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“A plate to the value of Fifty Guineas” : THE QUEEN’S PLATE & CANADIAN...
NEWS FLASH: Welcome to the new look of THE VAULT! Although we loved the former design, this one offers more space and scope and should make reading and viewing our articles an even more pleasurable...
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“WHEN ALL THINGS GO RIGHT” : STEPHANIE, CARL, HEDGER & KINSALE KING
Sometimes a great story just falls into your lap. Recently, on the FB page for “Zenny’s Tribe” (a group formed by those of us who met on Zenyatta’s web site a few years ago, when Dottie Ingordo...
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MAN O’ WAR AT STUD: The first 3 years
All one has to do is imagine the anticipation that will greet the sons and daughters of today’s thoroughbred champions when they first set foot on the track to understand the hope and emotions that...
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KINCSEM: THE MYSTERY AND MAJESTY OF AN IMMORTAL
I have wanted to write about this great thoroughbred since THE VAULT first opened its doors, but the available information about KINCSEM was scarce and, well, boring….. Then three great finds and one...
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BRIBES, THREATS & BULLETS : PHAR LAP’S MELBOURNE CUP (1930)
Phar Lap was another of the bright stars in my grandfather’s pantheon of “thoroughbred immortals.” Even in the small town in rural Quebec, Canada, where my grandparents lived, horsemen knew about the...
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MY COAL BLACK LADY
Imagine a filly you can throw anything at ….. and she comes home in the money 126 times. IMP, aka THE COAL BLACK LADY, pictured as a juvenile in the 1955 Turf and Sport Digest. In his seminal book...
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BATHED IN GLORY: COOLMORE’S GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
The tiny chestnut foal could hardly have known that he was born into a story, would be named after a national treasure and would grow into a legend. But that is exactly the story of Giant’s Causeway....
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EQUIPOISE “… MADE MUSIC IN THE HEART”
The beautiful EQUIPOISE in a study by C.W. Anderson, who captures both his kind, inquisitive eye and wide, intelligent brow. Every once in awhile, a stellar group of juveniles appear on the scene at...
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MAHMOUD: A FORCE OF NATURE
Imagine, if you will, a world without Kelso (1957), Northern Dancer (1961), Sunday Silence (1986) or Frankel (2008) — all of whom trace back directly to Mahmoud. Of course, the overwhelming presence...
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BEAUTIFUL LOSERS, OR WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DERBY GODS ACT UP
It’s Derby time again here in North America and that familiar buzz is in the air. Everyone is busy choosing their favourite. But the best colt or filly doesn’t always win. Sometimes, the outcome...
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ROYAL ASCOT 2014
Royal Ascot is about to open and in 2014 will host a veritable who’s-who of the British and European turf. An exciting twist for American racing fans is provided by the entry of Rosalind, trained by...
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THE THOROUGHBRED “DOWN UNDER”: ORIGINS (Part One)
Since THE VAULT first published, it has been my goal to research and write about the development of the thoroughbred and the sport in Australia and New Zealand. While the story of Phar Lap is universal...
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“…And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart…” (e.e. cummings)
Just as I was getting ready to post the second part of my Australian and New Zealand thoroughbred article, the news came that Lammtarra had died. And the presses ground to a halt, here, and right...
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THE THOROUGHBRED “DOWN UNDER”: CHAMPIONS 1856-1939 (Part Two)
Where to start is a reasonable question, faced with the numbers of champion thoroughbreds racing in Australia (AUS) and/or New Zealand (NZ) in this time frame. And, by 1960, still another number of...
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THE THOROUGHBRED “DOWN UNDER” : BERNBOROUGH (Part Three)
Every nation has its pantheon of thoroughbred champions. In Australia, Bernborough’s name is one that still carries the power of greatness, even though he raced there over half a century ago. Adding to...
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WHEN GREYHOUND MET ROSALIND, THE HEART CRACKED WIDE OPEN
Greyhound was the King of the Trotters. And Rosalind was the Queen. In 1939, they appeared together, poised to overturn a world record….. Greyhound is to harness racing what Man O’ War is to...
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“SAY IT ISN’T SO”: FOR CIGAR, WITH LOVE
Photographer extraordinaire, LAW, together with the Maryland Thoroughbred Association, gave me the quote that opens a fan’s eulogy to a horse who captured the heart and spoke to the soul. Very late...
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Z PRINCESS: IN THE ARMS OF A MIRACLE
Z PRINCESS. This is how I will always remember her. (Photo used by permission from Team Zenyatta. Photo and copyright, Tyler Matson for Zenyatta.com) It was late in the day when I got online and saw...
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A TRULY INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR: SECRETARIAT & ROSE OF KINGSTON
When America’s racing royalty met up with its Australian equivalent at Claiborne Farm in 1985, it was reasonable to hope that something great lay in the cards. But, of course, had it been that...
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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GIRL: BRITAIN’S “FLYING FILLY,” TIGGY WIGGY
On a recent visit to London, England, I picked up copies of the Racing Post near our hotel daily — a rare treat. I’m a committed online reader but to actually hold a copy of the RP in my hands and...
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