As the racing writer for the Lexington Herald- Leader, I have won three Eclipse Awards in thoroughbred racing, three Hervey Awards in harness racing, and I have had a lifetime of working with horses, on the track and in the show ring. But most of all, I simply enjoy horses. The opportunity to write about them has been a true gift.
Alicia Wincze is a general assignment sportswriter, covering everything from the Kentucky Derby to girls' soccer. She started riding at age 8 and was a four-year member of the Pace University equestrian team.
A Peppermint, and a Treat
Posted by Maryjean Wall on October 4, 2007
Keeneland…how many ways can you say you love the racing at this track? It’s special in so many ways, from the Grade I racing to the backstretch barns that you can visit, because the barn area here is not fenced to keep the public out.
Of course, it’s best not to wander into a barn without a trainer’s invitation. Safety, you understand. And good manners, too. But it’s not unusual to see racing patrons strolling down the main roadway through the barn area, taking in the sights.
In my work, I visit a lot of barns, many of them housing some of the best horses in racing, others housing up-and-coming stars. I usually resist the temptation to touch any of these horses, just in case one of them might be coming down with an illness. I don’t want to be responsible for spreading an illness from barn to barn this way.
But on Wednesday, knowing I was visiting my last horse for the morning, I accepted trainer Wayne Catalano’s invitation to feed a couple of peppermints to Eclipse Award winner Dreaming of Anna. Hard to say who received the greater treat: she, with the peppermints, or me, feeding them to the winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
