A Return to the Races, and Blogging

After taking a winter siesta I have decided to resume blogging, for a number of reasons. I want to put my picks out there more, I want to share my experiences with others, and I want to shed some light on the relatively exclusive racing industry.  

For starters, an update on my life. I took a job with Spendthrift Farm in December and relocated to Lexington, Kentucky. An opportunity to work at such an historic farm was something that I could not pass up, and it has always been a goal of mine to live in Lexington and immerse myself fully in the horse capital of America. Making the move from Boston to Lexington was a daunting concept, but in reality is was much easier than I expected. I already knew a lot of people in the city so it was not as if I was starting from scratch. And honestly, fleeing the snow-ridden streets of Boston did wonders for me mentally, especially after the tragedy that was last year’s snowy 110.6 inches of winter.

Working at Spendthrift is great. Officially, my title is “stallion administrative assistant” but in reality I do a lot of social media and marketing. The role is still evolving. The office staff is incredibly welcoming and I feel quite at home here. The farm itself is absolutely stunning, the ideal image of Kentucky’s bluegrass and blue skies, dotted with well-bred mares and foals. We stand 27 stallions on the farm as well, so the hustle and bustle during breeding season is everlasting. Perhaps I’ll dedicate a future post to the history of Spendthrift, for it is quite intriguing and had such a profound influence on the evolution of the sport.

The Keeneland meet is about to begin with opening day this Friday, and I’m looking forward to it. Unfortunately the weather does not want to cooperate, and highs will be in the mid-40s on Friday and Saturday. Now, Lexington natives will claim that Keeneland is the best meet of horse racing in the country. I’ll argue that they’re biased, and Saratoga is by far the culmination of American horse racing. I’ll allow the next month to attempt to change my mind, but we shall see. Eighty degree weather beats out 40 degree weather any day in my book.

With that in mind, I’ll be posting my stakes picks for the weekend. Keeneland is an interesting track to play, as horses will ship in from all over the country for the meet and it also plays host to a lot of native Kentucky trainers, many of whom I am not as familiar with. It will definitely be a learning experience, but what kind of handicapper would I be if I didn’t enjoy learning?

Bring on Keeneland and spring in the Bluegrass.