The Pensioner (pensionerspaddock.com) is the online home of Bob Barry. Here’s my story. My first blog, Around2Turns (2014-2016), was a quirky labor of my love for thoroughbred racing. It was also a quiet act of desperation by a 57-year-old newspaper circulation analyst in dire need of a creative outlet¹. Around2Turns²...

Giant's Causeway's family had a big impact onthe ratings.On Wednesday the British Horse Racing Authority published the 2019 European 2-Year-Old Classifications with 40 of last year’s 2-year-olds appearing on the list at a mark of 110 or higher. From the highest rated horse in 25 years to a sire finishing...

All of the horses at Old Friends mean so much to everyone. But some, sometimes, make a special connection. That was the case for me and Cajun Beat. We were all shocked to learn of his sudden passing. But when … Continue reading →...

Three times. Empire Maker has stopped me in my tracks. Thudded me to silence. Jolted me from my thoughts....

In the wake of another horse death at Santa Anita Park on January 19, 2020, Los Angeles racing writer John Cherwa wrote: “There is…the possibility that an amendment could be placed on the California ballot that could outlaw horse racing in the state.  However, at this point, there is no...

Listed action returned to Korean racing this past weekend with the Segye Ilbo Cup kicking off the 2020 feature race schedule at Seoul on Sunday afternoon. And it was last year’s champion three-year-old Simjangui Godong who prevailed, defeating Do Kki Blade and favourite Gaon Champ in a tight three-way finish....

1 Dennis' Moment Dale Romans Tiznow—Transplendid, by Elusive Quality It was important to see him work in order for him to secure the wide-open No. 1 spot, and he just got it in, breezing a half in :50 3/5 Jan. 12, then putting in a more serious half in :48...

One of the favorite things I’ve learned in recent years is video editing.  I’m still very much a beginner at it, but it is so enjoyable to tell a story using video.  And with Iphones being such a solid camera nowadays, you really can make little movies just with a...

After the Kansas City Chiefs dispatched the Tennessee Titans Sunday to grab a spot in Super Bowl LIV, Thoroughbred trainer Graham Motion sent a text to congratulate Chiefs coach Andy Reid. And, like he always does, Reid responded with a thank you....

It didn't take long for trainer Victor Barboza Jr. to find the winner's circle after being reinstated at Gulfstream Park by the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track's owner, The Stronach Group, which reportedly handed the Venezuela native a six-month suspension in November for having unlabeled medication in his barn. Granpollo Stable's...

I saw this tweet pop up today on the twitter box.This dude’s a genius 🤯(via @vrbbates7) pic.twitter.com/4RJIxyJ1Fz— B/R Betting (@br_betting) January 20, 2020 Now, some of it is a conditional probability - Henry under, Cory Davis over, Chiefs receivers under, could group hit based on game flow. But I dare...

As we see once more in the winner of the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream, better racemares make …Continue reading →...

I normally don’t want to tie in any of my tweets to Beemie night.  But, well, tonight I will.  Back in July I was at Woodbine and Dawn Lupul had just recently left her post there after a ton of years.  One thing Dawn always did was “The Daily”.  She’d...

So with many Beemie Awards, this one is a bit of an inside joke for racing folks.  This summer, Holly Smith tweeted a strange story from her Ring Doorbell app about a man walking around in a towel. Crazy Stuff.  Then Michelle Yu Quote tweeted this with just the best...

So this one starts out pretty innocuous.  Horseplayer gives Megan some props for helping him turn $9 into $132.  Then Brock shows up, a little chippy, and replies.  Megan gives what I think is kind of a light hearted response, and then Brock takes it up to an 11 and...

So, this really isn’t a photo, it’s actually just a screenshot from the Preakness telecast.  So technically no photog wins the award this year, but that’s fine.  Bodexpress became a household name when at the start of the preakness he dumped his jockey John Velazquez, but kept on running the...

It takes some thick skin to be on twitter, especially if you’re in any way in the public eye.  As public handicapper for two legendary tracks, Joe Kristufek certainly has eyeballs on him throughout the year.  Anyone who is on twitter in that public eye will certainly take their share...

#FBG #FBGMobile.  If you follow @Fatbaldguyracin you’ve seen those hashtags a few times over the years.  FBG’s account you’re going to get a mix of horses, college hoops, and group selfies from Keeneland. But when the Bret Kavanaugh hearings were going on, twitter was certainly a buzz with the proceedings...

One of life’s great feelings is getting that big job you’ve applied for.  For former Beemie Award winner Ryan Martin, he experienced that joy earlier this year and announced that he’d been hired in the media department at NYRA.  A tremendous achievement and Ryan shared the news with his followers...

January can be cold, bitter, and snowy in Lexington, but the weather was unseasonably warmer during Keeneland’s Horses of All Ages sale, which made life easier for inspecting broodmares and short yearlings on the sales grounds and stallions at the nearby stud farms that power the industry here. Most of...

Jason BeemAs y'all know, tonight is the 37th Annual Beemie Awards. Congrats and best wishes to Carly and those who make it go.It's usually a raucous time on horse twitter, and year after year some twitterites want something to do besides watch that boneheaded awards show.I'm here for you. Here...

This is a female family with one incredible knockout punch. They descend from The Byerly Turk sire line — and the influence of their strain on important sire lines and female families can be traced right up to today. Female families traditionally receive less credit than sire lines in terms...

Editor’s Note: the following is part of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation’s weekly ‘Free-Data Friday’ series. #FreeDataFriday–VOLUME 17: DATA, WAGERING AND THE FUTURE OF RACING At some point the horse racing industry–owners, racetracks and industry organizations–stopped caring about gambling on live horse racing. If gambling on horse racing was any sort...

Every January, the Thoroughbred industry honors its best from the previous year by bestowing awards in various categories. The ceremony for the 49th Eclipse Awards takes place next week at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. In this edition of The Friday Show, Paulick Report editor-in-chief Scott Jagow and bloodstock editor...

Mike and Mike talk harness racing every Thursday in the BetAmerica Radio Network. This week featured the 2019 Post Time with Mike and Mike Awards show. The post Post Time w/ Mike and Mike Harness Show 1/16/20 appeared first on BetAmerica Extra....