After suffering a sesamoid bone fracture during a workout on Monday, Midnight Bisou, one of the most accomplished mares in North American racing, suddenly retired late Wednesday night. The news came via a release from Bloom Racing Stable, one of Midnight Bisou’s owners. According to the release, Dr. Larry Bramlage […]
Tag: horse racing
Trainer Tommy Drury Takes Big Picture View with Art Collector
Art Collector was the biggest “what-if†surrounding this year’s Kentucky Derby. “What if†the multi-dimensional speedster ran the Derby? Would Authentic have run first at every call, like he did en route to his victory? Would he have had run first at the most important call of all – the […]
After Surprising Derby, Mr. Big News Turns the Page to Preakness
Trainer Bret Calhoun vowed he would never dive into the Triple Crown pool until he had a horse worthy of the plunge. So what is it about Mr. Big News that brought Calhoun back into the pool after a subpar 2019 Kentucky Derby from By My Standards? What is it […]
Queen’s Plate Winner Mighty Heart Made Prince of Wales Stakes Favorite
Mighty Heart’s days of sneaking up on rivals have ended after he blew his rivals away on Saturday in the Queen’s Plate. That explains his 7/5 favorite status for Tuesday’s Prince of Wales Stakes. the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. The marquee event at Fort Erie Racetrack in Ontario, […]
Record 158/1 Shot Andrez Conquist Conquers Monmouth Park Foes
Trainer Melvin Ovando owns only three victories in his career. But his third career victory etched his name in the Monmouth Park record book when 158/1 long shot Andrez Conquist captured Saturday’s 13th race at the New Jersey track. Andrez Conquist’s surprisingly easy four-length victory in the maiden claimer produced […]
Favored Spielberg Shoots for Winning Close-Up in American Pharoah
Could this be Spielberg’s long-awaited Oscar moment? Is Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park the race where Spielberg finds box-office – or winner’s circle – gold? The $1 million juvenile comes into his third race as the 3/1 morning line favorite in this eclectic, but well-bred, […]
Awesome Again Defines Two Favorites in Santa Anita’s Marquee Stakes
Between them, Maximum Security and Improbable are 5-for-6 in 2020, which makes a race called the Awesome Again Stakes the perfect meeting place for two of the top older horses in the nation, if not the world. The two Bob Baffert charges take each other on for the first time […]
United Seeks Redemption in John Henry Turf Championship
The John Henry Turf Championship is the perfect race at the perfect place for United — a meeting of opportunity and talent in a setting the standout turf runner should devour. And United has devoured Santa Anita Park. Three of his six career victories came at Santa Anita. Missing on […]
Tiz the Law Passes on Preakness, Bound for Breeders’ Cup
To the surprise of few, standout 3-year-old Tiz the Law will bypass the Preakness Stakes and train for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, according to his primary owner, Jack Knowlton. The managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, the Saratoga Springs-area consortium which owns Tiz the Law, Knowlton confirmed his prize colt will […]
Star Sprinter Volatile Retires to Stud After Breaking Bone
Volatile, the standout sprinter who set records on numerous tracks, broke a bone in his leg Monday and immediately retired from racing. Considered the top sprinter in America, Volatile suffered a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone. The injury, while not life-threatening, ends Volatile’s dynamic racing career and […]
Authentic Captures Top Spot on Circa’s Opening Preakness Futures Board
Circa Sports in Las Vegas unveiled its Preakness Stakes futures odds this weekend and, not surprisingly, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic finds himself the opening favorite at +225. This is better than what the foreign books offer. The best odds offered overseas are 3/2. Meanwhile, Authentic celebrated his futures board-topping debut […]
Arlington Park A Go In 2021, But is That The Iconic Track’s Finish Line?
The Illinois Racing Board approved a 68-day 2021 racing schedule for Arlington International Racecourse. But the pressing question hangs over the iconic Chicago-area racetrack. Will that be the last season of Arlington Park racing? The wariness stems from comments Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen made on a July conference […]
Eclectic Cast of Characters Takes On the Woodbine Mile
The Woodbine Mile field defines the term “eclectic.†You’ve got a Preakness winner, a 7-year-old mare with multiple graded stakes victories, and one of Canada’s most promising 3-year-olds. And all three of them could lose to one of the best closers in Canadian racing. The eclectic field of eight tangles […]
Swiss Skydiver’s Next Plunge Could be at Preakness Stakes
A second crack at Art Collector and a first crack at a Triple Crown race. That’s what Swiss Skydiver’s connections ponder as they explore running the filly in the Preakness Stakes. Kenny McPeek, Swiss Skydiver’s trainer, said the Oct. 3 Preakness at Pimlico is in the mix for the standout […]
Keeneland Gets 2022 Consolation After Breeders’ Cup Goes Fan-Free
The Breeders’ Cup became the latest major racing event going spectator-free, announcing it will go without fans for its upcoming event, Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland in Lexington, KY. At the same time, the Breeders’ Cup announced Keeneland will play host to the 2022 event. This means that all four major […]
Del Mar Puts Plenty of Stakes in Fall Bing Crosby Season
Del Mar’s fall season goes by the official name of the Bing Crosby Season. That’s an appropriate name honoring not only the San Diego-area’s track founder, but the amount of bling offered during its abbreviated meet. The seaside track features 16 stakes with $2,250,000 of purses during its 15-day meet, […]
Tiz the Law Named Top American Horse in World Racehorse Rankings
Despite falling 1 ¼ lengths short to Authentic in the Kentucky Derby, Tiz the Law holds down a share of third in the just-released Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020. In the rankings compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities handicappers, Tiz the Law (125 rating) is the […]
Get to Know These 2-Year-Old Future Kentucky Derby Hopefuls
Say “hello†to Jackie’s Warrior, Dr. Schivel, Freedom Fighter, and Sittin on Go. You may not know much about them right now, but you’ll be hearing a lot more about these four — and other 2-year-olds — over the next seven months. Ignore for the moment the 2020 Kentucky Derby […]
Del Mar Defies the Odds with Increased Handle, Decreased Racing Days
Del Mar’s 2020 summer meet ran with 25% fewer racing days than there were in 2019, and without spectators. Even so, the seaside San Diego-area track increased its betting handle 8% from last year. Race-starved Californians combined with action-hungry bettors outside the state to boost the track’s handle to $466.68 […]
No Fans? No Problem as Saratoga Surpasses $700 Million in 2020 Handle
Bettors proved they could handle the magic of Saratoga’s racing season without being at Saratoga, passing the $700 million mark in all-sources handle for the second consecutive year. The numbers for the 40-day 2020 Saratoga meet remained surprisingly strong, despite the lack of fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saratoga […]