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The Great Match Race Series

The Times brings its readers a four-part series on this celebrated match race of 1823 between American Eclipse and Sir Henry, beginning with Part I, "Napoleon Challenges the North."

Go There

New Orleans Eclipse Course Series

The Times brings its readers a five-part series on the inaugural New Orleans Jockey Club races over the Eclipse Course in 1837, beginning with Part I, "Captain Oliver's Triumph."

Recent Articles

It’s Risen Star Week–Remembering the 1988 New Orleans Superstar Colt

Editor | Feb 13, 2023

Here's our column from last year honoring Risen Star, whose Grade 2 stakes race (presented by Lamarque Ford) will be run for the 51st time this Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Fair Grounds Race Course. A classic-winning colt continues to be remembered at the Fair Grounds every …

[Read more...] about It’s Risen Star Week–Remembering the 1988 New Orleans Superstar Colt

Lecomte, Louisiana’s Hero 4-Miler, Memorialized with Sprint Races

Editor | Jan 17, 2023

The 2023 edition of the Lecomte Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds, slated to be held this Saturday, January 21 at Fair Grounds Race Course, is the 79th running of this race that memorializes the 19th-century Louisiana champion and the only horse to ever beat the mighty Lexington. This …

[Read more...] about Lecomte, Louisiana’s Hero 4-Miler, Memorialized with Sprint Races

Games for Saratoga Racing Fans

Editor | Dec 27, 2022

It's the holiday season and it's cold outside--the perfect time of year to break out the indoor games! We’re sharing three games for lovers of Saratoga Springs racing and history, all of which are available for purchase online or in person at local Saratoga shops. City of …

[Read more...] about Games for Saratoga Racing Fans

Saratoga Springs: It’s John Morrissey’s Town, We’re Just Living In It

Editor | Aug 11, 2022

In our previous post about Saratoga summer reading, we highlighted several book options for learning about John Morrissey, the Irish-born pugilist from nearby Troy who founded the Saratoga track. Aside from the race course, we recently visited other sites around town that …

[Read more...] about Saratoga Springs: It’s John Morrissey’s Town, We’re Just Living In It

Countdown to Saratoga–Spa Summer Reading

Editor | Jul 6, 2022

Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course is just one week away on Thursday, July 14! If you can't be there in person, be there in spirit by reading up on the history of this special sporting venue and summer resort town--we've compiled a list of our favorite reads: Edward …

[Read more...] about Countdown to Saratoga–Spa Summer Reading

Ode to Baltimore–Looking back at the Preakness Stakes and Pimlico

Editor | May 15, 2022

It's Preakness Week in Baltimore! We've got two historic stories about Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes as we shift focus from the Derby to the second leg of the Triple Crown at Old Hilltop. Our Preakness Stakes story is about the race's 1946 winner Assault, the …

[Read more...] about Ode to Baltimore–Looking back at the Preakness Stakes and Pimlico

When a horse drank like a man during Derby Week

Editor | Apr 25, 2022

We love this Kentucky Derby story so much, we're running it again! How was the first Derby upstaged by another race held during the six-day spring meet? The first Kentucky Derby was held on Opening Day of the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association’s inaugural …

[Read more...] about When a horse drank like a man during Derby Week

Louisiana Derby Historical Highlights

Editor | Mar 16, 2022

Brush up on your Louisiana Derby history knowledge before the race's 109th running on Saturday, March 26 at Fair Grounds Race Course! We're sharing some historical highlights here, and don't miss the link at the end to our previous story about the race's early years during last …

[Read more...] about Louisiana Derby Historical Highlights

Remembering New Orleans’ Risen Star, 1988 Champion 3-Year-Old Male

Editor | Feb 8, 2022

A classic-winning colt continues to be remembered at the Fair Grounds every February with the eponymous Risen Star Stakes, a Kentucky Derby prep race originally called the Louisiana Derby Trial that awards qualification points to the top four finishers (50--20--10--5). But the …

[Read more...] about Remembering New Orleans’ Risen Star, 1988 Champion 3-Year-Old Male

Lecomte remembered–as a sprinter?

