| From Chris Wittstruck on USTA licensing | May 31st 2008 |
| Good morning. A few days ago our blogging friend Mark Allen asked a question about the role of the USTA in licening-- or re-licensing-- people within ... [Read More] | |
| Top Five Races of the Weekend? This week, it's easy | May 30th 2008 |
| Happy Friday-- I apologize for the late start. That crazy day job.... Anyway, it doesn't take too much searching to pick out the top five rac... [Read More] | |
| More from WEG on How to Watch Races Online | May 29th 2008 |
| Just got this nice email from Kim Neelands at Woodbine Entertainment Group with more information on how to watch Mohawk/Woodbine races live on the Int... [Read More] | |
| Trainer Tug of War over Tug River Princess DQs Filly | May 29th 2008 |
| Here is harnessracing.com's exclusive story on the decision by the Delaware Harness Racing Commission to disqualify Tug River Princess from a $10... [Read More] | |
| Who Should Replace Sharbaugh at USTA? (updated) | May 29th 2008 |
| Now that we know that Eric Sharbaugh is leaving his executive position at the USTA at the end of June let's ruminate a bit over which candidates we be... [Read More] | |
| Sharbaugh to Leave USTA Post | May 28th 2008 |
| Here is the link to today's big news from the USTA that executive vice president Eric Sharbaugh will be leaving his post effective at the end of June.... [Read More] | |
| Congress Comes a Calling on Horse Racing | May 28th 2008 |
| The big news this week in horse racing isn't Big Brown's hoof or SBSW's bruise. It is the possibility that Congress will call a hearing as early as Ju... [Read More] | |
| Don't Forget the NJ Classic This Saturday! | May 28th 2008 |
| Sure, the three divisions of the Burlington at Mohawk on Saturday night figure to be awesome. But check out the lineup for the $500,000 final of the N... [Read More] | |
| Burke Matter Continued, Again, to June 23 | May 28th 2008 |
| Nearly a year and a half after he was named Trainer of the Year, Mickey Burke and New Jersey regulators remained locked in a dispute over two alleged ... [Read More] | |
| From WEG on online video streaming of Burlington | May 27th 2008 |
| Here from Bruce Murray, Veep at WEG, is the official policy on their online streaming. It's not great news, I'm afraid, to those of us ... [Read More] | |
| Burlington Drawn: Wow, That's Three Fine Races! | May 27th 2008 |
| Here from Karen Briggs at WEG is the draw for Saturday's Burlington Stakes at Mohawk. My initial reaction? Holy cow, that's three good races. Dal... [Read More] | |
| Crazy Good Times 100 Years Ago | May 27th 2008 |
| I devoured "Crazy Good" this past weekend and I will hereby add my voice to the chorus of those praising Charles Leerhsen for his effor... [Read More] | |
| Post-Race Thoughts from Kleinhans on Elitlopp 2008 | May 26th 2008 |
| Here is Peter Kleinhans's post-race summary of Sunday's Elitlopp, which saw his trotter Enough Talk finish second in an elimination and third in the f... [Read More] | |
| Good Piece on Good Horse: Daley Deposit Only | May 26th 2008 |
| Carol Hodes, the doyenne of harness feature writers (and I say that in a good way) is at it again with a very good piece for Harnesslink on Daley... [Read More] | |
| Axelrod Exclusive on Marketing Committee M.O. | May 26th 2008 |
| Here is the complete text of the email I received Sunday from Ivan Axelrod, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United States Trotting Associati... [Read More] | |
| Enough Talk Pulls His Weight; Finishes Third in Elitlopp Final | May 25th 2008 |
| Here is the news from Europe, where First Over's second son, Enough Talk, did his country proud today in the Elitlopp. Second in his el... [Read More] | |
| Elitlopp Eve: More from Peter K on Enough Talk | May 24th 2008 |
| Good Saturday afternoon here in North America. Here is Peter Kleinhans final, pre-Elitlopp blog post on his trotter Enough Talk:"It's Elitlopp eve and... [Read More] | |
| SC's Spring Fling May Get Flung: An investigation ensues | May 24th 2008 |
| Good Saturday morning from SNOWY Edwards, Colorado. I wanted to hike and fly fish today, work up a good appetite, and then sit back this evening ... [Read More] | |
| How the USTA Said "No Thanks" to Marketing Candidates | May 23rd 2008 |
| Below is the form letter I just received via email from USTA Chairman Ivan Axelrod via the USTA's Ellen Harvey. The email was sent to people who volun... [Read More] | |
