For the past two weeks, we've been sharing how some of racing's most prominent figures fell in love with the sport. Now, it's our turn to tell you the tales behind the bylines you see every day in the TDN.

Uncover the Origins of Racing's Passion

Sue Finley's Journey

My parents had a deep love for the racetrack and would often take me and my brother along when we were young. I, however, found it incredibly boring. But at the age of 15, everything changed. They informed me that an 18-year-old jockey was aiming for the Triple Crown on a horse named Affirmed. The idea that someone close to my age was about to achieve something so extraordinary fascinated me. I accompanied my parents and my best friend to the Belmont racetrack. We sat in section R on the third floor of the grandstand. Throughout the day, we went back and forth to the paddock, getting up close to the horses and jockeys. We marvelled at the huge posters decorating the walls, which proclaimed that the Thoroughbred racehorse was the fastest animal in the world. When Affirmed and Steve Cauthen came down the stretch, holding a slim lead over Alydar, we screamed with excitement. That day, I was hooked and we began going to the races every weekend, learning everything we could about handicapping and pedigrees. My parents were $2 bettors, and they would often leave with more money than they started with after accounting for gas and tolls. They would ask others, "Where else can you have a day out and end up with more money?"Six years later, as I graduated from NYU with a degree in journalism, I went to Belmont Park and asked if they needed a free intern on their press staff. Since then, I've been involved in horse racing almost every day.

Bill Finley's Story

With an older brother and father who were passionate about the sport, I can recall going to the racetrack when I was six or seven. My father would give me around $10 to bet with for the day. I mostly bet on favorites to show and won money in the first 11 times I went to the track. It seemed like an easy game, right?My family was living in Philadelphia at the time and we frequently visited Garden State, Atlantic City, Delaware Park, and the racetrack formerly known as Keystone. But I was a fan of all sports back then and was a die-hard supporter of the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers. The racetrack was only the fifth on my list.That all changed when I was 11 years old and was hit by a car, breaking my right femur. It took months to recover, including a long stay in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Atlantic City. I was placed in a body cast.After several months, I was finally able to get around on crutches with a smaller cast. To celebrate my release from the hospital, my parents took me to Saratoga. I had never been there before. As luck would have it, they chose the week when a horse named Secretariat was entered in the 1972 Sanford Stakes. He wasn't even the favorite in the race; Linda's Chief was. But even at this early stage of his career, some people were saying that Secretariat was on his way to stardom, and I expected him to put on a show. He won the Sanford, and I was sold. He became my favorite horse, and I saw him run later that year in the Garden State Stakes.If it hadn't been for Secretariat, I would still have been a racing fan, but my love for him moved me into the super-fan category. I saw his 1973 Preakness and Belmont in person and was mesmerized by his Belmont performance, which is considered the greatest in the history of the sport.The 1970s were an amazing time to be a racing fan. We had Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Forego, Ruffian, Spectacular Bid, and many others. I liked them all, but not in the same way I loved Secretariat. Without him, I don't think I would have made a career as a turf writer. Thank you, Big Red.

J.N. Campbell's Experience

I started a new job at the Kentucky Horse Park while studying history in graduate school in Lexington. I didn't know much about horses or racing at first, but I was interested in museums after interning at the Smithsonian.The entry-level position was that of a museum technician, which meant assisting with the care and handling of objects. On my first day at the International Museum of the Horse, the curator asked me to do some exhibit cleaning. She led me to a case where the Triple Crown trophies of Secretariat and Seattle Slew were kept. I polished them carefully. After I finished, she told me to follow her. We went into the Calumet trophy room, and she said, "Hey, we can't stop now; you're on a roll!"When lunchtime came, the curator told me that if I wanted to eat out back, I might enjoy seeing the horses in the Hall of Champions. I had no idea what she was talking about. She said the latest member was arriving that day and was quite special. It was Cigar.Getting to see Cigar up close and learning about the history of this sport really had a profound impact on me. I went to Keeneland that same year, stood in the paddock, watched the post parades, and I was hooked. That was 25 years ago, and I'm still as fascinated as the day I polished those trophies and first saw Cigar.