Sean Clancy

The Iroquois. Just watch.

And just like that, the Ferris wheel reaches the top. The spring season hits its zenith and starts its descent with the 84th running of the Iroquois Steeplechase. The bullseye, the fulcrum, the main event. Seven races worth $730,000. I’m watching Sportscenter and trying to decide when I need to … Read More

Six runners at the Iroquois. Two runners at Willowdale. The spring season – possibly the whole season – can be made in an afternoon. It could be the best card in American steeplechase history. Seven competitive races with full fields, including a split novice with the same purse ($125,000) in each … Read More

Wow, another big Saturday. Pudding Lane continued a streak of stakes, winning the $50,000 4-year-old Stakes at the Virginia Gold Cup Saturday. Zabeel Champion upsetting the Temple Gwathmey, Cyber Ninja rallying in the Daniel Van Clief and Pudding Lane dominting in the Smithwick. Three weekends, three stakes. On to Nashville. … Read More

Two wins. Two seconds. Two thirds. Two countries. In six starts. What a day. Rupert The Prince started it the day with a third in a 2-mile flat race at Ripon. And, yes, I watched it from the Sheetz parking lot. A solid effort and a big improvement from a … Read More

Still basking from a big weekend. Wins with Zabeel Champion and Jhirsch. Seconds with De La Cruz, Wilma Flintshire and Include It. We were 4 lengths from winning five. Now that would have been something. Tuddenham Green returned to the races with a win at Loudoun Point-to-Point Sunday. Now where … Read More

“This is not the goal.” That’s how Jack Fisher described the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey to jockey Freddie Procter Saturday afternoon. “If you finish third without giving him a hard race, we’ll be ecstatic.” That’s how I described the Temple Gwathmey to Procter. Zabeel Champion was making his first start … Read More

I will save you the time and trouble. No rain. That’s the long and short, cut and dry of it here in Middleburg. Before you text, call or head down the highway for a walk, that’s my answer. No rain. An eight-race card at Glenwood Park Saturday attracted decent entries … Read More

Monday morning regroup. Rough weekend as Sherminator could not get involved at Aintree Friday and Include It fell at My Lady’s Manor Saturday. The former is explainable, just the wrong tactics. The latter is unexplainable, although plenty are trying. Distracted by a mistake made by a rival in front of … Read More

Disappointing result yesterday as Sherminator failed to make any impact at Aintree. Too far back, behind a wall (walls) of horses, he wound up 13th. Distance was arguably too short. Ground was probably too quick. Tactics weren’t prudent. All those factors, all those decisions, all those variables in a sport … Read More