“He’s the real deal.” That’s what Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert wrote in response to my text congratulating him for his record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby victory last Saturday with Authentic. Come to think of it, how could a horse with the name Authentic be anything but the “real” deal, right? Baffert has now won […]
Read moreKENTUCKY DERBY SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS Xpressbet.com Column It’s Post Time by Jon White (Sept. 2, 2020) The 156th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby will be contested Saturday at Churchill Downs. Tiz the Law no doubt will be an odds-on favorite in the field of 18 entered in the 1 1/4-mile classic. This is […]
Read moreIt figures. As soon as the package from Amazon hits the doorstep you realize you don’t need the product after all. At least not right now. That’s sort of how the folks at Churchill Downs feel. They ordered a brand-spanking new 20-stall starting gate, custom made especially for them, only to find out that this […]
Read moreSaturday Saratoga Late Pick 4 Analysis The final four Saturday Spa races provide a challenging sequence. Two Grade 1 stakes races—a loaded 7-furlong sprint and a collection of familiar faces going a mile and one-half—offer plenty of options to horseplayers. A maiden 2-year-old heat and a first level, state-bred allowance race, with 9 and 12 […]
Read moreGo ahead. You have permission. Feel free to create a Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Today. With less than 20 days until the race it’s reasonably clear who’s in and who’s out. Rank them in order of preference. We’ll help: Number 1 is Tiz the Law. There, now you only need to come up with […]
Read moreAs it stands right now, Tiz the Law undoubtedly is going to be a strong favorite in this year’s 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs when he resumes his quest to become a Triple Crown winner on Sept. 5. So much has changed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes the order […]
Read moreLast weekend, in this space, yours truly suggested that Uncle Chuck could make Tiz the Law cry ‘Uncle’ in the Travers. We were half-right. Although there was plenty of ‘Uncle’ crying, unfortunately, most of it was done by Uncle Chuck instead of Tiz the Law. The weeping actually began long before the million-dollar featured race. […]
Read moreTurning for home in last Saturday’s 151st running of the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga, it was odds-on favorite Tiz the Law who made Uncle Chuck “say uncle.” Tiz the Law put away Uncle Chuck at that stage of the race. Indeed, for all intents and purposes, the 2020 Travers then was over in […]
Read moreThe $100,000 Shared Belief, to be contested Saturday at Del Mar, has never been a prep for the Kentucky Derby. Makes sense. Del Mar’s meet normally extends from late-July through Labor Day and the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May. However, in case you haven’t noticed, nothing’s ‘normal’ this year. Not […]
Read moreIn Seattle Slew’s career debut on Sept. 20, 1976, he won a six-furlong maiden race by five lengths at Saratoga, a major-league track. On July 28, 2020, David Peterson won his major-league debut when the left-hander led the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox. David’s father, Doug Peterson, trained […]
Read moreCalling Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security’s career ‘interesting’ is like saying Babe Ruth hit some home runs. Both would be accurate but grossly inadequate descriptions. Maximum Security and Ruth actually have something in common. Both came from humble beginnings—Ruth was raised in an orphanage/reform school and Maximum Security’s parents were once discounted. Max’s sire New […]
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