"Six Weeks in Saratoga" available! Go get it!

"Six Weeks in Saratoga: How Three-Year-Old Rachel Alexandra Beat the Boys and Became Horse of the Year" published July 1, 2011. Keep it locked here, at The Carryover or go to SUNY Press to order your copy ... right now! Or head on down to your favorite bookseller.

Praise for "Six Weeks in Saratoga"

“Going behind the scenes of three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra’s 2009 triumph … O’Meara makes her story gallop and gleam.” — Chronogram

“The [book] is one of enjoyable promise, and as the author recounts little moments and inside conversations, he provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of the figures he covers. The narrative keeps game pace with outside literary standards and features bursts of brilliance, and I found it a refreshing change from the selection of racing-themed volumes available today. As O’Meara brings his subjects to life, you find yourself thinking this is the kind of guy whose work I want to follow.” — Claire Novak, ESPN.com

“O’Meara … provide[s] a tremendous amount of detail from behind the scenes that the reader would not have otherwise enjoyed … Six Weeks is essentially a Rachel book, but it’s told without neglecting the always rich backdrop of a Saratoga meet. That means there’s history, surprises, characters (human and equine), great racing, foggy mornings and sun-splashed afternoons—plenty of material through which O’Meara could exercise his descriptive abilities.” — Schenectady Daily Gazette
“O’Meara fell for a magical place and magnificent horse, which is a lovely malady that often befalls horse people, and with a great deal of heart he tells us how and why. You’ll never forget his Six Weeks in Saratoga, either.” — Joe Drape, author of Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen

“Brendan O’Meara tells the story of this proud horse with verve and great historical insight. Six Weeks in Saratoga marks the debut of an exciting new talent.” — Wil Haygood, author of Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson

“Brendan O’Meara’s Six Weeks in Saratoga is a victory to be savored by those who treasure good writing in general and tales of the track in particular. Horses may win races, but they also win hearts as this impressive book proves beyond doubt. A memorable, sure-footed debut.” — Madeleine Blais, author of In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle

Friday, June 6, 2008

D of C

I was wandering the backside of Belmont — which is enormous, mind you. 

(I see the inherent humor in that line, but it's true.)

From a distance, I saw a photographer taking pictures of a horse next to trainer David Carroll. This horse was none other than Denis of Cork.  It is quite amazing standing next to race horses, especially the elite ones. They truly have a different look to them. 

His veins were throbbing all over his body.  His coat shined and his muscles shifted and swelled. He's not a gigantic, imposing horse. Rather just an athletic looking animal with a cool demeanor. All he did was tug at grass and prick his ears toward a sparrow who landed on the fence nearby.

Carroll said he would jog the horse in the morning. That's the ritual Carroll takes with his horses no matter what. He'll go out at 6 a.m., roughly, 12 hours before the Belmont. 

Before long, Carroll said he had to go and he walked Denis of Cork back to the barn.  

Denis of Cork, a son of Harlan's Holiday, is a great looking animal and at 12-1 on the morning line, he looks absolutely stunning.
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1 comment:

RicSir said...

I'm picking Casino Drive for the upset. Prado's too smart and he's going to captialize on the distance. Remember, it's not the heat it's the humidity.

June 7, 2008 at 6:58 AM

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