http://www.raceday360.com/wire/feed en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss R30 dana@superterrific.org http://colinsghost.org/2012/02/gladiator-%E2%80%98the-big-bankroll%E2%80%99-and-the-toboggan-handicap-1921.html Colin's Ghost - Of all the shady characters involved in American racing over the last century, few can match Arnold Rothstein, aka “The Big Bankroll.” Rothstein invested in just about every racket imaginable from his home base in New York City up until his death in 1928. He funded liquor operations during prohibition,… ]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:30:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/02/gladiator-%E2%80%98the-big-bankroll%E2%80%99-and-the-toboggan-handicap-1921.html http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/vote-yes-to-horse-racing-in-new-jersey-1939.html Colin's Ghost - Once in a while, something interesting falls in your lap. I was going through a stack of old racing publications, the same stack that produced last week’s post, and found a brochure filed among the pages of one old magazine from 1940. The brochure was published by the ‘Horse Racing… ]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:30:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/vote-yes-to-horse-racing-in-new-jersey-1939.html http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/ten-cool-horse-racing-ads-from-1968.html Colin's Ghost - I’m not much of a memorabilia collector but one thing that I am a sucker for are old racing publications. I have in my office an ever growing stack of the Thoroughbred Record, Bloodhorse, and the National Turf and Sport Digest. Sometimes, when I’m searching for something to write about,… ]]> Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:15:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/ten-cool-horse-racing-ads-from-1968.html http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/2571.html Colin's Ghost - On Saturday, Aqueduct hosts the 34th running of The Ruthless for three-year-old fillies. The race is named for a filly who ran in the 1860s but didn’t find her rightful place in Racing’s Hall of Fame until 1975. Ruthless entered my mind recently as I was reading through Walter Vosburgh’s… ]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:30:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/2571.html http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/walter-vosburghs-racing-in-america-1866-1921.html Colin's Ghost - Walter Vosburgh’s Racing in America, 1866-1921 is one of the most important texts on racing history. The book covers a period in American racing when it evolved into the sport that we know today.  The racing scene of 1866 would be foreign to the race fan of 2012.  By 1921,… ]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/walter-vosburghs-racing-in-america-1866-1921.html http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/and-the-racing-season-begins.html Colin's Ghost - Happy New Year! I’m sure you are like me and looking forward to another year of racing. While racing doesn’t have an official season like other major sports, January is the unofficial opening of the season. This idea is not new, over a century ago, before year round racing in… ]]> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:30:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2012/01/and-the-racing-season-begins.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/12/the-2011-race-of-the-year.html Colin's Ghost - I am slowly emerging from my post Breeders’ Cup haze and beginning to plan things for Colin’s Ghost in 2012. But, before I do that, I have been thinking back on 2011. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown after two years with Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. However, there… ]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:11:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2011/12/the-2011-race-of-the-year.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/11/racing-history-tout-sheet-for-11262011.html Colin's Ghost - Hello all….it’s been awhile since I checked in here.  The Breeders’ Cup wraps my racing season and I usually take a respite from doing any significant historical posts for Colin’s Ghost. In the meantime, I’m launching a new feature called the Racing History Tout Sheet, where I will feature articles,… ]]> Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:00:00 -0800 http://colinsghost.org/2011/11/racing-history-tout-sheet-for-11262011.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/11/betting-the-breeders-cup-1984.html Colin's Ghost - I count myself among those who find things wrong with the Breeders’ Cup for 363 days of the year. But, today and tomorrow, I put all of my issues aside and enjoy the racing. After having the privilege of being in the house for last’s year’s Breeders’ Cup at Churchill… ]]> Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:04:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/11/betting-the-breeders-cup-1984.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jack-atkin-remembering-an-iron-horse-1906-1910-ii.html Colin's Ghost - Yesterday I posted the first of two parts about the iron horse Jack Atkin. The piece was authored by T.J. Connick and if you missed it yesterday, I encourage you to take a look at part one. Today, we’ll conclude the story of Jack Atkin with a detailed narrative about… ]]> Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:30:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jack-atkin-remembering-an-iron-horse-1906-1910-ii.