Would the Real Hat Box, Please Stand Up?

Borrowed from Pinterest

A fancy "derby" hat begs for special transportation when boarding a plane for a trip to a horse race.
     "The large cardboard box that's my home in your closet, just won't cut it for an airplane ride", says the Hat.

Borrowed from Pinterest

Excitement built today as the quest began for the perfect hat box to transport my large, fancy top piece to Kentucky and opening day at Keeneland ....  The search was way more difficult than expected, but with the trusty internet - anything is possible, right?  After pursuing more than a couple online derby hat stores and not finding much, a Google search led to an interesting, hour-plus long pursuit. While hat retailers abound - selling everything from top hats, fedoras, bowlers, baseball caps, fancy feather adorned showpieces and fascinators - - actual hat boxes, or containers able to transport a hat with some size and opulence are way more difficult to find.

A "Hat Box" search led to lots of beautiful pictures and examples of artsy, vintage and attractive options for smaller hat storage on several websites.  Pinterest and Etsy offered exciting, lush hatbox images - but all unfortunately led to dead ends or to boxes that were either too small or too flimsy to do the travel job.

Samsonite 1950's from Etsy

So, the question is, how do people travel with fancy hats?  Short of wearing a fancy hat on your head en voyage or shipping it to your destination in advance, how do these valuable adornments get to race tracks around the world with feathers, bows and ribbons intact? A search for "Hat Shipping" led to nothing useful, although I am certain that someone would do this for a price...

Ebay and Amazon proved to offer a different avenue of options.  In addition to fancy cardboard types, a variety of vintage hat "suitcases" popped up with people selling relics of travel from the past.

American Tourister print advertising 1960's

 Finally.... a hat box "suitcase".  Back in the 1940's-1960's, Samsonite, American Tourister and a few other brands offered fashionable, sturdy hat "suitcases" - many with small lingerie compartments - for women looking for safe and convenient portability for their hats while traveling.  With the decline of hat wear, these suitcases have become difficult to find - but there are vintage pieces available.

The hat suitcase that has caught my fancy (and that could actually hold my largest hat) is American Tourister's 20" round hat case (also referred to as a "train" case) from the 1960's.  Vintage advertising showcases this as a very glam addition to any suitcase ensemble.  Very "Mad Men" ish!

Pinterest - I had the top two cases in purple.

This "find" also brought back a blast from my past as my first suitcase was a beautiful lavender American Tourister two-piece overnight-size suitcase and make-up travel case given to me as a gift from my Dad before I graduated from high school. Wish I still had them...

Ebay - Already Sold :(

So, I've narrowed my quest and with a little more searching hope to find my dear Hat a comfortable and safe "seat" for the upcoming plane ride....this vintage red case has me thinking ... now that's a REAL hat box!

The Field is Set ..... Odds and Post Positions for the Kentucky Derby

Whether you like to pick a horse by name, number, jockey, trainer, through an in-depth review of past performance or by a roll of the dice - now is the time to get serious and take a hard look at the line-up and make your picks! 

Earlier today post positions and morning line odds were established for the 20 horse line-up and this information is pretty important. Horse racing post positions are 1-20 for this race with the #1 spot being "on the rail" or on the very inside and the #20 taking the far outside spot.

Post Positions

California Chrome, the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at 5-2 odds, drew a decent position in the number 5 slot.  He is expected to win this race and this position probably won't hurt him although anything can happen. 

The dreaded #1 inside position (a horse has not won the Derby from this post since 1986) goes to Vicar's in Trouble at 30-1 odds.  The far outside spots will be taken by a couple horses that have had some recent attention for their strong workout performance at the track - Ride on Curlin at #19 and Wicked Strong in the far outside #20 post position.

I've taken a wicked liking to Wicked Strong given the horse's ties to the two places I have lived most of my life - upstate New York and Boston, MA.  Wicked Strong (originally named Moyne Spun) was bred by Anne and Bill Lynn of Syracuse, NY and is part of their wonderful story which you can read more about here.  Less than two years ago the couple sold their horse to a Boston group who renamed him Wicked Strong as a tribute to those injured and killed in the bombing at last year's Boston Marathon.  In addition to these home town connections, I watched this stellar horse win the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct by 3 1/2 lengths earlier this month - this horse is ready to roll and can really run!  Not sure how this less-than-favorable post position will play out for him (only one horse has ever won from this spot) but may still put some of my money on him in an exotic bet.  Go Boston Strong!