Editor | Jan 16, 2022

The G3 Lecomte Stakes for 3-year-old colts, slated to be run January 22 at a distance of 1 1/16 miles, typically kicks off the Road to the Kentucky Derby series of races at the historic Fair Grounds Race Course. Yet this season the track instituted in December the new Gun Runner …

[Read more...] about Lecomte remembered–as a sprinter?

December News: Visit these Thoroughbred Charity Auctions This Week for Rare Racing Gifts

Editor | Dec 8, 2021

Two online auctions benefiting Thoroughbred aftercare organizations are currently open this week--visit these for some unique and rare Christmas gifts, the proceeds of which will support several retirement charities. After the Finish Line is holding its 6th Annual Auction of …

[Read more...] about December News: Visit these Thoroughbred Charity Auctions This Week for Rare Racing Gifts

November News: Read the Times’ contribution to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary about Sunday’s Sporting Art Auction

Editor | Nov 18, 2021

The Ninth Annual Sporting Art Auction will be held at 1 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 21, at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky. Thoroughbred champions will grace the sales ring, from paintings like this 1867 portrait of Gladiateur to a 19th-century weathervane …

[Read more...] about November News: Read the Times’ contribution to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary about Sunday’s Sporting Art Auction

October News: On This Day in History (October 15) at Keeneland Race Course

Editor | Oct 15, 2021

Annually in October, racing returns to Kentucky's storied Keeneland track that is now celebrating its 85th year. On this day of October 15th in 1936--a Friday--Keeneland launched its inaugural race meeting lasting nine days and premiered its tote board, the first of its kind …

[Read more...] about October News: On This Day in History (October 15) at Keeneland Race Course

September News: Turf History Times Contributes to The Horsemen’s Journal

Editor | Sep 26, 2021

As mentioned in previous monthly posts, the Times contributed a piece about the National Museum of Racing's new Hall of Fame experience to The Horsemen's Journal, which is published by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). We are pleased to share …

[Read more...] about September News: Turf History Times Contributes to The Horsemen’s Journal

August News: Update on Excitations, Former Fair Grounds Racing Club’s Sprinter

Editor | Aug 16, 2021

As mentioned in our July News post, Turf History Times is writing a piece about the new Hall of Fame multimedia experience at the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs for The Horsemen's Journal, a quarterly publication produced by the National Horsemen's Benevolent & …

[Read more...] about August News: Update on Excitations, Former Fair Grounds Racing Club’s Sprinter

July News: Summer in Saratoga and Happy Birthday to Antebellum Equine Artist Edward Troye

Editor | Jul 26, 2021

The Times was back in Saratoga Springs this month for the first week of racing at the storied track, which opened on July 15. We are currently working on a piece regarding Saratoga's National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame that will be published this fall--stay tuned for a …

[Read more...] about July News: Summer in Saratoga and Happy Birthday to Antebellum Equine Artist Edward Troye

June News: Update on Neir’s Tavern, Historic Union Course Race Track Bar in Queens, NY

Editor | Jun 14, 2021

June is synonymous with the Belmont Stakes, run annually every June at Long Island’s beautiful Belmont Park. For the Turf History Times, Long Island is also synonymous with its legendary 19th-century track, the Union Course. The Times visited the former site of this course in …

[Read more...] about June News: Update on Neir’s Tavern, Historic Union Course Race Track Bar in Queens, NY

May News: It’s Preakness Week!

Editor | May 10, 2021

In honor of Preakness Week, we look back at one of the race’s historic winners from 1946, the improbable Triple Crown hero and “Little Chocolate Galloper,” Assault. Here’s one of our favorite quotes about his victory in the first leg of the Triple Crown: “Assault is the name, but …

[Read more...] about May News: It’s Preakness Week!