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jack-atkin-remembering-an-iron-horse-1906-1910.html Colin's Ghost - This week, for the first time in this site’s three year history, we have a guest post. T.J. Connick who has dazzled Colin’s Ghost readers with many insightful comments has written a brilliant piece on the long forgotten Jack Atkin. The iron horse Jack Atkin was beloved in his time… ]]> Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jack-atkin-remembering-an-iron-horse-1906-1910.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/laurel-park-opens-1912.html Colin's Ghost - In 1911, one hundred years ago this month, Laurel Park opened for business. Laurel started during a track building boom in Maryland. With racing dark in New York because of a gambling ban, and racing legal in only a handful of states, Maryland opened Laurel, Havre de Grace, and Bowie… ]]> Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/laurel-park-opens-1912.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/joe-palmer-on-jack-keene-the-man-behind-keeneland-race-course.html Colin's Ghost - I was inspired over the weekend reading Glenye Cain Oakford’s outstanding piece for the Daily Racing Form about the history of Keeneland. In fact, it might be the best history piece I have ever read in the DRF. It is a meticulously researched with an incredibly thoughtful selection of quotes from… ]]> Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/joe-palmer-on-jack-keene-the-man-behind-keeneland-race-course.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jockey-club-gold-cup-day-2011.html Colin's Ghost - Yes, the marketing people at NYRA prefer “Super Saturday” but it will always be Jockey Club Gold Cup day to me. Saturday brought a stable of stars to the big oval at Belmont and most would agree that we saw a few horses that will be major players come Breeders… ]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:30:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/jockey-club-gold-cup-day-2011.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/graw-days-festival-in-havre-de-grace-maryland.html Colin's Ghost - This Saturday October 8th from 10am to 5pm the beautiful town of Havre de Grace, Maryland will host the fourth annual Graw Days Festival to celebrate the race track that made the town famous. The track at Havre de Grace, known by the locals as “The Graw,” opened in 1912… ]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/10/graw-days-festival-in-havre-de-grace-maryland.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-jockey-club-gold-cup-america%E2%80%99s-greatest-race.html Colin's Ghost - OK, maybe the title is a bit provocative, especially for those who love the 3-year-old classics. However, there is plenty of evidence for making a good case that the Jockey Club Gold Cup is, historically, a solid contender for the title of America’s greatest race. For race fans of my… ]]> Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-jockey-club-gold-cup-america%E2%80%99s-greatest-race.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-jerome-park-crowd-1866.html Colin's Ghost - One hundred and forty-five years ago next week, Jerome Park in New York opened for business. While it lasted less then 30 years, it’s opening marked a key moment in the history of New York racing. In Steven Reiss’s outstanding The Sport of Kings and the Kings of Crime, he… ]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:45:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-jerome-park-crowd-1866.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/belmont-park-official-inaugural-program-1905.html Colin's Ghost - The opening of Belmont Park in the Fall is an important marker in the racing season. The Belmont Fall meet marks the beginning of the end of the racing season. It’s a meet where horses make their final push for end of the year honors. Kelso, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Damascus,… ]]> Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:45:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/belmont-park-official-inaugural-program-1905.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-most-dangerous-job-in-sports.html Colin's Ghost - Two of the greatest jockeys in racing history: Bill Hartack and Eddie Arcaro at Delaware Park in 1957.   Photo courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society News came out over the weekend about the sad fate of jockey Jacky Martin. The legendary quarter horse jockey was paralyzed from the neck… ]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/the-most-dangerous-job-in-sports.html http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/personal-ensign.html Colin's Ghost - I have been on the road this past week. I had a whirlwind tour through the mid-west with stops in Kenosha and Madison, Wisconsin and a few days in Chicago. Someone told me there was a hurricane AND an earthquake here while I was away — sorry I missed that.… ]]> Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:49:00 -0700 http://colinsghost.org/2011/09/personal-ensign.html