Background – Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I’m not from a racing family and had very little exposure to the sport as a kid. My first experience with racing came in middle school when the father of a friend of mine would make bets for us on the Kentucky Derby. Eventually, I decided to try it on my own and hit the trifecta for $600 as another New York-bred, the beloved Funny Cide, streaked across the wire first at 12-1 in the 2003 Derby. That was all the money in the world to a 16-year-old me, and I was hooked. That summer, I taught myself how to read the Racing Form and have followed that passion ever since. In 2005, I took my first trip to Saratoga with my dad. I’ve made that pilgrimage up to the Spa from the city in all but two summers since and even spent several meets working concessions there while in college.
After graduating from Long Island University-Brooklyn with a degree in journalism, I interned with CBS Sports, which eventually grew into a full-time position, where I assisted on broadcasts of the NFL, March Madness, the PGA Tour, etc. Continuing to write on the side as a blogger and handicapper, I got my first foot in the door of the racing industry when joining Thoroughbred Daily News as a writer and editor in 2016.
Industry Experience – Previously approaching the game mostly as a handicapper, I learned a ton about the business side of racing at TDN. Producing dozens of features on owners, trainers, jockeys, jockey agents, consignors, etc. I also wrote extensive race recaps and got to cover the Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown on-site. In 2019, we created the TDN Writers’ Room podcast, a weekly show in which I hosted a roundtable discussion on the issues of the day in racing and interviewed alongside my co-hosts some of the sport’s biggest names and newsmakers. I was fortunate enough to win a Media Eclipse Award in 2021 for my piece on New York City, Belmont Park, and the pandemic, “To Hell and Back: Belmont Marks a Deserved Triumph for New York City.”
Along with my Writers’ Room co-host Jon Green of DJ Stable and Emmy award-winning producer Patty Wolfe, we created Rail Talk, a new, no-holds-barred racing podcast, in the summer of 2023. It’s been a wonderful experience with two incredibly talented friends who know the game inside and out, and the most fun/rewarding creative project I’ve ever embarked on!
I joined West Point in January 2023 and have gotten great satisfaction from getting closer to the horses and becoming part of this dedicated, passionate community of racing lovers. These experiences have only deepened my excitement and enthusiasm for the sport, and it’s been a thrill competing to win some of the big races I used to cover. I’ve also really enjoyed bringing my podcast/media experience to help the partner base better understand and engage with the racing world.
Interests – I’m a huge sports consumer and an oft-disappointed die-hard fan of the New York Jets and New York Rangers. I also have a deep love for my girlfriend Meghan, our long-haired chihuahua Cyrus, traveling, all things Brooklyn, bike riding, playing tennis, and live music.
