In the debate surrounding whether Accelerate or Justify should be voted a coveted gold statue as Thoroughbred racing’s 2018 Horse of the Year, count this writer squarely in Justify’s camp. He’s just the best. And here’s why… Accelerate had an outstanding season February until November. He raced 7 times, once each month, except for […]
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There is no thing as a sure thing, a reality that was reaffirmed when Audible finished second as a 1-10 favorite to 25-1 Sir Anthony in last Saturday’s Harlan’s Holiday Stakes. The Grade III Harlan’s Holiday was contested on Gulfstream Park’s sloppy main track. Audible went into the 1 1/16-mile race having won five […]
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By the time Improbable is finished with fellow sophomores his name just might turn out to be the most ironic Thoroughbred handle ever. The colt is owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and Starlight Racing, same folks who owned last season’s Triple Crown winner Justify. The moniker was planted on the son of City […]
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Are you ready for 2019? You’d better be. It’s coming. Like it or not. And, as they say, ‘Time, like the subway, waits for no one.’ This past season was a good one. We had Justify, a Triple Crown winner, only the 13th in history. What’s that you say? Not a big deal? OK. […]
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Is Maximus Mischief another Smarty Jones? Smarty Jones won his first two career starts as a 2-year-old in 2003, both at Philadelphia Park, the track now known as Parx Racing. He won those races by 7 3/4 and 15 lengths. Smarty Jones then made it three for three with a victory at Aqueduct. He took […]
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If you’ve got a talented sophomore and designs on Triple Crown events, Gulfstream Park is the place to winter. Overall, Florida Derby starters have won 59 Triple Crown races, including 44 Kentucky Derbies. Gulfstream Park’s also the place to be if you’ve got a handicap horse that can bark with the big dogs–January 26 on […]
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With the return of racing to Del Mar last week, horseplayers were re-introduced to a familiar entity. No, not Trevor Denman. This one’s been around even longer than him. It’s the $2 Pick 6! Del Mar’s current $2 Pick 6 wager isn’t exactly the same as the original version first offered in the States […]
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Can you answer the following trivia question? From the first Daily Racing Form poll in 1936 and continuing on through the Eclipse Awards era that began in 1971, just one 3-year-old male champion has not been sent away as the favorite in at least one of his races at 3. Who was it? It’s […]
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VENUE: Churchill Downs on Nov. 2-3. Main Track: dirt, fast Friday and Saturday; Turf Course listed as yielding by Equibase on Friday; Turf Course listed as yielding by Equibase for Saturday’s Turf Sprint; Turf Course listed as good by Equibase for Saturday’s Filly & Mare Turf, Saturday’s Mile and Saturday’s Turf. $6 MILLION CLASSIC (NOV. […]
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This was a weird Breeders’ Cup. For me, the strangest ever. I’ve been around for all 35 of them–including in person at Hollywood Park in 1984 for the event’s maiden voyage. That sunny and 70 afternoon I stood this close to Elizabeth Taylor. Yep, that Liz Taylor. Our eyes met, briefly. Violet. Sparkling. Mesmerizing. Hers. […]
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I cannot remember the last time I favored a non-European in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, but Newspaperofrecord looks to be a budding superstar. Here is how I plan on betting the Juvenile Fillies Turf while keying the favorite on a $25 budget. Ranking the Contenders Newspaperofrecords (#6, 2-1) has won both starts by open lengths and is proven over soft turf. […]
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The Juvenile Turf Sprint may be the most challenging of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races, but it presents a great opportunity to start the Breeders’ Cup with a big score. Here is how I plan on betting the Juvenile Turf Sprint on a $25 budget. Ranking the Contenders Moonlight Romance (#6, 12-1) has won twice by open […]
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If you think now is too early to begin handicapping Breeders’ Cup races then you’re horribly mistaken. While post positions haven’t been drawn yet, we’ve got a decent idea about which horses will be in what races. And if you’ve scanned that starting roster at all, you know how challenging picking winners Nov. 2 & […]
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What if the last 11 winners of the Breeders’ Cup Classic were to meet in a race? Who would win it? That was the interesting subject for a recent podcast conducted by Jared Welch and Aaron Halterman of Racingdudes.com. According to Welch, this hypothetical race was to be based on each horse’s winning BC […]
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Here’s a friendly heads-up about an exciting wagering opportunity that might be on the horizon. Then again, it might not. ‘Warned’ is better than ‘caught-napping,’ especially when it’s a chance to play for a multi-million-dollar pot. At this writing, Santa Anita’s Rainbow Six Jackpot is $512,056. If there isn’t a single winning ticket engineered in […]
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