THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

I’ve got a special post for you guys tonight, and one that brings me a great deal of joy to share.  As many of you know, if there’s one guy out there who has inspired me the most through his passion for the sport of thoroughbred horse racing- it’s Ron Correll.  Indeed, one might reasonably state that without Ron Correll’s influence, this blog would likely have never been created.

Ron has followed the sport for 50 years.  His articles appeared regularly for years in the State Journal-Register, and he has been interviewed on TVG by Rich Perloff on several occasions.  In fact, it was just such an interview that first made me take notice of him.  And once I did, the rest, as they say, was history.

We fans will tell you that Ron is famous for picking Giacomo in the 2005 Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1, but such a reference does little justice to the man’s entire body of work.  For years he has provided stellar coverage and expert analysis of all things thoroughbred racing related.  Now he’s got his own website up and running, and I strongly encourage anyone reading this blog to head over, subscribe, and listen to the information he has to share.  You can check out all the latest updates from Ron by visiting:

http://tracksideview.com

One of my dreams when I first started this blog was that I’d one day get to interview Ron and help introduce him to folks who may not have had the pleasure of reading his regular columns.  I consider him an absolute treasure to the entire sport, considering the depth of his experience and his zest for sharing his love of the sport with other fans.  The guy’s done so much in helping me refine my appreciation for the game, that the least I could do is give him a featured interview trumpeting the creation of his new site. 

With that in mind, it gives me great pleasure to officially be able to share with you a 10 item Q+A session we recently exchanged via email.  This is the first interview of this sort I’ve done, and I tried to steer the questioning to help give a broad perspective on Ron’s passion, as well as some classic Ron banter on current hot-button issues.  Never one to disappoint, Ron graciously responded with the following (drum roll, please!):

1. When did you first fall in love with horse racing?  Was there a particular moment when you knew this was your favorite sport?

A: I was around horses from as young as I can remember. I grew up on a farm. I saw my first Kentucky Derby in 1953. Dark Star beat Native Dancer by a nose.

Dark Star beats Native Dancer at the wire in the ‘53 Derby – Ron’s first

2. Is there any particular track you feel a special connection with?

A: I love Santa Anita, Saratoga and Churchill Downs. There is so much history there.

3. You’ve covered horse racing for 50 years. In your opinion, who are the greatest horses you’ve had the pleasure of seeing?

A: Bold Ruler, Kelso, Damascus, Dr. Fager Ta Wee, Ruffian, Go For Wand, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Alydar, Spectacular Bid, Personal Ensign, Point Given, Lemon Drop Kid and of course, Curlin. I could add another 50 and still leave out someone I really liked.

4. Of all the great moments in horse racing you’ve seen over the years, does any one moment stand out as your favorite memory?

A: Of course Secretariat winning the Belmont by 31 lengths was an awesome display and tops the list, but Personal Ensign running down Winning Colors and refusing to lose in the Breeders Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs is right there. That allowed Personal Ensign to retire unbeaten. Any race that I watched Ruffian in was very special to me.

Personal Ensign guns down Winning Colors at the wire in the ‘88 BC Distaff

5. The horse racing gods have given you the chance of a lifetime – allowing you to pick 10 horses from the all-time greats to enter into the biggest race ever run.  Who would you like to see in that field?

A: Man o War, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Alydar, Spectacular Bid, Ruffian, Kelso, John Henry, Dr. Fager and No. 11 would be Citation.

6. Who do you think would win?

A: Secretariat

Secretariat’s amazing victory in the ‘73 Belmont – the stuff of legends

7.  Million dollar question – if Big Brown does prevail in the Triple Crown on Saturday, where do you think he ranks among the other Triple Crown winners?

A: Of the other Triple Crown winners, I would rank him only above Sir Barton. I don’t think he can carry the bridle for half the other winners.

8. What are your thoughts on a potential Big Brown vs. Curlin matchup? Is this something you’d like to see?

A: I would like to see it and contrary to what Richard Dutrow says, It would be good for Curlin.

9. As an experienced handicapper, do you have any advice for people who are first starting out or are interested in learning more about horse racing?

A: Find someone who has been doing it for a long time (successfully) and listen. Watching a lot of races and reading pps. Spend a lot of time handicapping without betting and get to know horseflesh.

10. In a perfect world, is there anything about the sport that you’d like to see
changed in the near future? 

A: I would like to see them ban all race “medication” except for lasix. I also would like to see the breeders start building stamina lines again. The great majority of horses today are fragile as glass.

So there you have it, folks.  The one, the only – Mr. Ron Correll.  Be sure to check him out at the link above the interview.  You’ll probably run into me on the comments sections of his posts.  Of course, you may also run into Ron in the comments here.  Now you guys know a bit more about the man that inspired this entire blogging adventure.  I hope you all enjoyed the interview.  With any luck this won’t be the last interview I’m able to share with you guys, but it’s certainly special for me that the first is Ron.