And we’re back.

Yikes! Nothing like starting a blog six months ago and then literally never posting anything again. Nailed it.

Real talk though, in the first (and thus far only) installation of this blog I introduced you to the project, and my main motivation for it: my horse, Maybelline. In the months close after that post, I unfortunately lost her to the trauma she had presumably sustained at the track. The arthritis in her neck had continued to degrade, leading to chronic pain and neurological deficiencies. I said goodbye to her mid-September, and my appetite for pretty much anything to do with this series went away for a bit. I had lost my best friend, and I wasn’t in much of a mindset to be reminded of that constantly.

But, hey. That’s life, and it feels like a disservice to her honestly, to just let this project go, too. A bit of a recap is probably in order though, as I’ve shot a lot, and posted almost nothing.

I’m going to just work my way back, and start out by sharing some shots from a trip I took up to Saratoga Springs during the weekend of the Travers Stakes. The Travers is their biggest race of the year, and Saratoga sports one of the nicest (read: bougiest) tracks in America. I actually went up predominantly to photograph a protest being held there by a connection of mine, Patrick Battuello, who founded the organization Horse Racing Wrongs. Definitely worth a poke around if you’re interested in learning more about the subject.

Patrick and his org host a variety of protests every year, but the one for the Travers is generally their largest, so I went up to take some shots and also poke around the track.

The reception from what I saw was largely as to be expected. Folks were not overwhelmingly interested in engaging with the protest—most people aren’t thrilled to be confronted with the notion that the things they’re doing for fun is not, in fact, all that fun for most of the parties actually involved. But I admired their energy and commitment, and they’re certainly doing a lot both at the tracks and outside of them to try and bring attention to what goes on behind the scenes at a lot in these spaces.

I hung out there a shot for a while, and then actually went inside to check out the track and shoot around there for a bit. Saratoga is pretty fascinating, because it lies in stark contrast to what I generally think of when it comes to racetracks. Of course it was a big day, but the place was well-maintained, clean, packed. It felt more like a nice baseball stadium than a racetrack, where on a normal day you can usually find almost no one in the stands and a general sense of pervasive grime. None of that to been seen on the biggest day of the year at one of the richest tracks in the country.

Spectators waiting for the next start in-between races.

An individual places a bet at one of the betting windows, which were largely quiet; those wishing to bet on the races now have other options available to them digitally.

Spectators waiting with their drinks for the start of the next race; the track ambulance always follows closely behind the start, in the event of an accident or other emergency.

I think one of the biggest things that I always find interesting about racing in particular is that it’s pretty boring. And you can make that argument for football or baseball—many sports can be slow-moving, and it’s not always action-packed all the time. But when it comes to horse racing, there’s so much time between each race. On a day like the Travers, you can see up to 14 races on the card (which is high—on a normal day, there would generally be less). If the first post time is at noon, and the last ends with the main stakes race at 6, that’s about two races an hour, give or take. And the actual race is what, two minutes? Max?

For me, most of what people come for is the big-show environment: the fancy dress, the cocktails and shopping, the excitement that comes with being around very expensive animals in these racehorses. But if you boil it down to what it is (mostly an excuse to spend the day out partying) is it really worth all these animals go through?

Two horses being led around the backside of the track, one with a lip chain and the other a tongue tie; both are designed to use pressure, and often pain, to help keep the animals under control.

I didn’t stay for the Travers—I hung around for about an hour or two and then left. Things can happen anywhere, but when you’re more interested in the worst of something, you’re probably going to have a harder time capturing it on a notoriously good day. So I watched a bit, shot a bit, and headed out.

The next day I met up with Patrick and his partner, Nicole, to chat more about their mission with Horse Racing Wrongs. They were just the loveliest people. They welcomed me into their home (with vegan donuts!), answered all of my questions, and provided me with a wealth of resources to move forward with.

Patrick Battuello and his partner Nicole, who together do much of the work behind the advocacy group Horse Racing Wrongs.

For now, I’m still looking to dive into a lot of those. I visited New York back in August, and have been stalled out ever since. But it’s time to get back into it, so I’ll be connecting with some of the individuals Patrick has shared with me, share my existing work thus far here, and overall, just look to keep it rolling, which is not something I’ve done a great job of up until now.

Onwards and upwards, though. More to come later. Although this time, I’ll definitely try and make it sooner.