by Tom Pedulla|11.20.202311.20.2023|2:45pm4:56pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Farrier To The Stars Ian McKinlay has emerged as one of the world’s pre-eminent farriers, one so skillful that he can take horses with significant foot problems and transform them into stars. When track veterinarians at Santa Anita became so concerned with the way White Abarrio was travelling ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Classic that they forced Rick Dutrow […]
by Tom Pedulla|10.18.2023|12:05pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Whether Working With Horses Or People, Edward Escobar Always ‘Goes Beyond’ Edward Escobar never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. And the world is a better place for that. Escobar was born in the Bronx and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He never knew his father. He never enjoyed the guidance of a good father. He never heard a stern but loving voice. As […]
by Tom Pedulla|09.19.2023|12:10pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Cristina Bonilla’s Dream To Ride Lives On Dreams die hard. So it is with Cristina Bonilla. She did not grow up around horses. She came to the racing game late, at 24. She is 37 now. She estimates she has suffered at least four concussions, including one in a horrific accident at Arlington Park in 2021, and tells of significant memory loss. […]
by Tom Pedulla|08.14.202308.15.2023|12:55pm2:35pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Aspiring Horseman Blake Dutrow Learning ‘There Are No Shortcuts’ The Dutrow racing family appears to have another member in the pipeline. Blake Dutrow can still remember how much fun it would be when he would accompany his grandfather, Dick, a top Maryland horseman, to the barn to treat the horses to carrots and peppermints. He has spent his young life learning about racing from […]
by Tom Pedulla|07.19.202307.19.2023|12:39pm12:50pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Goodwin, Mallari Embody Antonucci Stable’s Family Atmosphere When Arcangelo charged up the rail to win the Belmont Stakes (G1), the spotlight immediately fell on Jena Antonucci. She shed tears of joy as the first woman to train the winner of a Triple Crown race. Antonucci would be the first to emphasize, however, that her historic breakthrough was the product of a special […]
by Tom Pedulla|06.21.202306.21.2023|12:17pm12:34pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: The Matchmaker For Cody’s Wish And His Namesake Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and Danny Mulvihill, farm manager at Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm, were discussing Cody’s Wish after he dominated the May 6 Churchill Downs Stakes in his 5-year-old debut. “Did you know he was going to be this good?” Mott asked. “I wish,” Mulvihill replied. Mulvihill could not have predicted that the […]
by Tom Pedulla|05.15.2023|8:55am Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: ‘Invisible Jockey’ J.J. Delgado A Key To Mage’s Kentucky Derby Success Jockeys often volunteer to take their Kentucky Derby mounts through the last workout or two leading to the big day. They understand how vital those drills can be, and they want to do everything possible to ensure that their horses are as ready as can be. Javier Castellano, winless with his first 15 Derby starters, […]
by Tom Pedulla|04.23.2023|10:49pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Sibelius A Life-Changing Horse For Chelsie Raabe Sibelius needed an exercise rider who could smooth his rough edges and take him to an elite level. Chelsie Raabe needed him much more. Although Raabe had ridden since she was young, she never planned to enter the racing world after her graduation from Miami University in Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in wide-ranging integrative […]
by Tom Pedulla|03.13.202305.07.2023|1:14pm9:28pm Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: Married Couple Enjoys A Simple, Beautiful Life Together With Horses Like Mage Moises Morales was 17 when he decided to leave Chihuahua, Mexico, and attempted to cross illegally into the United States in 1977. He had little idea what awaited him, but he was intent on getting there. He was so determined that he walked through the desert day and night, only to be apprehended by border […]
by Tom Pedulla|02.20.2023|11:21am Kirkpatrick & Co. Presents In Their Care: U.S. Quickly Became Home Sweet Home For Irish Transplant Simon Harris Oct. 17, 1992. Simon Harris, a long-time exercise rider and valet on the New York circuit, remembers the day as if it was yesterday. It was a day of roiling emotions – sadness, anxiety, excitement. He was 24 years young and was leaving behind friends and family in Dublin, Ireland, for Ocala, Fla. He knew […]