Not to be a killjoy, but the fact is some of the best horses in the country will not be showing up at the Breeders' Cup this year....
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Last year, I paid tribute to Secretariat on this blog on his 35th anniversary. Now it is Sham's turn....
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After hearing nothing from his "dates" all year but "Don't call me, I'll call you," one of racing's most desirable leading men, who keeps getting dumped like yesterday's trash, should have put an ad in the classifieds....
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Everyone wants to see a showdown between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. There are issues involved here that make it improbable it's going to happen, but there is a way to overcome those issues. ...
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I was looking at some photos of Da Hoss taken recently at the Kentucky Horse Park and was happy to see how physically well and seemingly content he looked, much like he did when he was at Michael Dickinson's Tapeta Farm in Maryland, where he lived a blissful life in that scenic and pastoral environment....
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It was May 18, 1974, the day of the Carter Handicap at Belmont Park. As I looked at the tote board, I couldn't believe the odds. Favored at 7-5 was Forego, who obviously was running in the Carter strictly as a prep for the Metropolitan Handicap, having come off back-to-back victories at 1 1/4 miles in the Widener and Gulfstream Park Handicaps....
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Watching Yeats this morning break Sagaro's record, storming to victory in the Gold Cup for the fourth consecutive year, it brought a sense of purity and timelessness to the Sport of Kings that has been lost in this country....
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An early discussion on the upcoming Secretariat movie...
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From 2002, when he was one of the top-ranked 3-year-olds in the country, to his current status as one of the hottest and most sought after stallions in the world, Medaglia d'Oro has captivated people with his magnificent physical presence....
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It's time to move on to more important things and leave this wacky Triple Crown in the rear-view mirror. There's a long road ahead of us, and we can already faintly see the tops of the San Gabriel Mountains way off in the distance.
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As a tribute to Birdstone's remarkable feat of siring two different winners of a Triple Crown race in the same year (the first stallion to do so since Count Fleet in 1951), and from his first crop no less, I am re-printing my 2004 Belmont Stakes recap from the Blood-Horse....
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One of the strangest Triple Crowns in memory has come to an end, leaving being a flood of memories and wild and wacky moments....
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Following Rachel Alexandra's magnificent victory in the Preakness Stakes, comparisons to the great Ruffian are bound to surface. Rachel, like Ruffian, has raised the equine genus up a notch and left minds wondering to what level of greatness she can climb....
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Well, we saw one bird fly over the rainbow. The vast majority of experts and racing fans were astounded, aghast, and amazed at Mine That Bird's otherworldly performance in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)....
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To start, this is as tough a Derby as I have ever had to decipher, with a case to be made for at least dozen of the horses. I will break the race down in several categories and then put it all together and come up with something that resembles a wagering strategy. ...
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The big day is almost here. No, not the Derby; having to make selections, which will be in Friday's column. In the meantime, he are a few late odds and ends....
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Following Monday's flurry of workouts, it was all about I Want Revenge on Tuesday, as the likely Kentucky Derby favorite had the center stage all to himself....
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There's lots to catch up on, with several works of interest over the weekend and a star-studded array of works this morning....
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This final Derby Trail column before departing for Louisville is more of a potpourri of thoughts, scenarios, angles, trivia, and a touch of nonsense....
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We're getting close to judgment day -- finding that single horse or betting angle or most attractive overlay possibilities. Until the horses can be observed in the flesh starting next week, here are some of the most memorable moments on this year's Derby trail in one person's opinion that will help in finding potential overlays....
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Join me for a live chat Wed. April 15, from 4-6 pm ET, when I will be answering your questions about Derby 135....
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Like all quarters, General Quarters is a two-sided coin. So far, it's only come up heads, with the face of Tom McCarthy and his Cinderella story receiving all the press. But a flip of the coin to the tails side will reveal the faded and forgotten face of Mark Miller....
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Starting from the first Derby Dozen, I had Old Fashioned ranked No. 1 for five consecutive weeks, despite many people insisting he hadn't beaten anyone and would not stay the mile and a quarter. Prior to the Rebel, my comment on Derby Dozen concluded with, Don't expect any fireworks until the Arkansas Derby....
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Approaching the Jeff Mullins' incident from a different perspective....
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It's not quite the Sunshine Millions, but this year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) is looking like a regional battle between California- and Florida-based horses, who at this point appear on their way to occupying the top four favorite roles in the Run for the Roses....
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