For those of you with further interest in my work, I have included are a few links to stories I have produced for various publications. I hope you enjoy them.
Thoroughbred Times
New surfaces, new rules
– My longest piece in the magazine. I came into it knowing very little about synthetic surfaces and even less about racing plates. It was definitely a learning experience, but I am proud of how it turned out.
Pinnacle Race Course debuts on Friday
– Being the only Michigan resident on the editorial side of the office, I was put in charge of a good deal of the coverage surrounding the debut of Pinnacle Race Course. I did a similar preview for the magazine.
Curlin continues dominance in Stephen Foster
Pyro powers to clear triumph in Northern Dancer Stakes
– I covered these two races on-site at Churchill Downs on Stephen Foster Handicap day. I secured exclusive interiews with the jockeys after their races and stood in the paddock and winner’s circle with multiple graded stakes winner Pyro and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.
Magna sells Great Lakes Downs
– The saddest story I have ever written.
Ellis Park adds super high five, early pick four wagers
– My first out-of-office story for the Times, written after attending a Kentucky Horse Racing Authority meeting.
For more stories published online, click here.
Midwest Thoroughbred
No finish line in sight
An interview with 70-year-old jockey Richard Rettele, still one of the leading Quarter Horse jockeys at Mount Pleasant Meadows.
Making Michigan racing work
An overview of Michigan’s breeding industry, featuring five of the state’s top sires.
ThoroFan
Real talk about fake dirt, or “I just need a little more money”
My horse-by-horse handicapping analysis of the 2010 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. I gave out the $41.80 winner of the Kentucky Derby prep race, Exhi.
NTRA.com
Luck of the draw
Included among superstar freelancer Claire Novak’s musings about the 2010 Kentucky Derby draw was my Haiku Handicapper guest analysis of the field.
A Classic Haiku Handicapper
Another guest Haiku Handicapper post on Claire Novak’s blog. This time, I broke down the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Central Michigan Life
Spinning DJ Dan’s tale
– Before working for the Thoroughbred Times, I would often tell people that my greatest journalistic accomplishment was a feature story about a guy who came to the interview wearing a chicken hat. This is that story.
Writing the music
– My first front page story for CM Life.
Brett Favre vs. Ric Flair
– I came up with the concept for this fun comparison piece on the way down to Lexington to look for apartments. Special thanks to Frank Wisswell for helping me flesh it out.
The Michigan-Bred Claimer 