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