Calvin Borel - the Kentucky Derby winning jockey in profile

Calvin Borel’s portrayal on the mural of Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys at Churchill Downs, painted by the renowned artist Pierre “Peb” Bellocq, had already undergone minor surgery in 2009, when the jockey followed up a 2007 Derby on Street Sense with a win aboard Mine That Bird. His caricature was modified to hold up two fingers, but in 2010, after Super Saver charged up the rail to give Borel his third Derby, Peb rearranged his left hand to show three fingers.

By Frances Karon

First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

Linda Rice - a racehorse trainer making her mark on the big stage

If you win the training title at Saratoga, people will notice you. Linda Rice, catapulted into national recognition when she became the first woman to achieve this coveted honor in 2009, has been turning the heads of those in the know for many years now.

By Kathleen Donovan

FIrst Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

Working the Kinesio tape therapy magic on equine athletes

In a sport where everyone is looking for an edge, the latest for Thoroughbreds may be Kinesio tape. It is the same tape seen on tennis star Serena Williams, soccer player David Beckham, any number of University of Connecticut basketball players, and many others. It creates a lifting effect on the skin of humans and horses alike to improve circulation, relieve pain, and, depending on its application, relax or stimulate muscles.

By Ken Snyder

First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

Keeping it in the family - can a horse's family traits be used to a trainer's advantage?

It’s the same story at every dinner party, writes Frances J. Karon. A stranger will invariably ask, “What do you do?”, as if the response will somehow explain the very essence of one’s being. Similarly, the first question we have for the owner or trainer who tells us he has a nice yearling on the farm is, “What’s it by?”

By Frances Karon

First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

The Advance of Turkish racing on the international scene

For centuries extending back to the Roman Empire, Turkey and its cosmopolitan center now known as Istanbul have been the crossroads of civilizations, straddling Europe and Asia and connecting the commerce, art and religions of the world. Today Turkey is diligently working to also achieve recognition as a significant new crossroads for horseracing.

By Michele MacDonald

First Published: (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

The decline of East Coast fair racing

In his 47 years of working at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, Max Mosner, the fair’s president and general manager, has seen Thoroughbred racing at Maryland fairs, and at other fairs on the East Coast, slow to a crawl.

By Bill Heller

First Published  (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)

Rescinding claims - is it time to change the rules?

Last October, during a regular meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) at then-CHRB chairman John Harris’s Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant in Coalinga, California, commissioner Bo Derek, the actress and horsewoman, brought up an agenda item that sooner or later will likely have national ramifications. The issues: should long-held claiming rules be changed to void claims when a claimed horse doesn’t finish (DNF) a race or tests positive for prohibited substances?

By Sid Fernando

First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17 )

Tibial stress fractures - a more common injury in racehorses than you might think

Tibial stress fractures are generally perceived to be serious injuries that occur infrequently and require lengthy recovery times. However, this article will suggest that these injuries are in fact much more common than most people think and are often misdiagnosed as pulled muscles. In addition, they may not be as serious as previously thought and with the help of sequential x-rays monitoring the injury, young horses can be returned to training surprisingly quickly.

By James Tate BVMS MRCVS

First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue 17)

Arnold Kirkpatrick Column - Accentuate the Positive

I woke up today with the lyrics from an old Johnny Mercer song running through my head: You've got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive, E-liminate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative, Don't mess with Mr. In-Between.Written in 1944, that song should be a pretty good anthem for today’s Thoroughbred industry.
By Arnold Kirkpatrick


First Published (21 July 2010 - Issue Number: 17)