Now that calendars have been flipped over to July, it is time for this column’s rankings of the Top 10 performances by a Thoroughbred in the United States during the first half of the year. A Thoroughbred’s performance can make my list for a variety of reasons, such as: –A win by a big margin […]
Read more
Yours truly was present for the birth of the Pick Six. In the delivery room, alongside doctors, nurses, painters, carpenters, bartenders, cab drivers and…thousands of other horseplayers. It was June 7, 1980, and I was a fresh-out-of-college, wet-behind-the-ears member of the Hollywood Park publicity staff welcoming a newborn to US racing. Truthfully, I don’t remember […]
Read more
The Los Angeles area is well known for bad traffic, good weather and earthquakes. It’s also become a hotbed for Triple Crown winners. There have been only two Triple Crown winners in the last 40 years, American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Both horses have been based in Southern California with Hall of […]
Read more
Racing at Royal Ascot in 2018 resumed Tuesday…again. They’ve been picking them up and laying them down there since 1711, when Queen Anne drove from Windsor Castle with her entourage for a day’s sport. That’s 65 years before the signing of Declaration of Independence! But, who’s counting? As usual, this season’s opening-day Royal Procession was […]
Read more
Below is the early Pick 5 ticket for June 16th, 2018 at Santa Anita Park. As always the ticket is $20 or less. Race 1 Young Hendrick (#2, 4-1) debuts for a barn (Phil D’Amato) and a sire (Square Eddie) that are very dangerous down the hill. He has worked very well coming into this race and […]
Read more
Justify did it. He won the Triple Crown. That’s all you need to know. Save the corny, word-play headlines. ‘Justification!’ ‘Just Awesome!’ ‘Just-Amazing!’ They’re so pre-Belmont. Now, his achievement speaks for itself. Loud and clear. He’s the 13th Triple Crown winner in history. ONE THREE A baker’s dozen. ‘History,’ as we know, is a long […]
Read more
Three words said it all. Prior to the post parade for last Saturday’s 150th running of the Belmont Stakes, three words trainer Bob Baffert said to Mike Smith, the seemingly ageless 52-year-old rider of Justify, pretty much spelled doom for the other nine starters in the race. Justify was just minutes away from attempting to […]
Read more
Justify will be a strong favorite to win the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. This horseplayer can’t find any notable handicapping strikes against the unbeaten colt, except: 1. He will be a very unattractive price. 2. He has accomplished a great deal in a relatively short time. 3. Recent history […]
Read more
When American Pharoah sought to sweep the Triple Crown in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, I not only picked him to win here at Xpressbet.com, I listed 10 reasons why I thought he would do it. I also listed five concerns. American Pharoah came through. He won the Belmont by 5 1/2 lengths to end a […]
Read more
Below is the late Pick 4 ticket for June 2nd, 2018 at Santa Anita Park. As always the ticket is $20 or less. Race 7 Hardboot (#2, 3-1) has proven form routing on the turf unlike many of his rivals and should be extremely tough while seeking his second win in a row. He was ultra […]
Read more
Tuesday morning, via Internet magic, I watched Justify breeze at Churchill Downs. It was his first serious exercise in nine days, since the Preakness, where he traded body blows throughout with 2-year-old champ and Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic, before ultimately holding clear from the hard-charging Bravazo. Going in, there was no doubt in my […]
Read more
Racing enthusiasts are eagerly looking ahead to the June 9 Belmont Stakes when Justify goes for Triple Crown glory. Super J will be trying to become the 13th Thoroughbred in history to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont. In Justify’s first recorded workout since the May 19 Preakness, he effortlessly zipped four furlongs […]
Read more
Below is the early Pick 4 ticket for May 26th, 2018 at Santa Anita Park. As always the ticket is $20 or less. Race 6 Syntax (#8, 4-1) looks primed for a peak effort. He makes his third start off a layoff and stretches out to a distance that better suits his style after two decent efforts at […]
Read more
Justify is special. That’s a ‘known known.’ And he’s got the paper to prove it. Five starts. Five wins. Nice. Two Triple Crown race attempts. Two Triple Crown race wins. Really nice. The first horse in history to accomplish the feat without racing as a 2-year-old. Priceless! So, take it from this long-in-the-tooth horseplayer and […]
Read more
It is a meteoric rise to superstardom that is nothing less than astonishing. Justify made his first career start on Feb. 18 at Santa Anita Park. And now, after having won the May 5 Kentucky Derby and last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, he sets his sights on the June 9 Belmont Stakes and its demanding 1 […]
Read more