Marion Van Berg

Officially born into horse racing as a 5-year-old match race jockey in Louisiana with feet tethered to the stirrups, Glynn "Tee Red" Bernis passed away Nov. 8 at the age of 75 having led the picaresque life once free of the stirrup ties of a leading apprentice jockey, Kentucky Derby competing trainer, jock's agent, raconteur and bon vivant. "He was every Cajun stereotype you had. He was hot-tempered. He was passionate. He was hard working. He was loyal to the end of the earth and to a fault, and would...

The relationship between trainer and assistant can often be tumultuous and fleeting, while in other instances, it can prove life-altering and enduring. And every once in a while, the spark ignites, paving the road to great glory and even the Hall of Fame. When it was announced that trainer Todd Pletcher would be inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame this summer, most could not have been surprised that the 53-year-old would have been granted the honor in his very first year of eligibility. In truth, there...

When it comes to training racehorses, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has pretty much seen it all over the past half a century. In 2019, however, Churchill Downs served as a backdrop for a rare first for the Hall of Famer, who captured his first GI Kentucky Derby with 'TDN Rising Star' Country House (Lookin At Lucky). Fast forward a year and Mott closes in on another personal first, namely his 5,000th career win, which places him seventh overall, and fourth among leading active trainers. "I am proud of...