By Emily Shields On a weekday afternoon when they have a horse running, Daryle Ann Giardino’s shouts of encouragement can be heard across the mostly empty racetrack while her husband, Mark, looks on, bemused. The scene depicts two of the Giardinos’ great passions: a love of their horses and their voracious desire to fill the seats with racing fans. “The horse racing industry was at one time on top of the world,” said Mark, “and it’s like they kicked the can down the steps from the ninth floor. Now racing is in the basement, and they don’t know how to get it back up to the ninth floor.” The Giardinos know just how thrilling horse racing can be because their homebred filly Home Journey has earned $279,920 and recently won the $100,750 Las Cienegas Stakes (gr. IIIT). They want to share that joy with as many people as possible, a drive that resulted in the making of “Behind the Gate,” their award-winning horse racing documentary. That Mark... ...
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