The Life

all in The Life

Nancy Underwood, New York’s Backstretch Employee Service Team, BEST, Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Saratoga Race Course, America's Best Racing, horse racing, ABR

Women in Racing: Nancy Underwood Dedicated to New York’s Backstretch Community

America’s Best Racing has launched a monthly series to celebrate women in racing, explore the challenges they face in what has been a male-dominated industry, and highlight their achievements.

Nancy Underwood was seemingly born to serve.

Her parents, Elaine and Anthony Girard, emphasized the importance of community involvement and caring for others in various forms as she grew up in Glens Falls, N.Y.

Keeneland Library, Raíces, Latino, Latinos, horse racing, legacies, contributions, exhibit, library, collection, archive, history, Roda Ferraro, open house, Gabi Kuenzli, jockeys, trainers, historians, writers, books, ABR

Keeneland Library Unveils Exhibit Honoring Latino Contributions to Racing

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2025): Keeneland Library has unveiled its newest exhibit, Raíces: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing, a landmark bilingual showcase and education initiative that highlights 100 trailblazing Latino men and women whose contributions have shaped Thoroughbred racing and breeding from the late 1800s to today.

The Story of Sergeant Reckless: Korean War Horse Served with Valor

The recoilless rifle was six feet long and weighed over a hundred pounds. It often required three or four Marines to carry it across the battlefields during the Korean War. Lugging it was dangerous, but it was necessary, because that rifle, which the soldiers nicknamed “reckless,” could fire a 75mm shell thousands of yards with surgical-like precision. It was one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ finest munitions. But the commander of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Eric Pedersen, knew there had to be a better way to use it on the battlefield in Korea.

Tony Ryan, Book Award, literary, horse racing, Thoroughbred, fiction, nonfiction, Josh Pons, Letters from Country Life, Country Life Farm, Maryland, history, John Perrotta, Beggar’s Ride, Arthur Hancock, Dark Horses, ABR

Josh Pons’ ‘Letters from Country Life’ Wins 2024 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award

Noted racing journalist and horseman Josh Pons has been named the 19th recipient of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by the Ryan family’s Castleton Lyons, for excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature published in 2024. He received the winner’s $10,000 check during a Nov. 6 reception at the Lexington, Ky., farm. The ceremony was held in a loft above the historic stallion barn that once housed 19th century champions Domino and Commando.

Griffin Johnson, America’s Best Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Sandman, A Stake in Stardom, horse racing, ABR

Griffin Johnson Awarded 2025 New Owner of the Year

OwnerView announced today that the 2025 New Owner of the Year, sponsored by 1/ST RACING, is being awarded to Griffin Johnson.

Johnson is an American content creator, social media influencer, actor, and singer with more than 14 million followers. Johnson was a founding member and resident of the Sway House, a Bel Air mansion and hub for famous TikTok creators. He is also a co-founder and operating partner of venture capital firm Animal Capital.

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