Thursday, December 31, 2015

My Favorite Blogs of 2015

As 2015 comes to an end, I would like to share my top 15 favorite blogs that I wrote during the year. It was difficult to rank these and several of them are interchangeable, but it was certainly a special year in racing and I would not trade any of my own personal experiences in the industry in 2015 for anything. I have truly found my passion in telling the stories in horse racing – whether it be through words, photos or both – and this year only reiterated that.

Of course, I wrapped up the year in racing as a whole in my 2015 review on Horse Racing Nation, but let's take a look at my favorite pieces of mine from the year...

(To read the articles, just click on their respective titles. Each link will open in a new window.)


Even before American Pharoah suffered his only loss of the year in the Travers, the Triple Crown winner faced disrespect from many racing fans. But I stood up for the champion, discussing the factors that make him great and advising fans to appreciate him while they had the chance.


As a Texan – and of course a racing fan – it has been frustrating to see the fight between the Texas Racing Commission and Texas legislature. Just days after the legislature forced a one-day shutdown of Texas racing, I wrote this piece about the situation.


Thoroughbred racing is obviously my main focus, but in the fall, my home track (Lone Star Park) hosts a Quarter Horse meet. Quarter Horse racing is like a different world, but I will not pass up a night at the racetrack – especially with camera in hand. Plus, night racing can make for some vibrant colors.


My “Ponies of the Track” series are usually some of my favorites to write, and this one about Danielle Rosier’s Appaloosa pony – Buddy – was no different. As an Appaloosa owner and equestrian myself, I always enjoy shining a spotlight on the breed – especially when I can combine it with horse racing.


It should be no secret that Wise Dan is one of my favorite racehorses of all-time, and I have been very blessed to have spent some time around him and the LoPrestis. While visiting Kentucky in late spring, I visited the LoPresti barn several times – even getting to walk to and back from the barn to the training track with Charlie LoPresti and Wise Dan.


Although I never got to see American Pharoah race, I had the amazing opportunity to watch him train and spend time around him at Churchill Downs while he prepared for the Belmont Stakes. It was the experience of the lifetime and despite one morning in the driving rain, I followed American Pharoah around with my camera in hand to document those special moments forever.


One of the main highlights of my personal racing experiences this year was most certainly my trip to Keeneland in the fall. Due to a time conflict with the Appaloosa World Championship Show, I was unable to attend this year’s Breeders’ Cup, so I decided to fly to Lexington to catch Keeneland’s second biggest weekend of the fall. And it was incredible.


Just days before American Pharoah made his run at history in the Belmont Stakes, thanks to the generosity of Taylor Made Farm, I had the great opportunity to interview John Hall. The yearling manager at the farm, Hall worked with American Pharoah when the colt was a youngster at the farm – and he had high hopes for the colt from the beginning.


Although this piece was short and to the point, it was a big moment for me. On the first of many mornings spent visiting Wise Dan at Keeneland in late May, Charlie LoPresti generously gave me the go-ahead to break the news that his two-time Horse of the Year had been cleared to resume galloping. It was an amazing feeling to be the first to break the big news.


The only piece on this list that was published on this blog rather than my Horse Racing Nation blog, this essay has a special meaning to me. It details the best summer of my life – when I witnessed a Triple Crown winner and achieved some of my biggest goals by winning a pair of National Championships at the Appaloosa National Championship Show.


When American Pharoah drew away to win the Belmont, he left me an emotional mess. He had just become the first Triple Crown winner of my lifetime. But I was not in shock; I had expected him to win. In fact, the majority of this piece was written before the Belmont was even contested.


A portion of this blog post contains some of the paragraphs from “My First Triple Crown Winner,” but after American Pharoah capped off his career with a dominating victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, I could not help but write a thank you letter to him.


One of my most special moments this year was interviewing Charlie LoPresti while standing outside of Wise Dan’s stall. The gelding dozed as we talked about him, but quickly came to the front of his stall when Amy LoPresti showed up with an apple. The time I have spent with Wise Dan and the LoPrestis is something I will always cherish, so this article was a very meaningful one for me to write.


As mentioned under “Ponies of the Track – Buddy: The Spotted Pony,” one of my favorite things to do is combine my passions for Appaloosas and horse racing. This article was particularly special to write, as I had the chance to tell the story of Applesauce. Owned by Monnie Goetz, Applesauce gained national recognition when accompanying Donna Brothers on several NBC horse racing broadcasts – including the Breeders’ Cup. This article became even more special to me when it was reprinted as the feature article in the December 2015 issue of the Appaloosa Journal with my photo of Applesauce on the cover.


The best part of writing this article was talking to her connections to learn more about the story. It was inspiring to hear how much this filly means to them, and how much the connections themselves care for one another. It truly made my heart happy to be able to tell the story of Folded Wings and help the wonderful people associated with her share it.


A big thank you to all the people and horses who helped make 2015 such a great year!

The first time I saw American Pharoah


Wise Dan



Sharing a special moment with Smokey (American Pharoah's pony)
Photo by Terri Cage Photography

























Showing my ApHC gelding, Handy Principles, on the way to a Reserve World Championship
Photo by Larry Williams Photography






























Playing with Wise Dan
Wise Dan and I took several selfies together in 2015
Tepin
My ApHC gelding, Sterling Invitation, and me
Photo by Terri Cage Photography

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

HRN: 2015 Racing Highlights: Month by Month

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

2015 Racing Highlights: Month by Month

2015 will go down as one of the most historic years in American horse racing history, as it was the year that marked the end of the 37-year Triple Crown drought. Throughout 2015, we watched as a sports legend was made in American Pharoah – a horse who became a national celebrity, putting horse racing in the spotlight. Although his accomplishments were certainly the main highlights of the year, several other great moments occurred in U.S. horse racing this year, so let’s look at some of those – broken down month by month.

