This is what grandparents warned us about: a rainy day. Remember, they’d say, ‘Save your pennies for a rainy day.’ Never quite got it. I do now. That ‘rainy day’ has arrived. It’s today and tomorrow and the day after, at least for the foreseeable future. They should have cautioned that the downpour could last […]
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Hollywood Story with her Two-Day old Tapit Filly is pictured above! Photo Courtesy of George Krikorian’s Starwood Farm Millie Ball: John, you know Honor A. P.’s family very well. Can you touch on his mother, Hollywood Story, whom you trained and do they share any of the same qualities? John Shirreffs: Hollywood Story, Honor […]
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12 race card on Saturday at Gulfstream Park! I will leave you to try and find the winners of the earlier races as I see it as a herculean task. Race 8) ONE MILE STATE BRED ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMER FOR FILLIES AND MARES 1 MILE ON TURF (rails at 60 feet) #4 Yolanda’s Pride ~ […]
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Musings from my Grade One Couch ! I have one too, much like Bob Baffert, Kenny McPeek and many other people I have watched multiple Grade 1’s from my grade one couch . So lets get to business , Gulfstream Park has fabulous 9 race card starting at 1pm eastern on Thursday. I have concentrated […]
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Millie Ball: How much do you think Honor A. P. got out of his race physically and, or mentally? John Shirreffs: Honor A. P.’s last race was really a key race for us. He hadn’t run in over 5 months and not really knowing what level of fitness we were at with him because as […]
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Millie: John, explain why you would choose to work a horse, for example Honor A. P. in company versus working him or her alone? John Shirreffs: Its like you when you train, if you’re out jogging or running or even in the gym exercising it’s always nice to have a training partner, they just […]
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Historically, the Florida Derby has been a fruitful tree from which to pluck Triple Crown success stories. However, present times suggest an uncertain future that, undoubtably, will result in a unique 2020 Wikipedia section. The world is in the throes of a pandemic, the likes of which citizens of the world haven’t experienced since the […]
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Millie Ball: John, Honor A.P. worked on Sunday what is he showing you from that breeze moving forward to the Santa Anita Derby April 4th? John Shirreffs: I thought he had a really good work. Sunday’s work was about matching strides. He worked with a big horse that’s almost 17 hands, he’s a router […]
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As a California resident, I have been one of the 39 million or so in the Golden State mandated to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic in an order issued last Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. As this health crisis wreaks more and more havoc on our lives, it’s becoming harder and harder […]
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The Saturday card at Santa Anita Park turned out to be a good one, nine total races, five of them on the turf, two of them Stakes and a contentious running of the San Luis Rey Stakes going a mile and a half. For Saturday’s play I will go to the nightcap, a maiden special […]
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With the Kentucky Derby now rescheduled and to be contested Saturday, Sept. 5, traditional 3-year-old prep races must be viewed differently. No longer are they stepping-stones toward an approaching destination. Now, they must be handicapped as valuable, stand-alone events. Scheduled major 3-year-old races still award coveted points toward stalls in the Derby starting gate but, […]
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The Kentucky Derby, this country’s most famous horse race, has been held on the first Saturday in May for decades. It had been scheduled to be run this year on May 2. But as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s 146th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs has been shifted to […]
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Last week the Pasadena Stakes was won by Hariboux after a change of tactics by jockey Umberto Rispoli that saw him closer to the pace than any of his previous starts in the States. Alternatively my selection of Liar Liar got a questionable ride from Ruben Fuentes after he positioned himself farther back than any […]
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Can you imagine how long the line would be if Maximum Security were to show up in a $16,000 claiming race now? That sure would be a sight to see. The line probably would stretch for furlong after furlong. Maximum Security could have been claimed for just $16,000 at Gulfstream Park when he made his […]
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This is my first post on Xbtv.com of what I plan to make a weekly occurrence, every Saturday, handing out a top play of the day using the highly effective Ragozin Sheets. For those who do not currently use the Ragozin Sheets, I recommend them to all horseplayers who are serious about handicapping, as it […]
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