Sean's Blog

Karl Glassman stopped a few feet in front of the Saratoga winner’s circle. In a purple Breeders’ Cup baseball hat, a gray suit, a yellow tie and clutching a rolled-up program in his left hand, Glassman looked to the sky and pumped his right fist once, twice, three times. “That’s … Read More

Correction I killed a man. On an aimless, restless walk, a day or two out of my second round of Covid, I was drifting and dreaming and jumping genres from newspaper writing to creative writing. I found a photo pinned to a tree, conjured up a story and killed a … Read More

We met George Grey last week. A mainstay for Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens from 1970 to 1985, the 69-year-old groom came back to Saratoga to work for Phil Serpe this summer. Serpe knew Grey was our kind of guy. Wow was he right.  Grey talked about Onion, Kinsman Hope, … Read More

The Hall of Fame. And the Hall of Famers I have known. Carl Nafzger. Inducted 2008. The former bull rider picked his way across a muddy Clare Court back when Street Sense was flying high in Saratoga. “You’ve got to pick your islands,” Nafzger said as he tip-toed across the … Read More

I stumble across the photo, the tree, the setting on a slow Tuesday morning.  On a walk, going nowhere, just strolling, through Clare Court, down in the valley, past Greentree, up the road along Yaddo’s backyard, wondering who’s writing poems, who’s writing classics on the other side of the woods. … Read More

George Grey needed a job. A long way from his Alabama home, he couldn’t pick cotton like he did when he was a kid. Living in Elmont, working his way through school, raised by a single mother, money was tight. The 14-year-old got a visitor’s pass at the Belmont Park … Read More

Questions. Oh, so many questions. While we travel to and from Saratoga, while we amble the backstretch in the morning, while we host a podcast at Whitman, while we decompress at the office after a deadline, we ask a lot of questions, think of a lot of questions. Here are … Read More

Clifford Nass says multitasking is a fallacy. But yet we try.  Nothing tests the Stanford professor’s theory like working in racing. And working from home. Still in Virginia, I worked from the home office – the family room couch – Friday. Deadline Friday. It starts early. And will surely end late.  … Read More

Picking up checks. Palio made his American debut in the maiden hurdle at Colonial Downs Thursday. The 4-year-old found a comfortable spot in the middle, between horses, jumped well, traveled well. Turning for home, duck inside and pounce. Well, he didn’t pounce, finishing third. Looked like he just got tired … Read More

Saturday, I spent my day with Whitebeam, Mo Plex and a card full of Saratoga stars. Today, I spent it with Kissin Conquest, Just Blue, Apse and Eagle Poise. Two career maidens, a Saratoga hurdle winner and a Grade 3 flat winner. On a farm in Virginia. Our Thoroughbred Retirement … Read More