Big Red
Tanner Drews
ENGL 1213
March 21, 2013
Big Red
When the spring comes we start going outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. Springtime bring us to our favorite outside activities, activities such as gardening, fishing, and hiking, after being cooped up in the cold winter. We have the exciting sport of baseball opening up that get us putting on our shorts, caps, and sunglasses to experience the sporty outdoor. But what about those spring spectators who wear their suits, sport jackets, dresses, and the iconic sun hats? Yes, springtime also brings the world of thoroughbred horse racing.
Thoroughbred horse racing is an ancient sport that has been around since the beginning of recorded history. After the Civil War, the American Stud Book began in 1868, beginning the organization of Thoroughbred Racing in America (Winning Ponies Inc.). Today there are many racetracks in the United States, some of the most popular tracks in Arcadia, California, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky. It is a very formal and expensive market that includes million dollar farms, high purse races, high stakes gambling, and most importantly, top of the line horses.
Thoroughbred horses are bred to perform well on the racetrack. Owners match sires and dams in hopes to produce offspring who may have the athletic ability to contend for championships. There is no science to breeding racehorses. You can breed the best mare in the world with the best stallion in the world and get an average horse that may not even be athletic enough to compete in big races. Breeding thoroughbreds is simply a method based on how much money you have and a lot of luck. One March night in 1970, Penny Chenery had luck with her as a legend was born on the Meadow Stud Farm (Wikipedia).
In 1968, Penny Chenery and Ogden Phipps had a unique breeding contract. Penny Chenery had two mares, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal, bred to Phipps stallion, Bold Ruler, a highly awarded and athletic
ENGL 1213
March 21, 2013
Big Red
When the spring comes we start going outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. Springtime bring us to our favorite outside activities, activities such as gardening, fishing, and hiking, after being cooped up in the cold winter. We have the exciting sport of baseball opening up that get us putting on our shorts, caps, and sunglasses to experience the sporty outdoor. But what about those spring spectators who wear their suits, sport jackets, dresses, and the iconic sun hats? Yes, springtime also brings the world of thoroughbred horse racing.
Thoroughbred horse racing is an ancient sport that has been around since the beginning of recorded history. After the Civil War, the American Stud Book began in 1868, beginning the organization of Thoroughbred Racing in America (Winning Ponies Inc.). Today there are many racetracks in the United States, some of the most popular tracks in Arcadia, California, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky. It is a very formal and expensive market that includes million dollar farms, high purse races, high stakes gambling, and most importantly, top of the line horses.
Thoroughbred horses are bred to perform well on the racetrack. Owners match sires and dams in hopes to produce offspring who may have the athletic ability to contend for championships. There is no science to breeding racehorses. You can breed the best mare in the world with the best stallion in the world and get an average horse that may not even be athletic enough to compete in big races. Breeding thoroughbreds is simply a method based on how much money you have and a lot of luck. One March night in 1970, Penny Chenery had luck with her as a legend was born on the Meadow Stud Farm (Wikipedia).
In 1968, Penny Chenery and Ogden Phipps had a unique breeding contract. Penny Chenery had two mares, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal, bred to Phipps stallion, Bold Ruler, a highly awarded and athletic
Cited: Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Website Title. Publisher of Website, Day Month Year article was published. Web. Day Month Year article was accessed. <URL>. Anglefire. “Secretariat. The Greatest Thoroughbred in History.” Anglefire. Anglefire, Web. 3/20/2013 <http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/nutbush/> Belmont Stakes. “Fastest Belmont Stakes”. Belmont Stakes. Belmont Stakes Information. Web. 3/20/2013. < http://www.belmont-stakes.info/fastest.php> Blood-Horse magazine, The Staff and Correspondents of the. Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century. Hong Kong: Blood-Horse Publications, 2009. Print. ESPN.com. “Triple Crown.” ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. 9/20/2012. Web. 3/20/2013/< http://espn.go.com/sports/horse/topics/_/page/triple- crown> Wikipedia. “Secretariat (horse).” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc., 7/16/2002. Web. 3/20/2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_(horse)> Winning Ponies Inc.. “Horse Racing History”. WinningPonies.com. Winning Ponies, Inc., 2013. Web. 3-20-2013. <www.winningponies.com/horse-racing- history.html>