While many of the leading 3-year-olds were competing in the warm, sunny climes of Florida and Louisiana, a silent assassin was laying low up in the chilly confines of Belmont Park....

What they have in common is they all carry the John Nerud influence in their pedigree, mainly through the descendents of Fappiano and Dr. Fager and continuing through Unbridled and Quiet American. It is the last two on which we will concentrate, as they both reflect the true genius of Nerud, who celebrated his 100th birthday this year. What is ironic is that Nerud never believed in the Derby and ran only one horse in the race -- Gallant Man in 1957....

U.S. horses slump in the Dubai World Cup since surface change....

Once upon a time there were two horses named MC's Dream and Bradleberry. Both were potential stars, showing great promise from the time they were mere tots. You will find no record of either horse, but be assured they are here as big as life, with a stranglehold on the 3-year-old division....

Yes, 'tiz the season to be jolly. Saratoga is here again, and it seems to be getting earlier and earlier. The first half of the year has been a series of emotional ups and downs with issues so hot they burned up the pages of newspapers and network air waves, much to the detriment of the sport....

The cheers that accompany his star pupil, I'll Have Another, are always within ear shot, and Lava Man has no reason to believe they are not meant for him....

Watching the pilot for David Milch’s upcoming HBO series “Luck,” I sort of felt the way the assortment of characters in the show are supposed to feel in their designated roles depicting life on the racetrack. ...

Friday actually has more intriguing longshot possibilities than Saturday, so here we go....

With ESPN's impeccably researched documentary on the wild ride of Charismatic and Chris Antley, titled "Charismatic." scheduled to air Oct. 18 on ESPN, here is a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most enthralling and bizarre Triple Crowns in history. ...