[cardcrimson]

Forgot Tom Durkin: “Concern from out of the clouds.” “And Sunday Silence holds on by a desperate neck.” “Here is the incredible, invincible, unbeatable Cigar.”

Maybe it's just the Californian in me, but when I watch the replay of the 1989 Breeders' Cup Classic I think Tom Durkin sounds disappointed that "New York's" Easy Goer couldn't get by Sunday Silence. Eastern racing people revere the Phipps family and I think they didn't like how Sunday Silence usually got the best of Easy Goer. Easy Goer probably had better top-end speed, but Sunday Silence had the nimbleness and tactical speed that's so important on one-mile racetracks like Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and the old Gulfstream Park. And as a sire Sunday Silence made Japan a major player in international racing. The Sunday Silence-Easy Goer saga is fascinating but nobody outside racing knows about it.

Are you a horse racing guy, by chance?

During my adolescence my two passions were Stanford sports and horse racing. I spent many, many Saturdays either at Stanford games or at Bay Meadows. I ended up working in horse racing media, primarily on the publicity end. I worked for the New York Racing Association (the company that operates Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga) for five years and the experience pretty much eliminated the hard pro-California racing stance I had in my youth, but I'm still very much on the side of Sunday Silence. I haven't worked in racing since 2016 and I'm glad I left because I have become cynical about the state of the racing industry, but when I look back on my experiences I am blown away that an unconnected kid from California like myself got paid to watch and write about major races and interview legends like Allen Jerkens.

Great history. Thanks for sharing. Quite a wealth of experiences on this board in a variety of areas. Fun to see. I've been to most of the major sporting events in the US, though have not made it to the Kentucky Derby. On my to do list. Did make it to Saratoga when I lived in Central New York. Great event, and a lot of fun. What got you hooked on racing?

[cardcrimson]

Forgot Tom Durkin: “Concern from out of the clouds.” “And Sunday Silence holds on by a desperate neck.” “Here is the incredible, invincible, unbeatable Cigar.”

Maybe it's just the Californian in me, but when I watch the replay of the 1989 Breeders' Cup Classic I think Tom Durkin sounds disappointed that "New York's" Easy Goer couldn't get by Sunday Silence. Eastern racing people revere the Phipps family and I think they didn't like how Sunday Silence usually got the best of Easy Goer. Easy Goer probably had better top-end speed, but Sunday Silence had the nimbleness and tactical speed that's so important on one-mile racetracks like Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and the old Gulfstream Park. And as a sire Sunday Silence made Japan a major player in international racing. The Sunday Silence-Easy Goer saga is fascinating but nobody outside racing knows about it.

Are you a horse racing guy, by chance?

During my adolescence my two passions were Stanford sports and horse racing. I spent many, many Saturdays either at Stanford games or at Bay Meadows. I ended up working in horse racing media, primarily on the publicity end. I worked for the New York Racing Association (the company that operates Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga) for five years and the experience pretty much eliminated the hard pro-California racing stance I had in my youth, but I'm still very much on the side of Sunday Silence. I haven't worked in racing since 2016 and I'm glad I left because I have become cynical about the state of the racing industry, but when I look back on my experiences I am blown away that an unconnected kid from California like myself got paid to watch and write about major races and interview legends like Allen Jerkens.

Great history. Thanks for sharing. Quite a wealth of experiences on this board in a variety of areas. Fun to see. I've been to most of the major sporting events in the US, though have not made it to the Kentucky Derby. On my to do list. Did make it to Saratoga when I lived in Central New York. Great event, and a lot of fun. What got you hooked on racing?