As John Velazquez pondered his riding career through the years, he kept two things in mind. He might retire soon after he turned 45; he would surely not ride past 47. Things change. As Velazquez nears his 47th birthday on Nov. 24, there is no hint that a Hall of Fame career that made him the runaway […]

There are times when Niccolo Troiani and his girlfriend, Danni Griggs, feel as though they are foreigners in their native land as they work for accomplished trainer Robertino Diodoro. They have looked after horses at Turf Paradise, Oaklawn Park, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Saratoga Race Course and Delta Downs – their current home – in the […]

Trainer Dale Romans describes Cristina Bahena’s position in his bustling operation as “barn mother,” and that is only fitting. Her willingness to walk three days across a Mexico desert in 1991 with two children in search of a better life in the United States surely reflects the strength of a mother’s love. Bahena, then a […]

Lucas Stritsman of Troy, N.Y., could hardly be described as a grizzled racing veteran. He is no corporate magnate, either. He and his brother, Evan, own Fire Hearth and Patio, a family business in Colonie, N.Y., that their father, Wayne, started in his garage more than four decades ago. Stritsman, 42, offers a refreshingly fresh […]

Wesley Ward, celebrated as a masterful trainer of precocious 2-year-olds and for breakthrough success at Royal Ascot, wants to take the next step in his career by targeting the Kentucky Derby as never before. “I sure would like to get some athletes in the barn that can be on the big stage there,” he said […]

Michael Dubb’s path to Thoroughbred ownership began in a most improbable way – with a night spent sleeping in his van near Saratoga Race Course because he lacked money for a hotel. Dubb and a friend ventured a couple of show bets the following day because their budget was so limited. The part of the […]

Rarely has one family been so closely identified with one trade through several generations as the Amatos are to shoeing horses. The story begins with Salvatore, who learned the fundamentals of being a blacksmith as a teenager in a town near Naples and continued to hone his skills after immigrating from Italy to the United […]

The New York Racing Association concludes a series of diaries to help celebrate the 150th Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday at Belmont Park. “In Their Own Words” features prominent owners, trainers, jockeys and horsemen as they re-live some of the most stirring moments in the rich history of […]

Rene Duplessis groaned.  “I just hurt,” he said. His complaint had nothing to do with his work as a groom. He started in the early 1970s at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He has worked as a groom for trainer Neil Howard, currently based at Churchill Downs, since the early 1990s. No, Duplessis’ woes had […]

The New York Racing Association is presenting a weekly series of diaries to help celebrate the 150th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9 at Belmont Park. “In Their Own Words” features prominent owners, trainers and jockeys as they re-live some of the most stirring moments in the rich history of the “Test of the Champion.” […]