Introduction to the Book Written by Michael Blowen

Years ago, when I was writing about the movies for The Boston Globe, I thought a handful of films were perfectly cast from top to bottom. “Casablanca,” “The Maltese Falcon” and “Chinatown” come immediately to mind. And so it is with Michael Bergeron and John Martin’s “The Ride of their Lives: The Untold Story of the Legendary Timely Writer and the Martin Family.” It is a ride not merely aboard the courageous, brilliant Timely Writer, but a journey through a twilight zone of time and place that seemed lost. Thanks to Bergeron and Martin, the era lives again. Fueled by a family connection and a personal touch, the authors relive the days when a horse gave new life to a dying New England sport as they restore a brilliant racehorse to his proper place in the history of a sport that deserves more like him.

First, the star. Timely Writer. Purchased for $13,500 by Francis and Peter Martin, two Dorchester brothers who had the Racing Form delivered daily to their butcher shop and kept the phones hopping with meat orders and gambling bets with various New England-based bookies. While the brothers owned Thoroughbreds before, they spent more time running at the Brockton and Marshfield Fairs than at Saratoga Race Course. And Timely Writer, as the book title suggests, took them, along with trainer Dominic Imprescia, jockey Jeffrey Fell, and every racing fan in New England on the ride of their lives. From the clam flats of Dorchester to the top of the mountain at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, as the favorite leading up to the 1982 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown races.

I’ll leave the compelling details to the authors, but first, I’d like to thank them for the supporting cast and the set design. I lived through part of the story. In fact, I’m the unidentified Boston Globe reporter in Chapter 9 who sent Mr. Writer a get-well card when he was recovering from surgery. Through interviews with dedicated and thoughtful racing fans such as Kay Coyte and Elizabeth Tobey, and dogged research into articles written by my late pal and racing mentor, Sam McCracken, Bergeron and Martin elevate Timely Writer into his rightful place aside alongside the stories of Seabiscuit and Phar Lap.

Personally, I think their recollections of the Massachusetts Fair Circuit and colorful trainers, such as Carlos Figueroa, also brought back the aromatic mixture of cotton candy, popcorn, and fried clams unique to the Marshfield Fair. And, in recording the magnificent story of a brilliant winner, they didn’t forget the losers or the bygone era where Zippy Chippy and hundreds of other Thoroughbreds tried one last time to visit the winner’s circle. It was another time and another place. After falling in love with these mysterious and lovely animals, it set me on a personal trail that changed my life over 20 years ago. And, at least for me, for the better.

When it was announced that Belmont Park horse track in New York was being re-constructed, as the Founder and President of Old Friends equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, and unbeknownst to Michael and John as they were writing their book, I called Lorita Lindemann my trainer and daughter (she wanted a father and I needed a daughter) to inquire about the relocation of the remains of Timely Writer since he and Ruffian were the only Thoroughbreds given the prestigious honor of being buried in the grass infield at Belmont. Lorita worked out all the details, and within a few weeks, the remains of Timely Writer and his headstone were relocated to the Nikki Bacharach Memorial Garden at Old Friends in November 2023. We buried Timely Writer next to Skip Away, Alphabet Soup, and Noor, just across from Charismatic, War Emblem, and Medina Spirit, and we are honored to present his story every day. All of us are very proud to support Michael and John and the magnificent story of Timely Writer, who was the horse of a lifetime…not just for his owners and family but for an entire generation.

Michael Blowen, Founder and Past President, Old Friends