Unconventional as it may be, Saturday is Belmont Stakes Day, which means a full palate of stakes action! Below is my Pick 5 ticket for races 6 through 10.  This economical ticket comes in at just $18. Good luck to all! Race 6 Highland Glory (#3, 2-1) has recency, which is something that most of […]

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Many, as expected, perceived last Saturday’s Grade I Santa Anita Derby as a two-horse race between 1-2 favorite and 2-1 second betting choice Honor A.P.   What happened? They did indeed run one-two.   In Santa Anita’s Grade II San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 7, Authentic won by 2 1/4 lengths. […]

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Now we know why the Kentucky Derby traditionally is run on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness two Saturday’s later and the Belmont on the first Saturday in June. Because that’s how long most 3-year-old stars that have been most successful since Jan. 1 are ripest. And not a moment longer.   We were […]

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The field is taking shape for the 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 20, which for the first time will kick off this country’s Triple Crown series. The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby then will be held at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5. It will be followed by the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes […]

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Millie: You have raced Honor A. P. from the start. What do you consider to be his best attributes as a Classic candidate? Mike: He’s extremely intelligent, he’s very good from the gate, very well balanced, he’s bred to go the mile and a quarter distance. As a matter of fact, with each one of […]

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If a horse sweeps the Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes this year, will the horse be a Triple Crown winner who deserves an asterisk? That question is being pondered now that we know the Triple Crown is going to be radically different this year. The three-race series has been forced to undergo a […]

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Off the turf for Thursday’s card, but with no more rain in the forecast, perhaps we can hope to be back on for Friday! Race 1) Turf 1 Mile|3lcMd 50000(50-40)|Purse: $35k – rail 108 #3 Gloriously 4-1 I’m like a dog with a bone, I keep going back …..and Gloriously I’m pretty sure now owes […]

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Race 1) Turf 1° Miles|3ÎçMd Sp Wt 45k|Purse: $45k – Rail 48 #5 Act like Artie 4-1 owns the highest number and just missed over the course and distance last out. Has worked well in the interim. Workout: https://xbtv.com//video/act-like-artie-(outside)-and-elusive-molly-worked-5-furlongs-in-1/act-like-artie-outside-and-elusive-molly-worked-5-furlongs-in-100-11-at-gulfstream-park-on-may-3rd-2020/ #11 Ocean Aie 3-1 draws in the car park once more, but got a good schooling […]

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Myself and the late War Emblem have a lot in common. “Mean.” “Savage.” “Tough to handle.” Rank.” All these adjectives have been used to describe us both in the past! And now, I’m going to take you back to the spring of 2002, to Cicero Illinois. I’d been leading rider at Hawthorne a year earlier […]

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Millie Ball caught up with trainer John Shirreffs to discuss getting Honor A.P. back to speed in time for the Santa Anita Derby, slated for June 6th. Millie: Mike Smith worked Honor A.P. seven-eighths of a mile in consecutive weeks. How did the most recent work compare to the one a week prior? John: I […]

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In light of the recent announcement that Wise Dan has been elected to the Hall of Fame, this seems a good time to revisit my list of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th and 21st Centuries to have raced in North America. Wise Dan is on the list. My Top 100, which is updated […]

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Saturday night, I received an e-mail with the following headline: Breaking News…Baffert Sweeps Oaklawn 3-year-old Stakes! What’s next? Just In…Sun Set in the West! Film at 11. It should be breaking news only when Bob Baffert doesn’t train the winner of a 3-year-old graded stakes race at Oaklawn Park. The Hall-of-Fame trainer has been treating […]

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The 2020 Kentucky Derby originally was scheduled to be held on May 2. But due to the insidious coronavirus that has wreaked havoc on millions of lives, this year’s Run for the Roses has been shifted to Sept. 5. The Arkansas Derby initially was to have been run on April 11. But after the May […]

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Race 1) Turf 5 Furlongs|3ÎMd 12500(12.5-10.5)|Purse: $17k- Rails at 60 feet Wide open affair with lots of ways to go. Thunder showers are in the forecast so beware. #7 By Chance 8-1 , certainly has a look here in a race devoid of any major pace. Son of Bernadini has run well in both turf […]

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10 Race card that starts at 1pm Eastern! Race 1) Turf 1 Miles|3YOMd 16000(16-14)|Purse: $19k – rails 60 feet Tough race, most of these have already proven their ability! That being said, lets look at one debuting and one I will just treat as a first time starter. 5) Viking Plunder TOP PICK ~ home […]

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