Hooked on Horse Racing

Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. MICHAEL BEHRENS, CEO OF MYRACEHORSE.COM What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? I'm kind of typical of those people who are exposed to racing early on. I had a friend whose dad was into racing. When I was 16, they invited me...

Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. KERI BRION, ASSISTANT TO JONATHAN SHEPPARD What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? I grew up down the road from a horse racing training and breeding farm and I used to walk down the road and feed the mares and foals carrots....

Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. MIKE REPOLE What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? Growing up in Queens, I would cut out of high school early to spend the day at "the beautiful Aqueduct Racetrack" to place a $2 bet and watch these amazing Thoroughbreds compete at...

SANDY HATFIELD, STALLION MANAGER, THREE CHIMNEYS What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? I'm originally from Oklahoma. My family raised Quarter Horses, so I was familiar with the track in many ways. I was going to college at Oklahoma State University when the equine department at Murray State University was just getting started. They offered me a scholastic scholarship to join their program, so I moved to Kentucky as a junior in college. Between my junior and senior years of college, I had a...

Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. JON GREEN, GENERAL MANAGER, DJ STABLES What was the experience that hooked you on the sport? I grew up in a family of accountants, and, in 1989, I attended my first auction "unchaperoned" by my parents--it was the New Sire Showcase portion of the Fasig-Tipton July sale. Back...