Todd Pletcher, winner of a record eight Eclipse Awards as the leading trainer in North America, learned invaluable lessons as a top assistant to the late Hall of Fame member D. Wayne Lukas.
There is no denying that some horses have a special affinity for certain racetracks and perform better at those tracks. This is particularly notable in Europe, where the style, shape, and design of the courses varies widely, but the scenario is also seen on a smaller scale in the United States, where some horses display a fondness for the dirt and conditions at a particular track.
In 1864, New York businessman William R. Travers joined John Morrissey, Leonard Jerome, and other prominent men in building Saratoga Race Course, the historic racetrack now home to many of the sport’s biggest stakes each year.
Athletes amaze fans with remarkable feats beyond imagination, which is a huge part of the allure of sports. Thoroughbred racehorses remind us frequently that on any given day you never know what you might witness at the racetrack.
When a jockey wins two races in a single afternoon, he’s enjoyed a successful day. Three wins signifies a banner afternoon and four is bound to generate buzz among racing fans and horseplayers.
But how about seven wins in a single day? Only on the rarest of occasions will a jockey embark on such a memorable win streak. During the first 69 years of racing at Del Mar in California, no jockey managed to win more than six races on a single card.
