all in Lifestyle

With a record-breaking season comes the attention of turf writers, so Manny Franco was not surprised when I came calling for an interview. However, like many riders, he prefers to do his talking on the track.

“I’m a little bit shy of big cameras and stuff and talking to the media, but I do it,” Franco laughed. “It’s part of the job.”

The 2026 Labor Day holiday weekend featured top-class horse racing across the country, marking the conclusion of successful summer meets at Saratoga, Del Mar, and Colonial Downs. The upcoming week and weekend is highlighted by a sensational racecard Saturday, Sept.

After two weeks of excitement highlighted by the Pacific Classic Stakes Aug. 22 and the DraftKings Travers Stakes Aug. 29, another huge weekend in horse racing is on tap spanning Saturday, Sept. 5 through the Labor Day holiday, Monday, Sept. 7.

French apprentice jockey Roxane Liegeois has never been afraid to travel across the world for an opportunity.

Her career has already taken her from France to racetracks across the United Arab Emirates and, most recently, to Southern California, where she is beginning a new chapter and finding success.

Before the grandstand fills and long before the day’s first race, there is a quieter rhythm on the backside. Horses move through the morning. Workers tend to the routines that keep a racetrack alive. And, often during a break in training, a voice comes over the track with a prayer — offering reflection, asking for safety, and sharing a measure of light for the day ahead.

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