The 133rd Kentucky Derby was about a king, a queen, and a bunch of country boys....
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Try to imagine how tough it is to win a Triple Crown race. Then try to imagine winning two of the three legs. Then try to imagine winning two of the three legs with two different horses. In the past half century you can count on one hand the number of times that has been accomplished....
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But first and foremost, I am sticking with my No. 1 ranked Kentucky Derby horse Vino Rosso, who had virtually no chance at Churchill Downs....
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It was nine months ago, following a contentious Kentucky Derby trail, that it seemed the name Always Dreaming would be rolling off our tongues for years to come. At least we had the Triple Crown and beyond to look forward to, although the length of his racing career was questionable, as is the case with all 3-year-old superstars. It doesn't take long for breeding farms to attach themselves to a hotshot 3-year-old like a barnacle to a ship, getting into the fray early, usually with the intention of securing an early retirement. But no one thinks of such things during the frenzy that is the Kentucky Derby trail. It's all about now....
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Todd Pletcher and old-school training have never exactly been synonymous. Pletcher is known for being a conservative trainer, preferring long periods of time between races. Pletcher has been known to run impressive maiden winners right back in graded stakes, even in grade 1s, and not using their allowance conditions. Since 2007, Pletcher has not run any of his Kentucky Derby starters back in the Preakness...
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Looking back, Brooklyn in the 1950s and ‘60s was a concrete and asphalt Wonderland, a constant whirlwind of activity, a time when sports were born of the imagination, not just on the ball fields and basketball courts. The streets were the arena where stickball, punchball, Johnny on the pony, kick the can, ring-a-levio, and stoopball ruled, and where a kid's place in the pecking order depended on how...
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What better way to bring color to winter than to envision roses in bloom on the first Saturday in May, scented green leaves adorning glasses of mint juleps, and the famed Twin Spires piercing a bright cerulean sky. Each year those images beckon all those who dare to dream. ...
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And the most unusual aspect of it is that everyone seems to be happy, which is not often the case when it comes to rabbits....
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With Todd Pletcher scoring his 4,000th win today, I thought this would be a good time to reprint my recap of the 2007 Belmont Stakes victory by Rags to Riches, which I feel is still Pletcher's greatest training job. ...
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Following Sunday's rainy, chilly morning, the sun was out Monday morning and the Derby horses were out in full force, including three arrivals from California -- Dortmund, Firing Line, and Bolo -- all of whom looked terrific, as you will see in the photos below. ...
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If California Chrome is voted Horse of the Year, it is inconceivable to think that none of his connections will even be an Eclipse finalist....
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Steve attempts to sort out the puzzle of the remaining Kentucky Derby contenders and names his picks for the run for the roses. ...
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There are heavy rains, torrential rains, and the rain that all but drowned Churchill Downs Monday morning. The lightning came fast and furious; one bolt knocked out light, and the flooding came just as fast. Some of the thunder claps were so loud and strong, several horses became noticeably spooked. But not at Todd Pletcher's barn, where "spooked" and "upset" are not acceptable words. The serenity of Pletcher's barn supersedes all....
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It sounds as if this could be the last nice morning we get in a while, and fortunately, most of the Derby works have been completed. As typical of Derby works, the good ones drew waves of excitement, while others were overblown as bad works....
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Larry Jones has just about had enough of Todd Pletcher. And if Pocho's Dream Girl had any idea what Pletcher has been doing to her sons, she would be incensed as well....
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In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, was an impish character who was always causing mischief....
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We've already seen some stress and low tolerance building in the camp of one of the leading Kentucky Derby hopefuls....
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Ed Stanco will not have an Eclipse statue on his mantle, or wherever he is displaying his collection of Princess of Sylmar trophies. But that is the only thing he won't have. What he does have is the respect of everyone in the industry, most notably the fans, Santa Anita, and the Breeders' Cup. ...
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Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Aidan O'Brien and Kathy Ritvo are on a mission: get rid of that agonizing, heartbreaking second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic that is hanging over their heads and win this darn thing already....
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Not only has Princess of Sylmar emerged as this year's Cinderella story, even her mating was an accident....
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It's time to try to analyze this year's Belmont Stakes....
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You want Derby works, boy do we have Derby works. A total of eight Derby horses had their final drills Saturday morning, many of them moved up a day due to the impending rain expected later today and tomorrow....
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Patton vs. Rommel! Lee vs. Meade! Washington vs. Cornwallis! Pletcher vs. Baffert? Yes, the armies are massing and they could confront each other on the banks of the Ohio on the first Saturday in May....
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Pletchers Have El Al Jets Ready for Takeoff...
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First off, before we get to the Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty works, let’s at least acknowledge both colts for getting this far....
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