Jennifer Kelly
Jennifer Kelly is a horse racing historian, writer, and author of Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown. When she's not writing about racing's past, she's watching and wagering on racing's present, eagerly awaiting our next Triple Crown winner.
The Heart That Wears the Crown: Whirlaway
Whirlaway, the fifth Triple Crown winner, ignited the imaginations of those along for the ride on the cusp of war in 1941.
Triple Crown
The Science of Horse Racing: We're All Ears
Understanding the language of a horse’s ears as well as the impact of what they hear on their behavior can help us gain insight into our athletic partners on the track and off.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Bourbon, Bets, and the Beatles
The combination of a well-timed swig of bourbon, a fortuitous wager, and a basement music club made history not just in horse racing, but also in rock and roll.
Features
The Heart That Wears the Crown: War Admiral
Lofty expectations are laid upon the greats when they exit stage left to enter the next phase. When Man o’ War said goodbye to his life on the track, the focus then became on whether the 20th century’s greatest racehorse could produce another one like him. Whatever it was that made Big Red so dominant and so iconic had to be passed along to his progeny, but what would that look like?
Triple Crown
Tall Tales of the Track: I Am Woman, Watch Me Win!
In the first years of the 19th century, Alicia Meynell rode in not one but two match races against a man on an English racecourse, demonstrating that same self-assurance and drive that many a woman, including Annie Oakley, would need in their male-dominated pursuits.
Features
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Omaha
When any Triple Crown winner goes to stud, the high expectations set by winning that coveted trophy come along, as fans eagerly anticipate the next generation. Can he copy himself and produce another just like him? Of the 13 to have worn the crown, only one has done what is nearly impossible, a feat unlikely to be duplicated anytime soon: siring another Triple Crown winner.
Education
Tall Tales of the Track: And the Winner Is…
Rumor had it that it was not Bend Or who ran down Robert the Devil at Epsom, but a horse named Tadcaster, an accusation of mistaken identity that was resolved more than a century later.
History
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Gallant Fox
Gallant Fox’s victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes were the first to come with the name “Triple Crown,” as those intervening years saw the three races enter the sport’s consciousness with that sobriquet attached.
Triple Crown
The Science of Horse Racing: Why Do Some Horses Bleed After a Race?
For this month’s Science of Horse Racing, let us look at EIPH in Thoroughbreds and how it can affect a horse on race day and beyond.
Features
Tall Tales of the Track: Sysonby, the (Almost) Unbeatable
A skeleton of a horse once hung in the American Museum of Natural History, the limbs positioned as if in flight.
History
The Heart That Wears the Crown: Sir Barton
Thoroughbreds are fast and powerful athletes and the most elite are the ones whose names become a part of our collective consciousness, but, like familiar faces like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, they were living, breathing beings who interacted with the world around them and left a distinct impression on those who cared for them.
Triple Crown
The Science of Horse Racing: Foaling the Future
Let’s look at the process of foaling and how our favorite racehorses went from safe inside a broodmare’s womb to taking their first steps toward greatness.
Education
Tall Tales of the Track: Death Rides Along
The story of the jockey who died in the middle of the race.
History
The Science of Racing: The Starting Gate
It is a sight as familiar to racegoers as the horses themselves: the starting gate. As the minutes to the next race tick by, a tractor pulls this mechanical wonder to the right spot on the racetrack, dirt or turf, and draws the eyes of everyone present.
Education
The Science of Horse Racing: Colic and Laminitis
Both colic and laminitis come up as health issues that affect horses both on the racetrack and off.
Education
True Crime in Horse Racing: Shergar, Stallion Lost
This month, we explore the ultimate cold case in horse racing, an international mystery that captivates to this day. Who kidnapped Shergar and why?
Features
After the Racetrack: Mr. Meso
Meet Mr. Meso, an essential member of the Clarke family and an OTTB who thrives in his roles as celebrity, companion, and four-legged assistant.
Aftercare
The Science of Horse Racing: Why Do Jockeys Ride Like That?
The race rider’s stance has gone from straight in the saddle to a balanced squat over the withers, a change that started with one legendary jockey and was soon adopted worldwide. This month’s Science of Horse Racing examines both how this change came about and why this demanding position works for both horse and rider.
Education
True Crime in Horse Racing: Small Sponges, Big Problems
As racetracks wrestled with questions about security and access, everyone from fans to owners grappled with the idea that someone was hurting horses on purpose. Who was harming horses and why?
Features
After the Racetrack: Finnick the Fierce finds his forever friend
With his racing days behind him, Finnick the Fierce has traded the racetrack for the trail, taking Jackie Barr on quite a journey in a short time.
Aftercare
The Science of Horse Racing: Track Surfaces
This month’s Science of Horse Racing considers the three types of surfaces and how weather and geography play into our understanding of how horses race over those tracks.
Education
True Crime in Horse Racing: What Happened to 'Red' McDaniel?
This month, True Crime in Horse Racing looks at the life of this California trainer and the mystery behind his tragic death.
Features
After the Racetrack: Underscore and Natalie Voss
This month’s After the Racetrack looks at the special relationship between Underscore, aka Blueberry, and his partner, the Paulick Report’s editor-in-chief, Natalie Voss.
Aftercare
The Science of Horse Racing: The Psychology of a Racehorse
From ears flicking back and forth to swishing tails, just what do horse behaviors mean?
Racing
Queen Elizabeth II: A Life with Horses
Among those mourning her passing was the sport of horse racing, who remember Queen Elizabeth for her skills in the saddle, her passion for breeding, and her affinity for the racetrack.
Features
True Crime in Horse Racing: Disappearance of Ron Hansen
Ron Hansen was one of a kind, a jokester that lightened every jockey’s room he entered. The talented rider had a quick wit and a penchant for living life to the fullest, which tended to lead to trouble — or at least the rumblings of such. His disappearance prompted questions about what happened to this leading jockey — and who might have wanted him gone.
Features
After the Racetrack: Chindi Thrives in His Second Job
Chindi’s active retirement is a shining example of what life can be like after the racetrack.
Racing
The Science of Racing: Vision and Blinkers
The Science of Racing looks at a horse’s vision and how changing the way they see the world around them can affect performance.
Education
True Crime in Horse Racing: Hawthorne on Fire
When a devastating fire hit Hawthorne in 1978, attention immediately turned to what – and who – could have caused the blaze and why.
Features
After the Racetrack: Imperative Dances to a New Beat
When dressage queen Louise Atkins first met Imperative, she was unfamiliar with the stakes-winning gelding.
Features