April News: Let’s Talk Derby—The First Kentucky Derby, Unhorsed by the Louisville Cup

Editor | Apr 19, 2021

After last year’s upheaval of the racing calendar due to COVID-19, the Kentucky Derby is back to its rightful date on the first Saturday in May, this year falling on May 1. So let’s talk Derby—the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, which was upstaged by another race held during the …

[Read more...] about April News: Let’s Talk Derby—The First Kentucky Derby, Unhorsed by the Louisville Cup

March News: The Louisiana Derby during the 1918–1919 Spanish Flu pandemic, a visit to the old Louisiana Jockey Club clubhouse, and recognition for a Virginia turfman

Editor | Mar 15, 2021

The Louisiana Derby during the 1918–1919 Spanish Flu pandemic: The 108th Louisiana Derby will be run on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at the Fair Grounds, which has been closed to general spectators during the 2020–2021 race meet; last year’s Louisiana Derby was also run without …

[Read more...] about March News: The Louisiana Derby during the 1918–1919 Spanish Flu pandemic, a visit to the old Louisiana Jockey Club clubhouse, and recognition for a Virginia turfman

January News: On This Race Day in 1852; and Remembering Louisiana Champion Lecomte

Editor | Jan 12, 2021

On this day in New Orleans in January 1852, racing was cancelled on account of—snow? Mild winters in New Orleans mean that few days, if any, fall below freezing in a given winter, thus snowfall is a rarity. While 19th-century race days were often rescheduled due to rainfall …

[Read more...] about January News: On This Race Day in 1852; and Remembering Louisiana Champion Lecomte

Handy Rules for Laying Out a Race Course

Editor | Dec 7, 2020

The following “Rules for Laying Out a Race Course” is shared from an 1833 issue of the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine. Enjoy! …

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Countdown to Another Event of Equine Stars—the Annual Sporting Art Auction at Keeneland

Editor | Nov 9, 2020

When the Breeders’ Cup is over and the Keeneland November sale is in full swing, another annual event celebrating exceptional equines is on the horizon—the Sporting Art Auction. Now in its eighth year, the auction is a highly anticipated event offering paintings and sculpture in …

[Read more...] about Countdown to Another Event of Equine Stars—the Annual Sporting Art Auction at Keeneland

Support Retired Thoroughbreds through TRF’s Ponies, Pumpkins & Pies Event!

Editor | Oct 19, 2020

The Times is pleased to sponsor the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s (TRF) fundraiser Ponies, Pumpkins & Pies, slated for Sunday, October 25th at Pitney Meadows Community Farm in Saratoga Springs, New York. This event will split its proceeds between Pitney Meadows’ …

[Read more...] about Support Retired Thoroughbreds through TRF’s Ponies, Pumpkins & Pies Event!

It’s Preakness Week! Revisiting Triple Crown Winner Assault’s 1946 Preakness

Editor | Sep 29, 2020

In honor of Preakness Week, the Times looks back at one of the race’s historic winners from 1946, the improbable Triple Crown hero and “Little Chocolate Galloper,” Assault. In our Kentucky Derby post in May, we shared one of our favorite quotes about his victory in that first …

[Read more...] about It’s Preakness Week! Revisiting Triple Crown Winner Assault’s 1946 Preakness

The First Kentucky Derby, Unhorsed by the Louisville Cup

Editor | Aug 31, 2020

It was the first Kentucky Derby, but the race wasn’t the star attraction of the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association’s six-day inaugural spring meeting in 1875. Opening day on Monday, May 17, 1875, drew more than 12,000 attendees to the new track that would later …

[Read more...] about The First Kentucky Derby, Unhorsed by the Louisville Cup

Kentucky, the First Winner of the Travers Stakes, Immortalized in Oil

Editor | Aug 4, 2020

It’s Travers Week, and we look forward to crowning the next three-year-old champion of the mile-and-a-quarter “Mid-summer Derby” this Saturday at Saratoga Race Track. The race has amassed 150 winners to date, its earliest titleholder being a colt named Kentucky in its inaugural …

