Looking back on the voices and stories we heard this year on Around the Track, it’s a satisfying and well-rounded mosaic of racing history and moments, joy and heartbreak, laughter and tears, determination and courage. We heard from jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, agents, race callers, journalists, and Thoroughbred retirement advocates — each with a unique story of their life in the racing industry but also a shared bond, sewn together by a passion for the sport and for the horses at the heart of it. In this year-end edition of Around the Track, we replay some of the stories we heard.

Around the Track 21 – Voices and Stories From 2017

Professional

Sports & Recreation

Amateur

Outdoor

College & High School

Bill Rood didn't grow up around horses but once he came in contact with "God's kindest creatures," he knew he wanted to care for them as a veterinarian. Along with partner Thomas Riddle, he eventually he turned a "box" on a farm into Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, a world-renowned facility with locations in Lexington, Ky., Saratoga Springs, NY., and Wellington, Fla. In today's edition of Around the Track, Dr. Rood tells the story of how Rood & Riddle came to be and evolve, the tale of a broodmare and her remarkable mating with Secretariat, and he discusses the past and future of equine medicine.  Listen in...

Around the Track 23 – Dr. Bill Rood, CEO Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital

Dale Romans doesn't know what he would've done without horses. Growing up with dyslexia and difficulty learning in a traditional environment made school painful for Romans. After school, though, he could go "home" to the horses in his father's barn at Churchill Downs. Today, Dale still trains at that same barn, and over the course of the last 30 years, he's carved out a training career anyone would be proud to call their own. In this edition of Around the Track, Romans shares stories from his early days, tales of the smartest horse he's ever been around, and discusses issues in the industry.

Around the Track 22 – Trainer Dale Romans

At the top of his game, Ramon Dominguez was among the best who ever sat on a horse in a starting gate. His Hall of Fame career, cut short by a devastating spill, began in his native Venezuela and flourished when he came to the U.S. In this episode of Around the Track, Dominguez shares stories from his riding life, a perspective on a professional athlete "in the zone," and he talks about how he transitioned his life when being a jockey was taken away from him.

Around the Track 20 – Hall of Fame Jockey Ramon Dominguez

Having grown up with a fifth generation Standardbred training father and a mother who ran the family's breeding farm, Anna Ford has been around horses since the first day of her life. In her role at New Vocations, a celebrated Thoroughbred retraining and rehoming organization, Ford has helped extend the useful lives of hundreds of ex-racehorses. In this episode of Around the Track, learn about the evolution of the racing industry's involvement in Thoroughbred aftercare, favorite stories of adoption, and more about the challenges and rewards of getting racehorses into second careers.

Around the Track 21 – Voices and Stories From 2017

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