Last fall I made a Thoroughbred-themed gallery wall in my hallway. I selected 28 photos of Thoroughbred horses at all stages of life, all taken in the greater Saratoga Springs, NY area, to include in the gallery. In this post, I will share each photo and why I picked it.
Fall at the Oklahoma Track: October 12, 2014
You’ll often hear me say this is my favorite photo I’ve ever taken. The light was just perfect on this morning when I went to the Oklahoma Track. In 2020, I was fortunate enough to have this photo on display in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as part of their second annual Photo Finish Juried Exhibition.
Red Down South and Zippy Chippy at Cabin Creek: August 28, 2015
The first time I ever went to Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield, NY, where I now volunteer, it was to see Funny Cide. While I was there, I met Red Down South, and his best friend, Zippy Chippy, who was world famous for having lost every one of his 100 races. After feeding them each a peppermint, I got this shot of them sticking out their tongues in unison. Later on, I would become quite close with Red and Zippy, even mucking their paddock once a week in the summer. Sadly, we lost Zippy at the age of 31 last spring, but his legacy lives on in the many happy memories he gave his fans and friends. Click here to order a print of this photo. As always, if you order a print of any of the Old Friends photos in this post, I will donate my profit to the farm to help take care of its equine residents.
Katie Tolbert Exercises Essential Quality at the Track: July 31, 2021
The sun was just rising as I took this photo of exercise rider Katie Tolbert and Travers and Jim Dandy Stakes winner Essential Quality rounding the clubhouse turn at the track on the morning of the Jim Dandy.
Dan and Red Down South: August 25, 2021
Dedicate volunteer Dan Milliman gives some affection to Red Down South, who was nursing an abscess, at Old Friends at Cabin Creek. I remember this was such a peaceful morning at the farm.
Kisses for Baby Yoda: September 19, 2021
Exercise rider Anna Phillips kisses Baby Yoda in the Mott Barn at the Oklahoma Track.
Kisses for Val: September 19, 2021
Jockey Jackie Davis kisses then 2-year-old filly Vallelujah, trained by her father, Robbie Davis, at the Oklahoma Track. I now own a share of Val’s younger half-sister, Mary Union Ave.
Best Buds: October 17, 2021
A pony rider and exercise rider share a friendly moment at the Oklahoma Track.
Naughty New Yorker in Fall: November 6, 2021
Naughty New Yorker stands in his paddock on a fall afternoon at Old Friends at Cabin Creek. Click here to order a print of this photo.
Commentator Runs in the Snow: January 14, 2022
I caught two-time Whitney winner Commentator running for his dinner on a chilly winter afternoon at Old Friends at Cabin Creek. Click here to order a print of this photo.
Mr. Cowboy Looks Out at the Snow: January 14, 2022
I took this photo on the same afternoon I took the previous photo. Click here to order a print of this photo.
Qualifying and Her King for a Day Colt: February 26, 2022
I took this photo of Qualifying and her colt running in the snow on my first visit to Mahoney Eden Manor, a breeding farm in Saratoga.
Hennyville and Her Caravaggio Filly: March 29, 2022
I met Hennyville’s filly at Mahoney Eden Manor when she was just hours hold. It’s incredible how fast they grow.
Qualifying’s King for a Day Colt Takes a Nap: April 15, 2022
Qualifying grazes nearby as her colt, so adorably curled up in a ball, takes a nap at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Red Meets Bo: April 29, 2022
In April of last year we lost Zippy Chippy at Cabin Creek. The loss was hard on everyone, including Red Down South, his best friend of twelve years. Two weeks later, we got Bold Illusion, and slowly but surely the two have become very close friends. This was taken on the day they met. Click here to order a print of this photo.
My Dad Races Mr. Cowboy: May 10, 2022
Mr. Cowboy is known for racing folks up the hill his paddock at Cabin Creek is located on. In this photo, my dad gives it a go, but he could not catch the retired racehorse.
Pets for Slew: May 26, 2022
Farm owner and manager JoAnn Pepper shows Slew’s Brew some affection at Old Friends at Cabin Creek while he gets his hooves trimmed by the farrier.
Friendly Foals: June 10, 2022
I caught this affectionate moment between two foals at Mahoney Eden Manor.
Grazing in the Grass: June 10, 2022
It was an idyllic afternoon at Mahoney Eden Manor when I took this photo of Miss Munnings and her Always Dreaming colt.
Qualifying Runs at Mahoney Eden Manor: June 10, 2022
This, like many of the other photos on my wall, was one of my favorite photos I took last year.
Love for Be Bullish: June 24, 2022
Volunteer Linda gives Bull a pet as he digs into his dinner at Old Friends at Cabin Creek.
Running in the Mud: August 6, 2022
I was soaked to the bone out in the infield at Saratoga waiting for this race to start. It was a rainy day, and the track was sloppy. I enjoyed having the infield to myself and getting this shot with dramatic skies above on Whitney Day.
Glorious Light at the Oklahoma Track: August 12, 2022
I love this photo of exercise rider Lyndsey Buttice and Mudpie. It was used as the opening photo in the spread Saratoga Living Magazine did on my and fellow photographer Alex Zhang’s photos from the 2022 meet.
Vallelujah Victorious: August 13, 2022
How could this not be one of my favorite photos? My friends’ filly Vallelujah won an allowance race at Saratoga last summer, and I was out in the infield to capture it.
Nest Wins the Alabama: August 20, 2022
I loved being able to see greats like Nest race at Saratoga last summer. We currently have two of Nest’s co-owner Mike Repole’s horses at Cabin Creek, so I always root for his horses. I love how so many of Nest’s connections can be seen in this photo, but the main focus is on her.
Pets for Cross Border: August 22, 2022
Exercise rider Brace Carmouche gives a pet to Mike Maker trainee Cross Border on the Saratoga backstretch. Shortly after I took this photo, Cross Border was claimed and retrained as a steeplechase horse. Brace is a friendly face at the track and I always enjoy running into him.
Jack Christopher Wins the H. Allen Jerkens: August 27, 2022
This is one of my favorite vantage points to photograph a race (the far turn). It’s especially nice for a sprint, because you get the starting gate in the background.
Olympiad Gets a Bath: September 3, 2022
After winning the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup, I was standing by the far turn and got this silhouette shot of Olympiad getting a bath. I knew immediately it would benefit from a black and white treatment. This is one of my favorite photos.
Jackie’s Warrior Gets Hot Walked: September 24, 2022
I happened upon the Asmussen barn one fall morning at the Oklahoma Track, and what do you know, Jackie’s Warrior (winner of the Grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga), Epicenter (winner of the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga) and Clairiere (winner of the Grade II Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga) were all being hot walked.
What I love about my gallery wall is how easy it is to swap out photos. With the volume of Thoroughbred photos I have, I know at some point I will want to rotate some new ones in!
To see more of my Saratoga area photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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One thought on “A Look at My Thoroughbred Gallery Wall”
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Love the pictures and the gallery wall!!