| The USTA Names its Marketing Committee | May 23rd 2008 |
| Happy Friday. Below from the USTA is its list of its new Marketing Committee members. There are some bright and creative people on the ... [Read More] | |
| Elitlopp-o-rama: Peter Checks in Again from Sweden | May 22nd 2008 |
| Hello and here is the latest blog entry from Peter Kleinhans, who on behalf of his fine trotter Enough Talk is offering us here at First Over exclusiv... [Read More] | |
| Montreal's Harness Fiasco Coming to a Head | May 22nd 2008 |
| From today's Montreal Gazette it appears clear that the chaotic situation surrounding harness racing in Quebec is unraveling quickly. There... [Read More] | |
| Good for Big M for Simulcasting Elitlopp | May 22nd 2008 |
| Good Friday morning. Judging from the reaction we've received on Peter Kleinhans' blog entries, it's fairly clear there is great intere... [Read More] | |
| More from Peter Kleinhans on Enough Talk | May 21st 2008 |
| Good Wednesday afternoon. Here is another post from Peter Kleinhans direct from Sweden where he is enjoying the build up to the big Elitlopp race in S... [Read More] | |
| Governor Roulette Spins Again | May 21st 2008 |
| You need only to read this piece by John Brennan in today's Bergen County Record to understand why horse racing in the Garden State is going to c... [Read More] | |
| Do or Do Not, There is No Try: The Sam Lilly Interview | May 21st 2008 |
| Good morning. The USTA's website has this fawning interview with new Board member Sam Lilly. He says all the right things, indeed, but it would h... [Read More] | |
| Live, From Sweden, it's Peter Kleinhans! | May 20th 2008 |
| Here is a special blog report-- exclusive to First Over-- from fellow attorney and horseman Peter Kleinhans, who is over in Sweden with his great trot... [Read More] | |
| Nice Picks for Canadian Hall of Fame | May 20th 2008 |
| We've known the names for a few weeks now but the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame made it official today in announcing its inductees for the year. ... [Read More] | |
| Stan Jumps Ugly on Silly NJ Pols (updated) | May 19th 2008 |
| Gotta love Stan Bergstein when he gets his dander up-- and he did today for HTA (for good reason) in reacting to the latest bizarre news out of New Je... [Read More] | |
| Welcome and Hooray for PA Harness Week | May 19th 2008 |
| Okay, I am not crazy about the name of the show-- PA Harness Week is a little meek for my tastes-- but I am delighted that Comcast SportsNet is going ... [Read More] | |
| At Least We Have Our Health | May 18th 2008 |
| Leave it to my nine-year-old son, Sam, the future Commissioner of Harness Racing, to put into context Share the Delight's disastrous (he broke before ... [Read More] | |
| Great Card, Great Races, Big Handle | May 18th 2008 |
| Good Sunday morning. You want to market harness racing? Blast races 5-11 from last night's Meadowlands card into every email box in the nation! Y... [Read More] | |
| WEG, Others Should "Reload" to Everyone | May 17th 2008 |
| The Woodbine Entertainment Group announced today that subscribers to Horse Players Interactive TV (HPItv) will be able to see a new replay show.&... [Read More] | |
| Axelrod on Marketing Committee | May 17th 2008 |
| Here is the text of an email I received yesterday from Ivan Axelrod, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United States Trotting Association: &n... [Read More] | |
| Remembering Roosevelt | May 17th 2008 |
| Here is a press release I received yesterday for a worthwhile cause, the restoration of priceless memorabilia from Roosevelt Raceway, one of the most ... [Read More] | |
| Best Races of the Weekend, a Call for Candidates | May 16th 2008 |
| So... which races do I need to watch this weekend? The Hempt? The OSS? The trotters at Harrah's Chester? The Empire Breeders Classic? What am I missin... [Read More] | |
| Check out getsulky.com-- a gift from the Great White North | May 16th 2008 |
| One of my most interesting discoveries over the past few weeks is the work and attitude of Kelly Spencer, who does the marketing and publicity at Gran... [Read More] | |
| Lonestar's Legend Grows with Monster Qualifier | May 16th 2008 |
| I am sorry I didn't get to this yesterday-- the darn day job got in the way-- but let's certainly have a shout out to Lonestar Legend, the Western Han... [Read More] | |