Morning Line Odds

There are not a lot of favored horses in this big race which means that any one of them has a good chance to win and that the odds are favorable for placing some good pay-out bets.  Other than California Chrome at 5-2 odds, the only other horses that the handicapping experts have deemed worthy of below 10-1 odds are Hoppertunity at 6-1 and Wicked Strong at 8-1.  Of course all of this will change as soon as the betting begins and it will be interesting to see how this field of horses plays out.

My favorite jockey, Mike Smith (of his own and Zenyatta fame) will be jockeying Hoppertunity in this race.  Mike is a Hall of Fame, fantastic jockey and I always bet him to win (regardless of horse) as he more often than not wins his race regardless of odds.  In the #11 post position, his horse is perfectly placed close to the center to take off, break ahead of the pack and win the Derby.

20 fantastic horses in this race!  Check out Equibase for more information on horses, jockeys and trainers past performances.

Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet

Created by America's Best Racing Brand Ambassadors, this cheat sheet does a great job of outlining "what you want to know" about the upcoming Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs.  This article gives a nice overview of each 3 year old contender providing info on jockey, trainer, earnings, racing style and more all in one place.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

Now, I'd really like this job!  As part of an ongoing commitment to new fan development, America’s Best Racing (ABR) launched an effort last year to increase interest in the lifestyle and competition of America’s high profile Thoroughbred races and big event days across the country. 

Six brand ambassadors were selected who have met with media outlets and have had appearances on college campuses, in high-traffic areas and strategic locations to help attract a younger audience to the sport of horse racing.  While I haveabsolutely no issue with the 50-70 year old male patrons who dominate the horse racing grandstands and clubhouses, it sure would be nice to build attendance of the younger crowd!

2014 Official Breeders' Cup Logo Introduced with a Touch of Hollywood

A new logo for the 2014 Breeder's Cup was introduced today incorporating a ribbon of movie film rolling through the center of the image and a feeling of Hollywood.  The Breeder's Cup is a grand event and this will be the 8th time and third consecutive year that Santa Anita (Arcadia, CA; 30 minutes away from Los Angeles) will be the site for the annual races.

"The 31st Breeders’ Cup will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group, climaxing with the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be broadcast live and in primetime on NBC on Saturday, November 1." For more details and to read the full press release, link here.


With the beautiful San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop, Santa Anita is considered by many to be the world's most beautiful race track.  Santa Anita Park was designed in the art deco style and first opened on Christmas Day in 1934. In close proximity to Los Angeles, SantaAnita attracted many movie stars to its seats during the hey day of horse racing and still manages to garner the attention of the Hollywood scene today.  This is a fancy hat place, especially on Breeders' Cup Weekend.

The 2014 Kentucky Derby Horses

30 days until the running of the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3 and here is the complete list of contenders, rankings and total points earned to date.    

• Kentucky Oaks
• Kentucky Derby 

Happy Birthday Zenyatta & Z13!

Queen Zenyatta and her second colt Z13 (yet to be named) are sharing a birthday today at Lanes End Farm.  Zenyatta is now 10 years old and Z13 is celebrating his first birthday. 

Happy Birthday to you two!

Superstar 2012 Foals.... Here they Come!

Cozmic One trains at Mayberry Farm in Florida.

Jess's Dream and Cozmic One in Training

It still could be another year or so before we see them on the tote board, but Jess's Dream (Rachel Alexandra's first colt) and my personal interest, Cozmic One (Zenyatta's first colt) are being readied for the big race course.  Here's an excellent update from the Daily Racing Form....

Peaceful, Crisp Beauty

Last year around this same time, I posted a photograph of a beautiful horse-scape carved into the side of a magnificent snowbank.  It was quite impressive. 

I recently came upon this singular sculpture image - a lone snow horse resting amidst a sea of cold and ice.

I have not been able to find the source for this beauty, but hope to be able to attribute an artist name and location.

Welcome to the Year of the Horse!

