The Gotham Stakes will be run for the 65th time Saturday at Aqueduct and a full field will line up with Kentucky Derby aspirations overflowing. The Grade 3 fixture offers a $300,000 purse and the winner will earn 50 points toward running at Churchill Downs in about two months. Traditionally, the Gotham Stakes is a […] More
McCraken will miss the Tampa Bay Derby with an ankle strain and that is never good news for those that have Kentucky Derby Fever. The unbeaten multiple graded stakes winner will be forced to pass on the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11. The unfortunate incident happened after he worked on Monday February 27. […] More
Girvin sparkled in Risen Star Stakes Saturday at the Fair Grounds and similar to his namesake, George Gervin, he finger rolled his way into the winner’s circle. To be honest, my selection in the Risen Star Local Hero kind of screwed up the entire race. The feeling going into the race was that this runner […] More
Class in horseracing is tough to evaluate because there are factors that are changing hourly but just like in all sports, class must be respected. Class in team sports is not exactly the same as class in horseracing. For the National Basketball Association and the National Football League class can revolve around the quality of […] More
The road to the Kentucky Derby escalates this weekend with the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds on Saturday. This is this first phase of serious qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star will earn 50 points toward running in America’s classic race on […] More
The anatomy of the El Camino Real upset starts with the horse himself, Zakaroff, and how he turned the world upside down at Golden Gate. Last Saturday in the 9-furlong Grade 2 $200,000 prep for the Kentucky Derby, the anatomy of the El Camino Real upset also revolved around his trainer Steve Specht, who has […] More
McCraken set a track record in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Saturday and he stamped himself as a legitimate player in the Kentucky Derby lottery. The Grade 3 mile and a sixteenth Sam Davis serves as a stepping stone to the Tampa Bay Derby and those that excel in these races have a […] More
Tapit has untapped potential and that is saying a lot considering he has been America’s leading sire the last 3 years. One of the reasons that Tapit has untapped potential is the way he came to being and his parentage. Tapit is by Pulpit, who was a multiple Grade 2 winning runner having won the […] More
The Sam Davis Stakes earns the spotlight Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs and Kentucky Derby dreamers will be looking to earn 10 points toward qualifying for the classic. This is an early prep for the Kentucky Derby but maybe more importantly, it’s a springboard to the Tampa Bay Derby. Five have exited the Grade 3 […] More
Dortmund and Hillary Clinton are linked and it was never more evident during a poignant moment during the Donald Trump inauguration. At one point in the telecast, there was a split screen that showed President Barack Obama and President Trump in one half and Hillary in the other half walking into the Capitol with her […] More
The Lecomte Stakes lures a full field at Fair Grounds Saturday and it is an absolute scramble. An aspiring group of 12 sophomores will be taking a step on the Triple Crown Trail in the Grade 3 mile and 70-yard $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. The winner of the Lecomte Stakes will earn 10 points toward a […] More
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 just opened in the last couple of days and it revolves around 23 separate betting interests and one other. The 24th betting interest is a bet on all the other foals of 2014 not listed among the 23 individual horses in that respective pool. Immediately the first 23 […] More