| Jeff Gural on Vernon-Tioga Testing | May 16th 2008 |
| Good Friday morning to y'all. Here is the text of an email I received yesterday from Jeff Gural, who owns and operates the tracks at Tioga Downs and V... [Read More] | |
| Orlando Sentinel: A Sport Without a Leader | May 15th 2008 |
| Check out this column from today's Orlando Sentinel sent courtesy of Jeff Porchak at Standardbred Canada. Now, where have you heard those argumen... [Read More] | |
| EBC Draws Announced at Tioga | May 15th 2008 |
| Tioga has just posted its entries for Sunday's Empire Breeders Classic series. Here is the link. In the colt division, there will be two eliminations.... [Read More] | |
| Somebeachsomewhere Scratched (this week) | May 15th 2008 |
| The Harness Edge-- great new design, by the way-- is reporting this morning that Somebeachsomewhere has been scratched from his scheduled On... [Read More] | |
| Clay Horner on Preparing for the Grand Circuit as an Owner | May 15th 2008 |
| On the eve of the Grand Circuit season, I asked a few friends to share some of their insights as owners of stakes horses. Here is the first installmen... [Read More] | |
| Another Big Morning at the Big M (updated) | May 15th 2008 |
| Good morning. Another Thursday, another fantastic lineup of horses in to go for qualifiers at the Meadowlands. Good pacers, ... [Read More] | |
| Marks: What a Way to Run a Railroad | May 14th 2008 |
| I received an interesting email this week from Bob Marks of Perretti Farms, one of my most frequent and learned correspondents. He gave me permission ... [Read More] | |
| Cohen Wins "Most Boring Writer Ever" Award | May 14th 2008 |
| Here is the text of an email I received this morning. Never let it be said that First Over glosses over criticism. "Andrew, After r... [Read More] | |
| IRB Ruling Doesn't Erase The Facts | May 13th 2008 |
| In the wake of the Illinois Racing Board's shocking May 1st ruling, I don't know that I would characterize as "exonerated" Jereme's Jet and ... [Read More] | |
| A Riotous Weekly Harness Poll from SC | May 13th 2008 |
| Check out Standardbred Canada's very funny weekly harness poll, which asks readers to consider matching certain big-name harness horses with corporate... [Read More] | |
| An Apology to Harry Harvey | May 13th 2008 |
| Having a blog means always getting to say "sorry" which I am about to do. In January, when I was fortunate enough to receive a John Hervey Award at th... [Read More] | |
| Three Big Races, Three Different Websites | May 12th 2008 |
| Here is the current site for the Little Brown Jug, to be contested this year on Thursday, September 18th. Here is the current site for the Meadow... [Read More] | |
| An Instant Classic from Dean Towers | May 12th 2008 |
| Good Monday morning. Passing along this morning this great post by Dean Towers, who runs the Pull the Pocket blog. It is, as they say over at... [Read More] | |
| My Little Dragon Fires Me Up | May 11th 2008 |
| Just watched My Little Dragon (the fastest mare of all time) shine at the Big M in this year's Matriarch Stakes Race. Here is the link to a story from... [Read More] | |
| What we Can Learn from Cricket and Poker | May 11th 2008 |
| Still convinced that the harness industry can't learn anything from the online and in-demand poker industry? Okay, then chew on this. We can learn fro... [Read More] | |
| Faraldo on Vernon/Tioga Testing | May 11th 2008 |
| Good Sunday morning. And Happy Mother's Day to you mothers out there. Got some interesting and informative comments last night and this morni... [Read More] | |
| A Great Berry's Creek to Blueridge Western | May 10th 2008 |
| Just watched the great finish in the Berry's Creek from the Meadowlands. Blueridge Western won by a bit over Bullville Powerful but it could have... [Read More] | |
| Settlemoir on Tioga/Vernon Drug Testing | May 10th 2008 |
| Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs issued a press release Friday announcing that the tracks had initiated "random out-of-competition" testing. "Dr. Dan ... [Read More] | |
| Sand Shooter Chimes in on the Fun | May 9th 2008 |
| Here's a piece just posted on PASS action today-- and a monster mile from Sand Shooter, another US-based sophomore hopeful this year. The way thi... [Read More] | |
| More information about Big M qualifyiers | May 9th 2008 |