[Read more...] about Kentucky, the First Winner of the Travers Stakes, Immortalized in Oil

Remembering Edward Troye, America’s Equine Artist of the 19th century, on His Birthday

Editor | Jul 8, 2020

Saturday, July 12, marks the anniversary of the birth of Edward Troye (1808--1874), America's preeminent animal painter of the 19th century. During his 40-year career in the U.S., the Swiss-born Troye painted commissions of hundreds of prized Thoroughbreds, and was recognized by …

[Read more...] about Remembering Edward Troye, America’s Equine Artist of the 19th century, on His Birthday

A Poem for this Weekend’s Epsom Derby: Ode to No More Betting on the Races

Editor | Jun 29, 2020

Racing schedules have been turned upside-down across the globe due to COVID-19, and this Saturday, July 4, will feature the second leg of Britain’s Triple Crown, the Derby Stakes (officially the Investec Derby) at Epsom Downs Race Course—a race that was first inaugurated in 1780 …

[Read more...] about A Poem for this Weekend’s Epsom Derby: Ode to No More Betting on the Races

Virtual Tour of Historic Race Track Bar Neir’s Tavern on Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. EDT

Editor | May 27, 2020

Here's your chance to attend a free virtual tour of Neir's Tavern in Queens, New York, on Thursday evening. This past winter, the Times reported about this historic race track bar that was opened in 1829 by the proprietor of the nearby Union Race Course. Read more about the …

[Read more...] about Virtual Tour of Historic Race Track Bar Neir’s Tavern on Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. EDT

He was called everything from the “Texas Terror” and “Murder, Inc.” to the “Little Chocolate Galloper”—Learn more about Assault, one of 13 Triple Crown champions competing in Saturday’s Virtual Kentucky Derby

Editor | Apr 27, 2020

Horse racing fans are lamenting that this week is typically Kentucky Derby Week, with the “Run for the Roses” slated for the first Saturday in May. As the Derby has been postponed to the fall, NBC will broadcast a virtual Derby on Saturday, May 2, featuring 13 Triple Crown …

[Read more...] about He was called everything from the “Texas Terror” and “Murder, Inc.” to the “Little Chocolate Galloper”—Learn more about Assault, one of 13 Triple Crown champions competing in Saturday’s Virtual Kentucky Derby

Hello, Old Friend: A Visit With Lexington (Stallion) in Lexington (Kentucky)

Editor | Apr 17, 2020

While many businesses and other institutions have temporary closed due to COVID-19, some are offering online services, including museums. The Smithsonian, for example, is now offering a variety of online virtual exhibitions and museum tours—see link for more information. Here …

[Read more...] about Hello, Old Friend: A Visit With Lexington (Stallion) in Lexington (Kentucky)

The Louisiana Derby in history: Did the Spanish Flu impact the race in 1918–1919?

Editor | Mar 20, 2020

This Saturday marks the 107th running of the Louisiana Derby, a Kentucky Derby prep race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds at the distance of 1 3/16 miles that for the first time will be contested spectator-free at the Fair Grounds Race Course due to COVID-19. This global pandemic has …

[Read more...] about The Louisiana Derby in history: Did the Spanish Flu impact the race in 1918–1919?

It’s February–Time to Celebrate the Birthdays of Two Leaders of the New Orleans Turf

Editor | Feb 10, 2020

On February 11, we celebrate the birthdays of two leaders of the nineteenth-century New Orleans turf whom we've written about at length here at the Times, both born on this date: Colonel Adam L. Bingaman (2/11/1793—9/6/1869), originally of Natchez, Mississippi, and Duncan F. …

[Read more...] about It’s February–Time to Celebrate the Birthdays of Two Leaders of the New Orleans Turf

