This Penny blog is from sportsblogs.latimes.com
MY FIRST CRUSH
Updated: February 10, 2008, 11:59 AM ET
BRAD PENNY
Dodgers Pitcher/Horse Racing Fan
ROOTS As a kid in Oklahoma, I loved riding horses. After my dad took me to the track, I got hooked on racing. The adrenaline rush when your horse goes into the gate is amazing. I would go to the track when I played for Florida, and I started buying race horses when I signed with LA.
HIGHEST HIGH My first horse raced at Hollywood Park in 2005. We were playing at Kansas City so I couldn't watch, but my trainer called to tell me we won. My first race ever and the horse wins? That's pretty cool.
LOWEST LOW I won a bunch of money off Barbaro, but his getting hurt took away any satisfaction. He was on his way to winning a Triple Crown. To see him break his ankle was awful.
OBSESSION I'm a partner in five horses in LA and five in Oklahoma. I get more nervous following my horses than I do when I'm pitching. But my favorite thing is just being around them and petting them. It's like being back in Oklahoma.
Photography by Bryce Duffy
