Winx 2017

Winx Drawing

Winx is a Champion Australian mare who was foaled on Sept. 14,2011. Since May of 2015 she has won 22 consecutive races. In 2016 she was voted Worlds Best Ranked Filly or Mare, and also Worlds Top Ranked Turf horse.

Of all her wins, she has won three consecutive Cox Plates. The W.S. Cox Plate held in Melbourne Australia is a Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred race for horses three years old and older. In 2015, as a four year old, Winx set a track record in the 2040 meter race. In 2017 she won again and broke her own track record. 

She is owned by Magic Bloodstock Racing, trained by Chris Waller, and her regular jockey is Hugh Bowman. 

Dana and the Big A 2017

Dana and the Big A Drawing

This is the second drawing that I have done of Arrogate. In this picture he is with his exercise rider Dana Barnes. The pictures that I drew from were taken in Del Mar by Penelope Miller. Equine photographer and Senior Manager of Digital Media at ABR racing, she has become a friend over the last couple years, and this is the second time I have drawn from her photographs. They were used by permission. 

Parx Racing - Pa. Derby Day Sept. 23,2017

 September 23rd, I went to Parx Racing for the first time. The day was highlighted by back to back million dollar stakes races, the Cotillion, and the Pennsylvania Derby.

 Tasit post race bath

Race 7 included Tasit, a 4 year old son of Tapit. I saw Tasit break his maiden at Laurel Park in November of 2015.

 Irish War Cry entering the Paddock

The horse I really went to see was Irish War Cry. I have posted numerous times about this horse.

Irish War Cry Drawing

 IWC with Feargal Lynch up

Irish War Cry had Feargal Lynch in the irons for the Pa. Derby. Having seen most of my live racing at Laurel Park, I have seen Feargal ride many times.

Irish War Cry saddled up in the paddock

 West Coast saddled up in the paddock

West Coast who won the Travers earlier in the summer was one of the favorites for the Pa. Derby

 Mike Smith and Bob Baffert in the Paddock

West Coast with Mike Smith up on Winners Circle

Lately in big stakes races, its hard not to pick a horse ridden by Mike Smith. Especially if that horse is trained by Bob Baffert!

 Caton Bredar

It was a pleasure to meet the lovely and very friendly Caton Bredar. Caton is a TV horse racing analyst, writer, and handicapper.

The Parx Racing mascot who throws t-shirts into the crowd between races.

2015 Belmont Stakes

2015 Belmont Stakes Drawing (22x28)

The 2015 Belmont Stakes, the 147th running of the third jewel of the Triple Crown was held on June 6th. American Pharoah won the 1 1/2 mile race to become the 12th Triple Crown winner, and the first in 37 years since Affirmed in 1978.

I was at my Sisters house for the race. I like many in the horse race world were on the American Pharoah bandwagon, and really wanted to see him win the Triple Crown.  I was going nuts as the horses came onto the front stretch, I still get goosebumps listening to the call by Larry Collmus, screaming at the top of his lungs. "American Pharoah has a two length lead, Frosted is all out at the Sixteenth Pole, and here it is, the 37 year wait is over, American Pharoah is finally the one, AMERICAN PHAROAH HAS WON THE TRIPLE CROWN!"

This drawing is 22x28, and is from a photo by Chelsea Durand (NYRA), and used by permission. 

This is a photo of me at my Sisters house, working on my first of four American Pharoah drawings, moments after he had won the Triple Crown at the 2015 Belmont Stakes.

2015 Belmont Stakes Starters

Post          Horse                  Jockey                    Trainer                  

1      Mubtaahij                 Irad Ortiz Jr.             Mike De Kock

2      Tale of Verve            Gary Stevens            Dallas Stewart

3      MadefromLucky      Javier Castellano      Todd Pletcher

4      Frammento               Mike Smith              Nick Zito

5      American Pharoah    Victor Espinoza       Bob Baffert

6      Frosted                      Joel Rosario             Kiaran McLaughlin

7      Keen Ice                   Kent Desormeaux    Dale Romans

8      Materiality                John Velazquez        Todd Pletcher

Monmouth Park Haskell Day July 30,2017

 Haskell Day at Monmouth Park is a special day for me. In 2015, Jacob and I went to Monmouth Park to see Triple Crown winner American Pharoah win the Haskell Stakes. There were over 60,000 people there that day, and it was my first time ever at a race track. In the two years since then, I have dedicated most of my drawing time to Bardsley Equine Art, and have visited some nice tracks, barns, and met some great people!

