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The Ten Greatest Artists to Depict Horse Racing Subjects

Theodore Gericault's "The Derby at Epsom" is a notable piece of horse racing art. (Photo by WikiArt)

Throughout time horses have held a certain allure for artists of all types. Painters, especially, have considered the animal among the most challenging subjects in portraiture. With its shiny coat of multiple hues, delicate balance of conformation, and well-defined physique – not to mention an aura that isn’t necessarily plain to see – representing a horse is enough to drive even the most accomplished artists to madness.

‘The Front’ and Communism at the Racetrack

Woody Allen playing Howard Prince in "The Front".

The 1976 film “The Front” opens with a shot of a young Woody Allen perched on a barstool reading the Daily Racing Form. Allen plays the fictional Howard Prince, a down-on-his-luck Brooklyn bookmaker who is asked to front for a group of blacklisted television writers. Set in the 1950s, “The Front” was based on the real-life experiences of Walter Bernstein, the film’s Oscar-nominated writer.

A Unique Take on Races: Williams as ‘Popeye’

Last week saw the passing of one of America’s most prolific and talented comedic actors of the past 30-plus years: Robin Williams.

Over the course of his three decades in show business, Williams was known as a stand-up comedian, a television actor, a character actor, and a feature film leading man in both comedies and dramas.

Miller’s Ten Favorite Tom Durkin Race Calls

“The end of an era.” That phrase gets thrown around a little too often, but when Tom Durkin retires on August 31 after 43 years of calling the horse races at New York Racing Association tracks there will truly be a hole left in the heart of horse racing lovers nationwide.

Dreaming of a Hero

Exercise rider Willie Delgado and California Chrome survey the surroundings. (All photos courtesy of Julie June Stewart)

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