extraordinary saga. I was lured into the world of Shamardal by Sheika Reika, winner of the recent E.P.Taylor stakes.  This led to looking at … Continue reading →

The mighty Winx has just powered her way to yet another victory – 28 consecutive – but who’s counting?  My Australian friends are following her from track to track, with total devotion… and awe.  And I am totally jealous. I … Continue reading →

Instagrand won his first race by 10 lengths.  His second by 10-1/4.  And punters were backing him to win the Breeders’ Cup.  Instead his owner, Larry Best, put the two year-old colt out to pasture for the rest of the … Continue reading →

As all the excitement and controversy around Justify’s Belmont victory abates and Father’s Day looms it seems appropriate to delve further into the grand chestnut colt’s heritage.  At the top of the list has to be Nearctic.  Indeed the aristocratic, … Continue reading →