Bird is the word

Exercise rider, jockey, owners and trainer speak about their 135th Kentucky Derby winning horse on Sunday, May 3, 2009.

Alysheba returns to Kentucky

Photos and audio by David Stephenson, Story By Janet Patton

The return of the native: Lexington-born Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Alysheba officially came back to Kentucky and public life on Friday.

The son of the late Alydar moved into the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Champions after eight years in Saudi Arabia. He returned to the U.S. as a gift to the American people from Saudi King Abdullah. Read more

Maryjean’s view from the ‘dark side’

Former Herald-Leader racing writer Maryjean Wall, who has often been our partner when covering all things thoroughbred, worked at the recent Breeder’s Cup as *GASP* a photographer!

She outlines her days in Santa Anita working for Team Z and the Thoroughbred Times on her blog.

“But that’s what it’s like, I learned, on photo side at a major event: pressure, pressure, pressure, with far more of it than the writers experience. I’m not going to go so far as to say the writers are coddled in their press box. But they do have time to handicap and bet between races. The shooters do not.”
(Photo by Maryjean Wall, above. In photo at left: Front row from left: Enzina Mastrippolito (”Z”), Kirk Schlea, Amy Wallot, and Maryjean Wall; rear, from left, Max Morse, middle is Matt Barton, and Jeremy Lyverse.)

Keeneland in another light

One of the things I enjoy most is showing people things they don’t normally get to see. The infrared camera is another way to do that.

We all know what horses look like, and most of us in Central Kentucky have a good idea what Keeneland race track looks like. But I’m pretty sure none of us have ever thought about what Keeneland might look like in the infrared light spectrum. Read more

Young jocks looking for their groove at Keeneland

Mikey James and Matthew Straight, recent graduates of the North American Racing Academy, have brought their riding careers to Keeneland’s fall meet.

FULL STORY

MORE: Videos and slideshows from the jockeys’ training.

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