NBC expanded its Triple Crown portfolio to the streaming world, announcing that its Peacock service will live stream all three Triple Crown races. This marks a first for the streaming service, which will supplement – not replace – NBC’s Triple Crown coverage. It also brings horse racing back to Peacock, […]
The foal class of 2019 sent 312 horses into nomination for this year’s Triple Crown series, a 4.3% drop from last year’s 326 nominations. That, in turn, represents a 6.1% dip from the 347 nominations from 2020. It does, however, include a record 21 horses nominated from Japan. That’s a […]
Getting your horse a Triple Crown nomination used to be so simple that connections to this year’s 3-year-old hopefuls nominated 326 horses to compete in the three American Classic races this spring. Those 326 nominations represent a slight, 6.1% dip from last year’s 347 early nominees. Those connections paid $600 […]
Tracks closed, spectators were absent, and schedules were changed beyond recognition. Yet, amid a year unlike any other in Thoroughbred racing, the total 2020 US handle dipped only 1.3% from its 2019 totals. What was remarkable about that modest dip — from $10.871 billion in 2019 to $10.727 billion in […]
Not even one of the most exciting Preakness finishes in memory prevented a 48.7% drop in betting handle from 2019’s record figure, according to Equibase. Pimlico’s 12-race Preakness handle checked in at $51,252,631, a nearly 50% drop from last year’s $99,852,653 record handle. That 2019 handle came on a 14-race […]
It is a testament to Tiz the Law’s dominance over the rest of his 3-year-old contemporaries that his odds to win the Triple Crown (+250 at Circa Sports) are lower than any of his counterparts’ future odds on them winning the Kentucky Derby. That’s one takeaway from Tiz the Law’s […]
Right on the heels of his impressive Belmont Stakes victory, Tiz the Law’s connections sold his breeding rights to Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud, where he will stand at stud upon his racing retirement. In the meantime, Tiz the Law will continue racing for current owners Sackatoga Stable. The price was […]
Churchill Downs officials announced Thursday that the 146th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will run with a limited and yet unspecified number of spectators, a decision made in consultation with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials. In so doing, Churchill Downs is trying to make a concerted […]
Even with Tiz the Law passing the “Test of a Champion†with flying colors, the all-sources handle for the 152nd Belmont Stakes and its stakes-packed undercard declined by 33.7% — yet another byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. Belmont Park normally welcomes nearly 100,000 people for Belmont Saturday, usually the first […]
Even in a year where the COVID-19 pandemic pushed matters from April to June, Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby storylines begin where they usually do – in Bob Baffert’s Santa Anita Park barn. After all, where else to begin than the barn that produced nine previous Santa Anita Derby […]
As of now, nine horses are probable for the June 20 Belmont Stakes, a total that includes four Grade 1 winners. But how is the New York Racing Association setting Belmont Stakes guidelines for what is the first leg of the Triple Crown? What happens if more than 16 horses […]
On the day the Preakness Stakes would normally run, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the 2020 race’s new date of Oct. 3 – a move made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic. That puts the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, the shortest of the Triple Crown events, four weeks after the Kentucky Derby. […]
The Kentucky Derby Trail now has a visible path forward after Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races offering Derby qualifying points, pending host track approval. One of the most interesting elements of the preliminary Derby Trail concerns the other two legs of the Triple Crown – the Preakness […]
Refuting a Wednesday morning report from Baltimore’s WBAL-TV that the Preakness Stakes would run on Oct. 3, The Stronach Group said a new date for the postponed race is not yet finalized. TSG, which owns Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and its sister track, Laurel Park, was forced to put […]
This Saturday will present a unique challenge for veteran oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. Even with 46 years of experience creating morning lines at Churchill Downs, how can that adequately prepare someone to tackle Kentucky Derby numbers equating more to history and novelty than true probability? The easy part of Battaglia’s challenge […]
The mint juleps are your responsibility, as are the party decorations and hats. But Churchill Downs promised a big event in 2020 on the first Saturday in May — and Kentucky Derby fans will get one, virtually. No, the Kentucky Derby hasn’t been un-postponed. It’s still scheduled to run on […]
Overall wagering handle on all US Thoroughbred races in June 2019 fell back by 6.99 percent, according to newly released figures from Equibase. Equibase is the sports statistical record keeper for entries, results, breeding and a wide variety of other analytics related to the sport. Statistics further reveal a 3.01 […]
This year’s Triple Crown races are over, but an extraordinary number of contrasts have made this series of races more intriguing than ever. Some of what made 2019 so fascinating: A wide array of winners of the various Kentucky Derby prep races The late scratch of presumptive Derby favorite Omaha […]
The last person any race fan expects to see contracting “seconditis†is Hall-of-Fame trainer Bob Baffert. But that’s just what happened to both his leading Kentucky Derby contenders, Improbable (2/5 on the odds board) and Game Winner (the public’s 1/2 favorite) Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The Baffert duo, re-routed from […]
Kentucky Derby hopefuls are gathering Saturday in Florida, New York and Kentucky. The mission: test their speed, stamina and heart attempting to earn a spot in the Derby starting gate on May 4. A fourth key prep, the $500,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita remains on hold as track […]
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