Al Stall Jr - the trainer of Blame and a trainer to follow this fall

These days, Al Stall Jr.’s barn is awash with the sweet smell of success. Blame it on Blame. If you want to get literal about it, the scent is coming from the bale-sized hay steamer by the office, where the warm mist creeping out the sides of the box indicates that it’s removing dust and allergens from the hay that is specifically fed to Grade 1 winner Blame. But you wouldn’t be wrong to look down this shedrow accentuated by the bright, historic colors of Claiborne Farm, broken by the occasional head poking over the webbing, and think there’s something more magical in the air than the effects of a hay steamer at work.

By Frances J Karon

First Published (19 October 2010 - Issue Number: 18)

Kinsale King raises Carl O’Callaghan to global prominence

When trainer Carl O'Callaghan returned to Hollywood Park from England with sprinter Kinsale King in July, a surprise gift awaited them. Three six-packs of Guinness ale and a cooler sat in O'Callaghans stable office in Barn 53 North with a note from Joshua Christian, racing program manager for Breeders Cup Limited:

By Steve Schuelein 


FIrst Published (20 October 2010 - Issue Number: 18)

Danielle Hodsdon - the leading steeplechase rider in profile

A fan-favorite on the U.S. steeplechase racing circuit, Danielle Hodsdon is known to give the boys a run for their money, routinely ending high in the standings in a male-dominated sport.

By Daniela Snyder

First Published (20 October 2010 - Issue Number: 18)

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)

Leading racehorse trainer Graham Motion in profile

His parents were heavily involved in racing and it rubbed off on their son, who started training in 1993and 11 years later won his first Breeders’ Cup event with Better Talk Now in the Turf. That win threw the mild-mannered Englishman into the limelight and he hasn’t looked back.

By Frances J. Karon

First Published (20 April 2011 - Issue Number: Issue 20)

Carl Nafzger - an old-school trainer with traditional values

By Frances J Karon

First Published (14 April 2010 - Issue Number: 16)

Carl and Wanda Nafzger stand trackside with Ian Wilkes, monitoring the horses training under the white saddlecloths with a red border. That some of these are marked with a plain “N” and others a “W” comprised of two boomerangs is irrelevant. It may be four years since Australian Wilkes officially took over as trainer for the bulk of Nafzger’s stable, but little has changed around their barn, where Wilkes has, for a while, been the more hands-on of the two.