Thoughts from our editor, Joe Clancy. For archived editorials click here.
Notice anything different about this magazine? Hopefully you did already and if you didn’t, keep turning pages. There’s a fresh look, largely steered by director of publications Barrie Reightler and her design skills, that hopefully makes Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred better.
Give director of publications Barrie Reightler credit for the quip. In response to a simple “How’s it going?” she replied, “I’m hanging in there. . .but the thread is getting thin.” I nearly spit out my tea. I don’t think she intended to do so, but she basically spoke for the entire Thoroughbred industry – publications, racetracks, farms, trainers, breeders, owners, buyers, sellers, whatever.
People ask me all the time why Saratoga Race Course still hosts stee-ple-chase races. Compared to the old days at America’s most storied racetrack, the jumpers have been marginalized – seven races (if they fill), always the first on the card, on Wednesdays, no final jump in the stretch, only two hurdles on the backstretch, never in the pick five or other major multi-race wager.
If you’re reading this, you have some knowledge of the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority regulations which went into effect July 1.
Uncle Lew wrote a letter, a few actually, and received actual responses. And soon I was in a Subaru, or maybe it was a pick-up truck, headed south on I-95 with Josh Pons. We took the old tunnel, went to Laurel Park and the Bowie Library. We talked about racing, writing, horses, people. I’m embarrassed at what I told him I was reading – newspaper sports sections mainly, and some dumb books.
