Awful circumstances forced Jay Glass to assume the responsibilities of a man when he was 10 years old. He was that age when his stepfather, Norman Funk, the only father he had known, was involved in a horrific car accident caused by a driver who ran a stop sign. Funk, in the back seat of […]

Saul Castellanos, a top assistant to trainer Mark Hennig and a recent winner of a Thoroughbred Industry Employee Award, said of his life and career, “I live the American Dream plus.” Plus? “Plus is like more than I thought,” he explained. “This country gives you opportunities and it is up to you to take that. […]

No one would blame Steve Norman if he retired tomorrow. He is 67. He has been a blacksmith for 49 years. Kate, his wife of 35 years, would welcome the opportunity to spend more time with him. So would their three daughters — Sarah, Samantha and Meredith – and his three grandchildren. Norman has nothing […]

Rev up the yellow school bus. Sackatoga Stable, whose members famously arrived at Churchill Downs in a yellow school bus to watch their longshot Funny Cide win the 2003 Kentucky Derby, is gearing up for another run at the roses. Sackatoga, with a reconfigured partnership, is on the Road to the Derby with another New […]

It seems fitting that the Abundant Life Chapel sits not far from the pastoral setting where inmates work in the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Second Chances Program at Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington, Ky. The program is all about life, extending the lives of retired Thoroughbreds who might otherwise have met awful ends while restoring hope […]

Glenn Thompson never cared much for formal education and said he quit school in the sixth grade. When it comes to life experience, the masterful job he has done caring for Ellis Park’s racetrack for the last 69 years merits an honorary degree from any of the nation’s finest universities. Veteran trainer Larry Jones, three-time […]

Toni Modzelewski grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and knew at a young age she wanted to work with horses. She quit Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Ill., at the end of her junior year to pursue her passion, much to her parents’ consternation. Modzelewski can still hear the voice of her […]

Paul Ruchames, executive director of the Backstretch Employee Service Team in New York, compares the late Marylou Whitney to Johnny Appleseed. “She’s put these seeds all over that will outlive her and keep her good works going,” he said. One of her great works and one her husband, John Hendrickson, remains deeply committed to continuing […]

Fans can be sure to find an insider’s view this summer by tuning in to Saratoga Live and hanging on Tom Amoss’ every word. Amoss has worked at every level of the game since he took out his trainer’s license in 1987, and his operation has grown from five horses to more than 70. He is playing […]

Although Mayola never made it to the races, she accomplished something far more important for Scott Woerner. She helped bring her owner back to life. Woerner was a middle-age man who started to wonder if he had a reason for being after extreme difficulty breathing led to the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis that was affecting […]