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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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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The Kentucky Derby is like a mountain. It never changes and never withers with time. But in some ways it does change, as every year, new climbers gather on its slopes and attempt to reach the summit, disregarding the many perils along the way....
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Haskin's Smarty Jones Tribute: The second installment recaps Smarty's Preakness victory....
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Smarty Jones: Steve Haskin begins his week-long tribute with reprinted stories each day...
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Future Wager dropout Archarcharch is overlooked again...
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Pardon the self indulgence that follows, but it is being used in good part to point out how someone can easily go astray on the Kentucky Derby Trail - namely me. ...
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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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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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Lost in the overwhelming spectacle of the Kentucky Derby and the arduous road leading to Churchill Downs are the little-known ironies and twists of fate that get played out behind the scenes....
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As often happens on the Kentucky Derby trail, they fell like proverbial bowling pins last weekend, although two of the bigger names reinforced their strong position. Not all the vanquished will be taken off the trail, as some deserve another chance after racing on less than desirable surfaces, but they have put themselves in a desperate situation....
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It is the second week in March, the second Future Wager is upon us, and that means the Kentucky Derby contenders are pretty well established...or are they?...
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March means many things to owners and trainers of horses on the Kentucky Derby trail. There's the nail-biting, the sleepless nights, and the early morning phone calls that every owner dreads. And for many it sadly means the end of the road....
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The last Saturday in November is NYRA's farewell to grade I and grade II racing, with the running of the Cigar Mile (gr. I) and the grade II Remsen and Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-olds. But last year, there was a buzz in the air that had nothing to do with any of those three races....
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Although there was nothing over the weekend to knock your proverbial socks off, there were a few races that could steer you toward a horse or two as potential Derby material....
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So, 23 "elite" 3-year-olds have been chosen to make up the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager field. Well, several of those who didn't make the cut are up in arms over the selections and are offering a challenge to the so-called leading Derby contenders....
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Because the Top 30 list took up a great deal of Monday's column, we'll go double duty this week and catch up on some updates and ramblings and look at the Risen Star Stakes....
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What do the following horses have in common? Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, Affirmed, Damascus, Buckpasser, Easy Goer, Riva Ridge, Holy Bull, Spend a Buck, and Swale?...
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The Derby trail is now upon us. I've posted my first top ten list of the season -- who do you like?...
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Joe Hirsch left an indelible mark on racing and all those who knew him....
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As the Kentucky Derby hoopla began to quiet down, a stunned racing world was still trying to recover from the bombshell that had fallen on Churchill Downs. An obscurely bred, crooked legged, harlequin of a horse from Venezuela, who had been ridiculed by the press and local horsemen, had just concluded the most bizarre journey and adventure in the history of the Kentucky Derby....
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The 1971 3-year-old crop trilogy concludes appropriately with the remarkable Canonero II, whose story is so improbable it would be scoffed at by any responsible movie producer. Because of that, it must be told in two parts. The second part will follow on Monday....
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