This past weekend marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse.

According to astrology expert and author, Susan Levitt, "The Wood Horse year is a time of fast victories, unexpected adventure, and surprising romance. It is an excellent year for travel, and the more far away and off the beaten path the better. Energy is high and production is rewarded. Decisive action, not procrastination, brings victory. But you have to act fast in a Horse year. If you are not 100% secure about a decision, then don’t do it. Events move so quickly in a Horse year that you don’t want to gallop off in the wrong direction."

What might this mean for horse racing in 2014?

Certainly Levitt's forecast about "fast victories" and "high energies" should bode well.

But maybe an even more positive and hopeful sign is that the last Triple Crown was won in 1978 - another Year of the Horse.  Some say that this was the greatest rivalry in thoroughbred racing history - the battle between Alydar and winner Affirmed.  This lack of a Triple Crown winner for 36 years feels very much like the Curse of the Bambino and the 86 year drought the Red Sox suffered with no World Series wins between 1918 and 2004.  Hopefully we will have a new Triple Crown winner this year...

Good luck to all of the horses leading up to the first leg of the Triple Crown challenge - the Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Zenyatta's Foals Fun Facts: Learn More About Her Growing Legacy

Excitement builds among Zenyatta fans as the due date for her third foal nears.  

Zenyatta, 2010 Horse of the Year and a true champion and fan favorite, is in foal to Claiborne Farm stallion, War Front. Based on reports, the two horses were bred early May 2013 … so a third foal is expected sometime in early April.

Here are some fun facts and photographs of Zenyatta and her first two foals:

Zenyatta

• Birthday:  April Fool’s Day 2004 (4/1/04)
• Dark bay mare with a distinctive white blaze and stockings.
• Purchased as a yearly by Ann and Jerry Moss at the Keeneland Sales at a bargain price of $60K.
• Named after The Police album, Zenyatta Mondatta, a band discovered by Jerry Moss who was also a founder of A & M Records.
• Began her racing career as a 3-year old at recently closed, Hollywood Park under the training of John Shireffs.
• During her racing days, she stood 17.2 hands tall and weighed 1,217 pounds.
• Took first place in 19 of her 20 starts.
• First mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2009 against an all-male field.
• First mare to win two different Breeders' Cup races, taking first place honors at the BC Lady’s Cup Classic in 2008.
• She is racing's all-time North American leading female earner.
• 2010 Eclipse Horse of the Year; three time Eclipse Champion Older Mare winner
• Hall of Fame jockey, Mike Smith, piloted Zenyatta 17 of her 20 starts.
• She is known for her come-from-behind racing style.
• She likes peppermint candies, drinks beer and likes to prance and dance for an audience!
• Zenyatta was retired from racing November 2010 and currently resides at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.
• Her best friend is Breeders' Cup champion, Life is Sweet.  They are good pals.
• Will I ever get a chance to meet the great Zenyatta?  I was ecstatic to meet her owners (Ann & Jerry Moss), jockey (Mike Smith) and trainer, John Shireffs  at the 2012 Breeders' Cup Zenyatta Celebration. I hope to get the opportunity to meet this wonderful, majestic horse someday too!

Cozmic One (formerly Z12)

• Cozmic One will be two years old on March 8, 2014.
• Sire is Bernardini, 2006 Preakness winner.
• Coz is a dark bay colt and looks a lot like Zenyatta with similar coloring and size; his forehead blaze resembles a “star”.
• Weaned in August 2012, Coz started racehorse “school” in early Oct 2013 at Mayberry Farm in Ocala, FL.
• Will he race this year?  My guess is not yet – that the owners and trainer will wait another year or so.

Z13 (Yet to be named)

photo courtesy of Alys Emson/Lanes End

• Happy birthday, Mom! Z13 was born on Zenyatta’s ninth birthday, April Fool’s Day, 2013!
• Sired by Tapit, Z13 is a coppery colored chestnut colt and weighed 145 pounds at birth.
• Bo Derek “imprinted” on Z13 so that “he will remember me in the winner’s circle” during a visit to Lane's End Farm.
• Weaned in September 2013 but still resides at Lane's End Farm with mom.
• What will this fine colt be named?  We are all waiting anxiously to find out….