Barry Weisbord

Strangely enough, the beginnings of my horse racing journey are tied to a racing-related contest put on by one of the local grocery chains in suburban Chicago in the 1970s where you'd watch a short clip at 6:57 p.m. and try to match your ticket for a can of Spam or something of the like. A few years later, a neighbor three doors down (kryptonite?) campaigned a mare called Diablo Morn with trainer Jerry McGrath, no great shakes (she finished her career 2-32, I just looked), but it gave me...

Nineteen individuals have been elected Breeders' Cup Members by 2023 Breeders' Cup foal and stallion nominators in voting that concluded Monday evening. Each Member will serve a four-year term. The following individuals, listed alphabetically, received the most votes from the Breeders' Cup nominators to fill 19 Member seats: Conrad Bandoroff, Maria Niarchos-Gouaze, Barbara Banke, David O'Farrell, Boyd Browning, Bernie Sams, Doug Cauthen, Alex Solis II, Matt Dorman, Edward (Ned) Toffey, Craig Fravel, Elliott Walden, Eric Gustavson, Barry Weisbord, Bret Jones, Aron Wellman, Gray Lyster, Jacob West, and Clem Murphy. The...

Gladys Weisbord, the mother of former Thoroughbred Daily News publisher Barry Weisbord and grandmother of BSW Bloodstock and Elite Sales founder Brad Weisbord, passed away Monday evening. She was 94. Barry Weisbord, who founded Matchmaker Breeders Exchange in the 1980's and started the American Racing Championship Series in the 1990's, credited his mother's early support of his love of racing with launching, not just his career as an innovator in the sport, but also that of his son. "Unlike a lot of people in our industry, I was not introduced...

Trakus, the timing and tracking system introduced to the racing industry at Keeneland in 2006, will cease domestic operations Dec. 31, the company's chairman Barry Weisbord confirmed Wednesday. "Trakus is closing its domestic operations on 12-31, the tracks have all been informed," Weisbord said. "We have some international contracts and some of those are going to continue for a period of time, but not a significant amount of time." Several tracks which had been utilizing Trakus, including the New York Racing Association tracks, are expected to switch to the Equibase's...

This week I attended World Series Games Three and Four in Philadelphia. Those that know me would not be surprised as I am a life-long devoted Phillies fan. This weekend my champion sports enjoyment continues with the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. I will relish both events with family and friends. This has been a favorite time of the year of late as these two great events have overlapped. My enthusiasm for this week got me thinking. I love sports. I always have. I love rooting in person, watching on TV,...

James Delahooke died Wednesday, and I lost a very special friend. I had the great pleasure of working together with him, especially over the last 15-plus years. Tuesday, we spoke about our Keeneland filly short list, of Chris McGrath's great profile of Bobby Flay's equine program to which he had been a major contributor, and meeting in Lexington on Friday for dinner. Life can pivot from normal to abnormal with a phone call, but our initial meeting is a great reminder of the special goodness that can also randomly present...

"You know, some of the people I go up against in the auction ring, they own countries," says Bobby Flay with a chuckle. "And I work at a stove." It's an instructive remark. For one thing, it indicates the humor and modesty that redeem the restauranteur and television chef from the kind of airs that might burden others, accustomed to turning heads in Main Street, on entering this arcane hinterland of ours. Flay so reliably checks the fame and glamor at the barn door, indeed, that you suspect he actually...

The progressive Rotknee (Runhappy) took his current winning streak to three, running out an easy winner of Sunday's Damon Runyon S. at the Big A. Drawn widest in a field of five, the homebred showed the best early speed and angled over to the fence in the opening furlong, forcing odds-on Best Idea (Honor Code) to be checked for half a stride. Going strongly on the engine beneath Manny Franco, Rotknee turned them in a couple of lengths to the good and kept on gamely to become the seventh stakes...

Bradley Weisbord is expected to be released from Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York City on Saturday, Dec. 19, after a successful six-hour surgery Tuesday to remove a benign cavernous malformation symptomatic hemorrhage in the left temporal lobe of his brain, according to his father. "The surgery went well, but it was difficult and complex," said Barry Weisbord. "Brad will recover for six to eight weeks before returning to work in February." The surgery was performed by Dr. Philip Stieg, who has been the Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at New York Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell for...

SUPERHERO— noun a hero, especially in children's comic books, television cartoons, and movies, possessing extraordinary, often magical powers. R D Hubbard Dee's not feeling well and I thought some words might pick his spirits up. I met my Superhero in the mid 70's when a family friend from Wichita collected a group of his friends to create a bloodstock investment company. I was transitioning from training to bloodstock management and investment, and they gave me the chance to play at the major leagues. Dee was one of the partners. He...