 One of those people is Dan Torjman. Dan is a video corespondent for ABR (Americas Best Racing), but is also the founder of DanonymousRacing.com. That is the website that I have written numerous articles for in a human interest column that I call, a"From the Apron."

 One of the highlights of the day for me, was seeing the Mare Miss Temple City. Here is my drawing of her.

 Trained by Graham Motion, I love this horse, and have followed this 5 year old mare now for two years. 

 Miss Temple City in the Paddock prior to Race 11 on the 14 race card.

 Miss Temple City leaves the Paddock with Edgar Prado in the irons.

 Irish War Cry Drawing

 Also trained by Graham Motion, Irish War Cry, a Jersey Bred, has become my favorite horse of the year. 

 Irish War Cry walking in the Paddock

Irish War Cry leaves the Paddock with Rajiv Maragh in the irons

The Upper Grandstand at Monmouth Park

Despite not having one of the winners from this years Triple Crown Races (there were three different winners this year) in the Haskell Stakes for the first time in many years, the crowd was estimated at about thirty thousand. The 14 race card was enjoyed under perfect weather conditions. and I cant wait for Haskell 2018!!

Delaware Handicap- Songbird Saturday July 15,2017

 My Songbird Drawing from March of 2016, at the time she was undefeated in six starts.

Songbird on my Bardsley Equine Art Business Cards

I have joked for over a year about Songbird being my "Horse Crush" There was no way I was going to miss her running in the Delaware Hadicap. 

Songbird on the Track, heading to the Paddock area

 Throughout the under-card leading up to the running of the Delaware Handicap, I had gone back and forth during every race, from the track, through the casino to the paddock area, to the walking ring, to the paddock exit to the track, back through the casino, and down to Winners Circle. All of these test runs, were so that I could follow Songbird though all of the stages of the race when it happened.

Songbird in the Walking Ring

 Songbird saddled in the Walking Ring with Mike Smith in the irons

 Songbird with Mike Smith up exiting the Paddock area to the Track

Songbird in flight on the first time down the front stretch

 Songbird approaching the wire to win the Deleware Handicap

 Songbird adorned with the flowers approaches Winners Circle with Mike Smith up

 Songbird in Winners Circle

 Mike Smith talks to the media in Winners Circle

 Me with Songbird flowers in the Delaware Park Casino

That's me in the bottom right with the plaid shirt as Songbird approaches Winners Circle!

She has now won 13 of 14 starts!

Delaware Park- Delaware Handicap Day July 15,2017

July 15th was my first time going to Delaware Park, it was Delaware Handicap Day. The Delaware Handicap is a Grade 1 race for Fillies and Mares 3 years old and up, and is one and one quarter miles on dirt. 

The highlight and main attraction of the Del. Handicap on this day would be the appearance of the  super horse Songbird from California. She had won 12 of 13 races coming into the day. 

 There was a great card of racing prior to the running of the Delaware Handicap. In Race 2, my friend who has been featured in this blog many times, Sheldon Russell, seen here exiting the paddock, had the mount on Lisa Limon.

 Later in the card, Sheldon was in the irons on Cheese On, and I got this photo as he was entering Winners Circle.

 A highlight for me was running into Beth Anne Dixon. Bethann has also been featured in this blog a few times as a Triple Crown Bugler, and also the post about her riding with the Goshen Hounds.

Over the course of a couple years now, through my Equine Drawings, I have become friends with many of the photographers that have given me image use permission. Eric Kalet, who shoots for the Paulick Report, is certainly one of them!

 Penelope Miller is the Managing Editor and one of the photographers for Americas Best Racing. She is a good friend, and I always enjoy seeing her, and have now a number of tracks.

 Of course the biggest highlight of a day at the track is the equine athletes! The next post will be about the Delaware Handicap,  and about my horse crush Songbird.

Monmouth Park - June 23, 2017

 Monmouth Park Starting Gate

On a nice Friday, I went to Monmouth Park for the first time since The Haskell in 2015. That day was my first ever at a race track, and 60,000 other people were there for the same reason as I was. That was the first race for American Pharoah since he had won the Triple Crown. 

Monmouth Park Grandstand

Joe Bravo Drawing

 Joe Bravo in Winners Circle on Fast Friar

Nik Juarez in Winners Circle on Pier Village