Every so often, a Thoroughbred racehorse elevates above the tried-and-true, everyday fan-o-sphere of the sport and captures the national consciousness. Secretariat is the gold standard, of course.
Advancements in airline travel had an amazingly profound impact on everyday life in this country.
It brought the eastern and western shores closer together, and created business opportunities that would have seemed ridiculous a century ago.
Trans-continental flights allowed professional franchises to expand into the Golden State of California in the late 1950s and it wasn’t too long before East-West rivalries sprang up, involving teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Justin Zayat, racing manager for Zayat Stables, looks hopefully at every young horse his family breeds or purchases, wondering if another American Pharoah might come his way again. He looks in vain.
Nine new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The class of 2024 is comprised of jockey Joel Rosario and racehorses Gun Runner and Justify in the contemporary category.
Between that glorious day in June 1978 when Affirmed became the 11th Triple Crown winner and June 2015 when American Pharoah halted the 37-year drought, 13 horses fell one win short in their bid for racing immortality.