| Carol Hodes is no longer affiliated with the Meadowlands but, as most of you know, she was for a long time an important part of the Big M crew. S... [Read More] | |
| Canadian Colts Have Edge Early On (UPDATED) | May 9th 2008 |
| This morning brings news from Mohawk that top 3-year-old pacing colt contenders Dali and On the Brink both qualified impressively-- Dali in 152 on a n... [Read More] | |
| Trying to Act Like We've Been Here Before | May 8th 2008 |
| I was in the "news" today in harness racing. Well, not really. I didn't make news except to answer a few questions posed by Standardbred Canada about ... [Read More] | |
| Waiting for Godot-- and Big M results (UPDATED) | May 8th 2008 |
| UPDATE: Naturally, five minutes after I posted this, the results came up online. But the piece is worth reading anyway because the track can and ... [Read More] | |
| Pacific Playboy's "record" is no more: Harrah's Chester | May 7th 2008 |
| We've just learned from Mike Tanner at Harrah's Chester that Pacific Playboy's "world-record" mile last Sunday has been "ordered removed" from the tra... [Read More] | |
| Another vote against a "Rudderless Ship" | May 7th 2008 |
| Arthur Hancock III's pinky knows more about horse racing than I do. He is the eldest son of A.B "Bull" Hancock and the grandson of A.B. Han... [Read More] | |
| Tiger Tony Tribute | May 7th 2008 |
| Good Wednesday morning. Let me briefly here praise Tony Morgan, who won six races yesterday at Harrington Raceway. I admit right off the bat that I am... [Read More] | |
| Harrah's Chester on EPO positives | May 6th 2008 |
| Just received this email from Mike Tanner, racing executive at Harrah's Chester in Pennsylvania. Remember, Harrah's Chester is a private entity w... [Read More] | |
| The Big M on New Jersey's EPO testing | May 6th 2008 |
| Just received this email from Amy Silver at the Meadowlands in response to a question I had asked about what the Big M plans to do with the purse mone... [Read More] | |
| More from Frank Zanzuccki (updated) | May 6th 2008 |
| Just got off the phone with Frank Zanzuccki at the New Jersey Racing Commission. He told me that the six suspended Adam/Slender horses are not eligibl... [Read More] | |
| What's next for Adam and Slender in NJ Probe? | May 6th 2008 |
| Big news just making its way across the wires. The New Jersey Racing Commission has just announced (here is the link to the press release) t... [Read More] | |
| More on Elliott and Transfers from the ORC | May 6th 2008 |
| I just received an email from Rob McKinney, deputy director of the Ontrario Racing Commission. He's filling in this week for a travelling John Bl... [Read More] | |
| Don't Forget Dali, Says his Trainer | May 6th 2008 |
| Standardbred Canada has an interesting story up now about 3-year-old pacing champs Dali and On the Brink. Seems that their trainer, Duane Ma... [Read More] | |
| Eight Belles Hysteria Unfortunate | May 6th 2008 |
| Good Tuesday morning. Let's talk this morning, briefly anyway, about poor Eight Belles, the filly who placed and then died at the Kentucky Derby. Ever... [Read More] | |
| Waples: Somebeach the next Niatross? | May 5th 2008 |
| Somebeachsomewhere qualified this morning at Mohawk in 151.1. Here is the link to the harnessracing.com story that says so. And here is... [Read More] | |
| Balmoral Needs Horses-- and Fast | May 5th 2008 |
| The news this morning from Balmoral is not good. Harnessracing.com is reporting that prominent trainer Joe Anderson is taking 19 horses from the Land ... [Read More] | |
| More from WEG on Elliott Fallout | May 3rd 2008 |
| Good Saturday morning and Happy Derby Day. The Cohen Boys will be hosting a charity party surrounding the big race in Louisville and I will of course ... [Read More] | |
| WEG continues Elliott push--too far or not far enough? | May 2nd 2008 |
| Here's the latest from harnessracing.com and Woodbine Entertainment Group on the suspension of Bill Elliott and Evzen Pindur. WEG is not accepting any... [Read More] | |
| Michigan Horsemen Go On the Attack | May 2nd 2008 |
| Fascinating story this morning in the Detroit News. Here is what the paper's Paul Egan led with: "Northville Downs and other Michigan horse racin... [Read More] | |
| Justice Delayed and Denied in Illinois, Too | May 1st 2008 |
| I rail on New Jersey's suspension and appeals process so much that sometimes it's hard to remember that the problem is not isolated to just the Garden... [Read More] | |