Smoke has cleared, literally, and racing at The Great Race Place returns this weekend with gusto. The 11-race Saturday card features 7 stakes races–4 graded and 5 that carry ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup fees-paid berths to respective championship races at Keeneland Nov. 6 & 7. Saturday afternoon’s gem figures to be the Grade […]

Read more

Go ahead. You have permission. Feel free to create a Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Today. With less than 20 days until the race it’s reasonably clear who’s in and who’s out. Rank them in order of preference. We’ll help: Number 1 is Tiz the Law. There, now you only need to come up with […]

Read more

Calling Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security’s career ‘interesting’ is like saying Babe Ruth hit some home runs. Both would be accurate but grossly inadequate descriptions. Maximum Security and Ruth actually have something in common. Both came from humble beginnings—Ruth was raised in an orphanage/reform school and Maximum Security’s parents were once discounted. Max’s sire New […]

Read more

Can you imagine how long the line would be if Maximum Security were to show up in a $16,000 claiming race now? That sure would be a sight to see. The line probably would stretch for furlong after furlong. Maximum Security could have been claimed for just $16,000 at Gulfstream Park when he made his […]

Read more

Spanning the Globe Those of a certain age can recall hearing venerable sportscaster Jim McKay’s dramatic weekly voiceover, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic competition. This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports.” It’s doubtful that this weekend’s Thoroughbred events […]

Read more

A.P. Indy, a Horse of the Year on the track and one of the all-time great sires off the track, died at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky last Friday from what was said to have been the infirmities of old age. He was 31. Lane’s End issued the following statement: “A.P. Indy passed away peacefully […]

Read more

Mucho Gusto, Midnight Bisou, Maximum Security and McKinzie are ranked 1-2-3-4 in this week’s first National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll of 2020. And these four outstanding equine athletes are scheduled to clash on Feb. 29 in the richest race on the planet, the new $20 million Saudi Cup. The results for this […]

Read more

The 2019 Eclipse Award finalists were revealed earlier this month. The winners in each category will be announced at Gulfstream Park on Thursday at the 49th annual Eclipse Awards dinner presented by The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and Breeders’ Cup. The first year that I made Eclipse Award predictions in this column was for […]

Read more

Established in 1971, the Eclipse Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in North America by Thoroughbreds and individuals. Eclipse Awards are voted on by members of the Daily Racing Form, National Thoroughbred Racing Association and National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. Eclipse Awards also are bestowed to members of the media for outstanding coverage […]

Read more

The tournament director sheepishly approached the podium, cleared his throat and adjusted the microphone, eliciting a screech of feedback in return. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my duty to inform you and the handful of competitors still out on the course that, in an unprecedented occurrence, the leader in the clubhouse, somehow, has just registered a […]

Read more

Bob Baffert, who won five races in a single day last Saturday at Los Alamitos, graduated from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Baffert later continued his studies at WU. “WU?” you ask? Yes, WU…Whittingham University. In the 1990s, after Baffert switched from training Quarter […]

Read more

Now that the Breeders’ Cup has come and gone, many racing fans are looking ahead and contemplating which horses stand a good chance to be honored with a 2019 Eclipse Award. This is the 49th year of the Eclipse Awards. Voting closes on Dec. 31. The 2019 recipients will be announced at Gulfstream Park early […]

Read more

In the days leading up to the Travers, Shug McGaughey expressed his confidence that Code of Honor was going to run a biggie in this important 1 1/4-mile event. And the chestnut colt did not let his Hall of Fame trainer down. Ninth early in the field of 12, Code of Honor charged to the […]

Read more

Revenge is sweet, even when it takes 16 years to get it. Back in 2003, Medaglia d’Oro was sent away as the 3-5 favorite in Del Mar’s Grade I Pacific Classic on Aug. 24 following a win in the Grade I Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Medaglia d’Oro, with Jerry Bailey riding for […]

Read more

In the eyes of most people, Maximum Security has established himself as the pro-tem leader of the national 3-year-old male division in light of his victory in the $1 million Haskell Invitational last Saturday evening. Maximum Security, sent away as a 4-5 favorite, took care of business in the Grade I event at Monmouth Park. […]

Read more