One would think that analyzing the pedigrees for the Belmont Stakes hopefuls would be fairly easy, considering the extreme distance of the race and the lack of true mile and a half horses. It should be pretty obvious who the stayers are and which horses are going into the race on the proverbial wing and a prayer....
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If you’ve been on the California Chrome bandwagon, there’s no reason to jump off now....
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Steve looks back at California Chrome's journey from the Cal Cup Derby to the Kentucky Derby, revisiting his thoughts and observations in the Derby Dozen. ...
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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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From Kentucky to New York to California to Maryland, there were Kentucky Derby works galore the past two days....
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Check off the horses who have shown they want to come from a half-dozen lengths back or farther....
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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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If you can imagine those parental feelings of pride a breeder gets watching their foals develop into tough, finely chiseled athletes, try to take it one step farther and imagine how they feel when one of those foals narrowly escapes death days after being born, becomes a sought after yearling, and eventually matures into one of the leading Kentucky Derby contenders. ...
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Steve re-lives the story of Jim French. ...
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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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Steve shares his thoughts on the battle for Horse of the Year. ...
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Steve offers some early thoughts on the Breeders' Cup. ...
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With Palace Malice it is all about admiration....
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D. Wayne Lukas was in his office the morning after Will Take Charge's victory in the 144th Travers Stakes....
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Let's not forget the Dan No. 2 waiting to charge through Door No. 2....
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That summer, I was given what still is the most ambitious and challenging assignment of my life....
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Racing can provide wonderful stories, such as last week's tale of Omaha and Morton Porter, and then can come right back and kick you in the head...
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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....
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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....
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U.S. horses slump in the Dubai World Cup since surface change....
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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....
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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....
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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....
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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. ...
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Friday actually has more intriguing longshot possibilities than Saturday, so here we go....
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