Amanda Duckworth, who spent her college days taking care of the likes of John Henry, Cigar, and Da Hoss, got her start in turf writing when she became the first recipient of the Joe Hirsch Scholarship. She is a communications consultant for the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. She also contributes to a number of other publications, including The Blood-Horse, TDN, and New York Times, and was previously a columnist for ESPN.com. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.