Good timing in one way or another plays an integral part in any horse race, but the good timing blessing Firenze Fire in his last race came from an outside source. Mother Nature. The favorite for Sunday’s Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park, Firenze Fire won the […]
In-Form Stars Mystic Guide, Happy Saver Driving This Suburban Stakes
Mystic Guide comes into Saturday’s Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park riding a wave that crested during March’s $12 million Dubai World Cup. He’s fresh, rested, at the top of his game, and the No. 1-ranked Thoroughbred in the country, courtesy of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll. And […]
One-Time Derby Prospect Ete Indien Returns After a Year On the Bench
For Ete Indien, it’s a trip back to his turf roots that brings the one-time Kentucky Derby prospect back after a year on the sidelines. Ete Indien’s first start in nearly 13 months comes in Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park. The Black-Type Umphrey sends its runners on […]
Maryland Record $1.35 Million Rainbow 6 Pot of Gold Up for Grabs
Horseplayers around the country are digging into Pimlico Race Course’s Sunday Independence Day card, hoping for financial fireworks firing from a record mandatory Rainbow 6 payout. Coming into Friday’s eight-race card, Pimlico’s Rainbow 6 sits at a Maryland-record $1,351,928.63. That left vapor trails over the previous record of $399,545.94, captured […]
Knicks Go Looks for His Lost Form in Iowa’s Cornhusker Handicap
Brad Cox’s reasoning for taking Knicks Go from the bright lights of New York to the cornfields of Iowa is simple, even if the idea of running a multiple-Grade 1-winning, Eclipse Award candidate in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap stopped most racing fans in their tracks. “I’m hopeful he’ll get […]
O Besos Out of Indiana Derby as Rival Fulsome Seeks Fourth Straight Win
While Fulsome is wired and ready to go, O Besos will have to wait for his next shot at avenging his Matt Winn Stakes loss to his rival. That came after trainer Greg Foley decided not to enter the colt in next week’s Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand. […]
Keeneland Opens a Record Stakes Purse for 2021 Fall Meet
Keeneland will celebrate its 85th anniversary by rolling out a meet-record $6 million in stakes purses – with an expanded 22 stakes events — in its 17-day Fall Meet this October. Along with those extra stakes – including two new ones for 2-year-olds – Keeneland is restoring all of its […]
Lack of Entries Pushes Los Alamitos Derby From Saturday to Sunday
Due to an insufficient number of entries, the Los Alamitos Derby, one of the flagship events on Los Alamitos’ abbreviated summer Thoroughbred card, will run on Sunday instead of Saturday. The $150,000 Grade 3 event, which takes its 3-year-olds 1 1/8 miles around the Southern California track, drew only four […]
Healthy, Wealthy Mishriff Returns as Eclipse Stakes Favorite
Boasting a healthier bankroll than he did opening the year, Mishriff returns from his post-Saudi Cup, post-Dubai respite on Saturday to headline a field of seven in the Group 1 Eclipse at Sandown Park in England. The top-ranked horse in the world, according to the Longines rankings, Mishriff comes into […]
This Set Piece Scores Yet Again, Could Wise Dan be that Breakout Race?
Hidden on the Stephen Foster undercard last weekend at Churchill Downs was a horse who probably flew below your radar: Set Piece. He didn’t fly below bettor’s radars in the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes, however, going off as the 8/5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses. […]
Mystic Guide Proves His Strong Form is No Mystery, Rides Into Suburban
Last summer, Mystic Guide gave Mike Stidham that “a-ha†moment all trainers look for in their charges; the moment they see a horse “get it.†It’s a feeling every trainer seeks — the knowledge their horse is understanding their capabilities, how good they can be, and what they can do […]
NTRA Picks Seven Tracks for 2021 National Horseplayers Championship
Switching racetracks on the fly because of its revised summer date, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association selected seven North American tracks for its premier handicapping event – the National Horseplayers Championship. The NTRA covered the racing spectrum with its seven selected tracks. It included the three premier summer tracks: Del […]
Mighty Heart, Canada’s One-Eyed Darling, Heads Dominion Day Field
Remember Mighty Heart, the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year? The now-4-year-old headlines the field in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes, Woodbine’s flagship race on Canada Day. The July 1 Dominion Day Stakes takes its contestants 1 1/16 miles over Woodbine’s all-weather Tapeta surface. Waiting for Mighty Heart are […]
This Stephen Foster Tune Sounds Like Music to Maxfield’s Ears
There is Maxfield, looming over the rest of the Stephen Foster field like the 1,200-pound behemoth he is. And there’s Maxfield, running under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs like the dominant older horse he has become. Turning Maxfield loose at Churchill Downs has produced about as reliable an outcome […]
Ohio Derby Brings Back Some Familiar Names, Along With A Newcomer
Unlike last year, there are no Kentucky Derby qualifying points available in this year’s Grade 3 Ohio Derby. No mulling over potential Derby dark horses coming out of what is usually a C-level field of 3-year-olds anyway. No. Instead, we have one Derby and Preakness alum, one would-be Derby alum, […]
Life is Good Hits the Track, Hits the Road from Baffert to Pletcher
The fallout from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension from New York Racing Association tracks manifested itself again Thursday when WinStar Farm president and CEO Elliott Walden said he will send star 3-year-old Life is Good to Todd Pletcher once the horse is ready to return. That return may […]
Charlatan Retired to Stud After Meteoric and Stellar Career
Standout colt Charlatan, who won every race but his last one, retired from racing Thursday, heading for stud duty at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Paris, KY. That comes a little over a month after the 4-year-old went on the shelf after a Churchill Downs workout. That last workout came […]
Collaborate Returns His Trainer’s Faith With Statement Victory
As several of his fellow 3-year-olds prepare for Saturday’s Ohio Derby, Collaborate chills in his Gulfstream Park barn, basking in the glow of some long-awaited laurels. Collaborate will likely see some of his sophomore rivals down the line. If he runs like he did in Sunday’s 5 ½-length blitzing of […]
Racing Stars Align at Canterbury Park’s Northern Stars Racing Festival
Track officials call Wednesday’s six-stakes card at Canterbury Park the Northern Stars Racing Festival. It’s a rather apt name, given the stars coming out to the suburban Minneapolis track. There’s Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Enough said there. There are also his fellow trainers, Mike Maker, who is currently sixth […]
New Jersey Legislators Pass Fixed-Odds Wagering in Time for Haskell
New Jersey took another step toward fixed-odds horse racing wagering on Monday when the bill legalizing that brand of wagering unanimously passed both legislative houses. After clearing the state senate 40-0 and the state assembly, 74-0-1, it now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for his expected signature. The Thoroughbred […]