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

HRN: Racing's Future: Matt Dinerman

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .


Racing's Future: Matt Dinerman

“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.


Meet Matt Dinerman

Born and raised in San Diego, California, 23-year-old Matt Dinerman has been a fan of racing since age 11. He is now the racetrack announcer at Emerald Downs. He is also a trip notes analyst on a new website called OptixEQ, and contributes handicapping analysis to TVG’s online newsletter. Follow him on Twitter, @3coltshandicap. . ."


Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

Friday, December 18, 2015

HRN: Racing's Future: Cameron Decker

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .


Racing's Future: Cameron Decker

“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.


Meet Cameron Decker


14-year-old Arizona resident Cameron Decker has been a fan of horse racing for six years. He is currently interning for trainer Sharlot Martinez at Turf Paradise on the weekends to get early start and work towards his career as a racehorse trainer. Follow him on Instagram, @cam_deckr. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

HRN: Folded Wings: Giving Hope Flight

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Folded Wings: Giving Hope Flight

"Hope was all but lost. Inspiration was desperately needed – and so was a miracle.

Lacey McDaniel, a letter carrier for the Postal Service, had been suffering from interstitial cystitis – commonly known as IC. A chronic inflammation of the bladder, the condition caused her to persistently suffer from severe pain. She could only hope for relief from the pain, but doctors informed her that there was nothing they could do for her other than continue to manage and treat the condition.

In stepped Dr. Robert F. Jackson, a respected Indiana surgeon. He brought to her attention the possibility of adipose stem cell therapy – a method that has made a name for itself in the equine industry by helping the likes of two-time Californian Horse of the Year Lava Man and Grade 1 winners Ever a Friend and Greg’s Gold.

But as a procedure that was considered experimental, insurance would not cover its extreme cost. Lacey and her husband, Jeremy McDaniel, had already spent large sums of money on her previous medical bills, each of them working an exhausting amount of overtime to pay for them. There appeared no other way to pay for the stem cell therapy. But Jeremy found one. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

Friday, December 11, 2015

HRN: Racing's Future: Eric DeCoster

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .


Racing's Future: Eric DeCoster

“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.

Meet Eric DeCoster

Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, 13-year-old Eric DeCoster now resides in Phoenix, Arizona. A fan of racing from a very early age, he promotes horse racing through his Instagram – @mr_ed26 – and Twitter – @hawksnhorses.
"


Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Announcing PTG's Second Guest Blog Contest

Now is your chance to be published on Past the Grandstand! Have an essay/article about anything racing or OTTB-related? Send a message to my Facebook page, my Instagram account or my Twitter account to inform me that you would like to enter the contest and I will give you an email address to which to send the essay.

More than just the "first place" guest blog may be chosen to be published! The last time I hosted a guest blog contest, five essays were published on Past the Grandstand in January 2014. Check them out here!

Any prior participants – aside from the first place winner – are allowed to participate.

You have until Friday, January 8, 2016 at 10 p.m. (Eastern Time) to submit an essay. You may only submit one. The winner will be announced and published on Sunday, January 10. If I decide to publish any additional guest blogs, they will be published on later dates.

NOTE: Any published blog is subject to grammatical, spelling and factual corrections.



If you have any questions about the contest, please do not hesitate to ask.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Can the blog include a photo?

Yes! You can include as many photos as you see fit.

2. Is there a minimum or maximum length?

There are no set length specifications.

3. Can the blog already have been published somewhere else?

No, but it may be published elsewhere after the contest has concluded and ALL winning blogs have been published.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Cover Photo and Article for Appaloosa Journal

As an ApHC equestrian with multiple ApHC National Champion and ApHC Reserve World Champion titles to my name and a few beloved Appaloosa horses of my own, it is an honor to have a photo I took - and the corresponding feature article to go along with it - on the cover of the December 2015 issue of the Appaloosa Journal. To make it more special, the photo and article combine Appaloosas with the world of Thoroughbred racing, as they highlight lead pony Applesauce - who has accompanied Donna Brothers on various NBC broadcasts, including the 2015 Breeders' Cup.

To view the magazine cover and article, please visiting the Appaloosa Journal website by clicking here. You must sign up to be able to read the article in the magazine. However, the article is a reprint of my "Ponies of the Track" feature about Applesauce on Horse Racing Nation, which can be accessed here.


HRN: Racing's Future: Danica Cochran

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Racing's Future: Danica Cochran

"“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.

Meet Danica Cochran

Danica Cochran, 21, is a graduate of the Thoroughbred Equine Racing Program at Morrisville State College, located in upstate New York. She is originally from southeast Massachusetts, but has been living in Lexington, Kentucky for a little over a year now. A fan of racing since 2004, Dani is currently working as a vet assistant and farm hand at Gunston Hall Farm in Lexington. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

HRN: Racing's Future: Delaney Witbrod

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blogThese notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Racing's Future: Delaney Witbrod



"“Racing’s Future” is a Q&A series in which I aspire to help everyone in the industry. In addition to shining a spotlight on youth who plan to have a career in horse racing, I hope that the opinions expressed in their responses will offer industry leaders insight into what a younger audience believes the sport should improve upon.


Meet Delaney Witbrod

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, 18-year-old Delaney Witbrod currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky, where she attends the University of Kentucky in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Equine Science and Management. She has been actively following horse racing since 2009 and currently promotes horse racing through her Instagram account, @racingthewonders_. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.