Historic Race Track Bar in Queens Saved from Closure #NeirsForYears

Editor | Jan 11, 2020

In follow-up to our previous report of the impending closure of Neir's Tavern due to a rent hike, we are pleased to announce the historic bar located in Queens, New York, will remain open for business. Late Friday, news outlets reported that city leaders assisted Neir's owner Loy …

[Read more...] about Historic Race Track Bar in Queens Saved from Closure #NeirsForYears

Neir’s Tavern in Queens, Opened in 1829 by the Union Race Course, Will Close January 12

Editor | Jan 9, 2020

While in New York for the 2013 Belmont Stakes, Times staff visited Neir's Tavern in Woodhaven, knowing its unique history and ties to the sport of horse racing. Neir's was originally opened in 1829 as The Blue Pump Room by Cadwallader Colden, track proprietor for the nearby Union …

[Read more...] about Neir’s Tavern in Queens, Opened in 1829 by the Union Race Course, Will Close January 12

Support & Talk Horses at the Fall Racing Preview Handicapping Party–and Try a “Turf Times T-bred” Cocktail!

Editor | Sep 30, 2019

We are pleased to share information regarding this Fall Racing Preview Handicapping Party taking place on Thursday, October 3 in Lexington, Kentucky in advance of opening day at Keeneland Race Course. Benefiting the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation that supports critical …

[Read more...] about Support & Talk Horses at the Fall Racing Preview Handicapping Party–and Try a “Turf Times T-bred” Cocktail!

“It was a damned rascally decision!” A racing fan’s account of an 1838 horse race disqualification

Editor | Sep 28, 2019

  Even casual fans of the sport of horse racing will recall this year's disqualification of Maximum Security by state stewards in the Kentucky Derby. Let’s revisit another stewards’ inquiry—this one from 1838 concerning Rule 42 and a horse blanket, enforced by the Adams …

[Read more...] about “It was a damned rascally decision!” A racing fan’s account of an 1838 horse race disqualification

Happy Birthday to America’s Equine Artist, Edward Troye

Editor | Jul 11, 2019

On Friday, July 12, we celebrate the birthday of Edward Troye (1808--1874), America's preeminent animal painter of the 19th century. Readers who have visited Lexington, Kentucky may have unknowingly seen his work across town as "Big Lex," the big blue horse that was adapted from …

[Read more...] about Happy Birthday to America’s Equine Artist, Edward Troye

Revisiting Our Guide to the Louisiana Derby

Editor | Mar 18, 2019

It's Louisiana Derby Week, with the 106th Louisiana Derby slated for Saturday, March 23, 2019, at Fair Grounds Race Course. Brush up on the race's history here in our guide that we contributed to Lady and the Track and US Racing last year. Back again this year for Derby Day will …

[Read more...] about Revisiting Our Guide to the Louisiana Derby

Happy Birthday to Two Pillars of the New Orleans Antebellum Turf

Editor | Feb 10, 2019

On Monday, February 11, 2019, we celebrate two leaders of 19th c. racing in New Orleans who were born on this day: Colonel Adam L. Bingaman (1793--1869) and Duncan F. Kenner (1813--1887). Read more about their contributions to the sport by revisiting the 1837 Eclipse Course …

[Read more...] about Happy Birthday to Two Pillars of the New Orleans Antebellum Turf

New Year, New Site

Editor | Jan 15, 2019

The Times is pleased to announce the launch of its upgraded website that offers an improved online and mobile experience for readers. We hope you enjoy it (and agree that it looks stunning) as much as we do! …

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Recent Posts

  • It’s Risen Star Week–Remembering the 1988 New Orleans Superstar Colt February 13, 2023
  • Lecomte, Louisiana’s Hero 4-Miler, Memorialized with Sprint Races January 17, 2023
  • Games for Saratoga Racing Fans December 27, 2022
  • Saratoga Springs: It’s John Morrissey’s Town, We’re Just Living In It August 11, 2022
  • Countdown to Saratoga–Spa Summer Reading July 6, 2022

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