Customer Reviews

Thoroughbred Times

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Thoroughbred Times" is my favorite of the two Thoroughbred weeklies to which I subscribe (the other is "Blood Horse") in spite of its unwieldy size, and in spite of the fact that my issues always arrive one to three weeks late. I don't know if this means someone at the Post Office is reading them first, or whether the Post Office has problems with the size of this magazine (14.5"x 11"). At any rate, the 'Times' is worth waiting for.

Most of the 'Times' is taken up with articles on racing, breeding, sales, and other topics that pertain to the Thoroughbred business. For instance, the two cover articles on the 08/30/03 issue are: "Breaking through in the Travers" with a photo of a mud-splattered Ten Most Wanted powering past Peace Rules; and "Magna acquires 30% interest in AmTote" (which I didn't bother to read).

Several features are common to all of the issues, including 'Sire lists,' 'Stakes winners,' 'Thoroughbred quotes' (these are usually quite lively, e.g. Trainer Neil Drysdale on how he handles quirky behavior from Storming Home: "You let the bear sit where the bear wants to sit."), 'Veterinary Topics,' 'Calendar of Events,' and a somewhat stranger 'Zodiac calendar' ("Favorable times for weaning are Sagittarius (thighs), Capricorn (knees), and Pisces (feet), while castration is said to cause less bleeding when performed in the sign of Pisces (feet)").

One of my favorite weekly features is 'Hoofprints of the Century.' It's interesting to note that fifty years ago this week, sales yearlings were too fat, and a hundred years ago this week, Delhi covered seven furlongs in 1:26 with 105 pounds on his back.

Articles on bloodstock pedigrees also frequently appear and should appeal to anyone who is interested in the history and genealogy of the Thoroughbred. The 08/30/03 issue has commentary on the Foundation Mare, *Beaver Street who "never won or placed but produced four stakes winners and established a great family." The Bloodstock/Sales Editor, John P. Sparkman generally authors these genealogical explorations.

The Thoroughbred Times is truly a newspaper that covers the Thoroughbred industry. It is an oversize weekly publication with general news, opinion, race results and breeding information.

By covering the industry in a variety of angles, there are sections for fans and those more involved at the track and on the farm. The wrap-ups from the tracks and general news section are especially informative for people not actively involved in the sport.

Subscribers also receive the daily on-line service and a stallion register book.

It is virtually impossible to follow Thoroughbred racing in the sports sections of newspapers or in other media resources. Thoroughbred Times will keep you informed and help you better understand the various facets in the Sport of Kings.

One of the major thoroughbred racing horse journals I have been getting for the past 10 yrs or so; It keeps me up to date; I like many of the articles and pictures, (for example, review of an old magazine article about the great Man O'War, as well as copy of a photo of MOW as he appeared at auction) and especially it's weekly "Hoofprints of the Century"; also equine veterinarian items are of great interest to me. The yearly complete Stallion Register alone is worth the cost of the subscription. Do not care for the large size of the magazine, and the fact that at times the issues tend to arrive late. But all in all, I am a fan.

Sure you can pop over to the website, but having the physical issues in hand to be able to review when you aren't near a computer is a huge benefit.

Whether you are new to racing or a long time fan, you can learn something in each issue. Current health issues, historic data for specific races, as well as showcases of bloodlines -- all things that are important to a horseman wanting to grow their knowledge-base.

I am not terribly impressed with the magazine, not being a betting person, but I thought that it would be worth $5., being a horse person,as well as a photo person, and I hoped that both would be available in the mag. The mag is not worth the $23 that was taken from my credit card account. I will not renew, nor will I get another mag off of Amazon. I know Amazon has no control over the magazines they sell on here, but I seriously suggest they figure out a way to get some. NOT PLEASED!!