Vol. LXVI June 5, 2009
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We're not the only persons capable of developing special affinities for more average horses.
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Dear Fans,
I’ve been to the Derby eight times and the Preakness four, but curiously I have yet to attend the Belmont Stakes. That will change on Saturday, and I am more than somewhat excited about it. I’m not so sure I would have made the trip had Rachel Alexandra stayed in the field. A whole lot of hype would have brought out a larger crowd, and a different kind of excitement. Without her, the huge Belmont facility will teem with life, but should not be stressed beyond its functional level. What a wonderful opportunity this presents to head downstate to enjoy great racing. There are four Grade 1’s and two Grade 2’s on the Belmont card, and the weather is expected to be clear and in the mid-seventies.
I’m sorry the filly will miss the race, but I’m sure it’s the right thing for her to wait this one out. I don’t feel the interest will plummet to the extent that NYRA has predicted, but if it does it will only serve to rekindle my insistence that the media and marketing of racing may be missing the boat.
The industry has become dependent on too few elements, and when a card doesn’t fill as expected, the air goes out of the balloon rather quickly. I am not going to review all the reasons we should remain enthused about Belmont Day, those reasons abound in articles on-line, and can even be found in some newspapers. What I will stay on the stump about is that we prove time and time-again that we need to spread our risks and cultivate interest in more areas of the game. If the industry provided more in-depth coverage on the multitude of layers which exist in racing more people might be inclined to gravitate to this sport. We could perhaps become less dependent on the super-horse and make heroes out of many others.
I go out to the Oklahoma Training Track most mornings and one of the highlights is an occasional visit with an old friend. I hadn’t seen Razor for almost 25 years, but during the 70’s, and up until the mid-80’s I saw him every day during the Ak-Sar-Ben meet in Omaha, NE. That’s a whole other story, but the part that fits here is how many horses we recall from those days. Some of them were truly classy runners, but most were just honest, hard-trying horses. Albeit, people like Razor and I are real horse people and especially Razor; I eventually went on to do other things, but he’s still hands-on every day. Still, I don’t think we’re the only type of people prone to develop affinities for the more average horse. These relationships are based upon getting to know them and caring about where they came from, how they’re feeling and where they may be headed. Same goes for their handlers—you do not have to be a Hall of Famer to have a compelling story.
The racing game contains a mother lode of valuable folklore. Our economy dictates that we become resourceful so why don’t we dig into this gold mine of material?
Every day at Oklahoma I enjoy a rarefied sense of enlivenment—it’s the horses and the special people handling them which provide me this wonderful depth of emotion.
Heading to my first Belmont with the expectation of a smallish crowd and picture-perfect weather offers more than just comfort to this fan. I will marvel that on busy Long Island, I can step into an oasis of 450 acres to enjoy Belmont’s most celebrated race, the final jewel of racing’s Triple Crown. With equal enthusiasm I look forward to visiting the stable area, and sharing time with friends who have a vested interest in this race and dreams for many more of them down the line.
Marilyn Lane
Editor-in-Chief
Mlane@thorofan.com
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"The task of the writer is to seize the reader by the back of the neck and force him to love life"
~ Leo Tolstoy
This editor’s task is to take fans by the forelock and lead them back to the traditions and joys of horseracing. |
