11 Jun 2013 10:32 PM
Not impressed by recent Belmont Stakes (gr. I) efforts? ...
04 Jun 2013 11:15 AM
With the confirmation that Unlimited Budget is a go for the 2013 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Avalyn Hunter identifies several advantages available to top-flight fillies who take on the colts in big races....
28 May 2013 3:39 PM
In Excess was a great success story--one of those horses lacking a remarkable pedigree or influential connections who nevertheless prospered. Stories like his keep the hope alive wherever Thoroughbreds are raised....
20 May 2013 4:15 PM
Oxbow's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) upset may mean we're not heading into June with a Triple Crown on the line--but it introduced its own touching story line....
13 May 2013 10:45 AM
Hollywood Park is now more valuable for its acreage than for the revenue it can bring in as an operating track. And so the memories of Citation and Noor, Swaps and Round Table, will fade away beneath housing, office space, and asphalt. ...
06 May 2013 3:35 PM
For many Thoroughbred owners, the horse comes first. Avalyn Hunter uses Orb's classic victory as an opportunity to celebrate the human connections who still view horseracing as a sport....
10 Apr 2013 2:42 PM
While best known as the sire of the popular and versatile California-based gelding Lava Man-the first horse to win grade I races on dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces-Slew City Slew was a stallion for Everyman. ...
25 Mar 2013 2:00 PM
Competition for MarketWatch Broodmare of the Year is always fierce, and 2012's contest is no exception. ...
12 Mar 2013 4:10 PM
The powers that be in Thoroughbred racing should capitalize on homerun sales--like the $1,000 hip that earns six figures on the track--to attract a new group of everyman owners to the Sport of Kings....
25 Feb 2013 8:00 PM
A few surprises might greet you when you read through MarketWatch's 2013 renewal of "Freshman Sires to Watch."...
11 Feb 2013 11:30 AM
With his progeny stakes scores now in triple digits, Unbridled's Song is a stalwart of American Thoroughbred breeding. But what of his legacy, asks Avalyn Hunter....
04 Feb 2013 5:45 AM
Stallions just don't have much better days than Tapit did Feb. 2, when three of his progeny rolled home in graded stakes at three different tracks and over two different surfaces. ...
31 Dec 2012 3:04 PM
Pedigree analyst Avalyn Hunter eulogizes departed champion Lord Avie....
12 Dec 2012 9:26 AM
Avalyn Hunter eulogizes deceased stallion Pulpit and reflects on his contribution to North American Thoroughbred breeding....
03 Dec 2012 11:00 AM
Two sons of Dynaformer are part of the equation as the most famous farm in the bluegrass enters a new phase--and looks to restore its legacy in the American classics....
19 Nov 2012 6:31 PM
Historically, soft markets at the middle and lower levels have been warning signs of a lack of stability in the overall market. If you're a player below the top tier, caution is the watchword for 2013....
15 Nov 2012 11:37 AM
Fans, members of the press, and industry professionals eagerly gathered around Barn 2 to snap shots of the second Horse of the Year ever to pass through an auction ring....
12 Sep 2012 11:45 AM
Korea--an international power in Thoroughbred racing and breeding? Well, it hasn't happened yet, but the country's young breeding program has taken its first step toward international competitiveness....
30 Aug 2012 3:09 PM
A rule change in Ontario promises to affect provincial breeders and owners quickly and significantly. With the Thoroughbred industry a topic of American political debate, what can U.S. horsemen learn from our northern counterparts?...
21 Aug 2012 2:35 PM
For years Australian Thoroughbred breeders have welcomed European and American stallions as shuttlers. Recently Lonhro, Choisir, and now Redoute's Choice have returned the visits--and Northern Hemisphere breeding is better for it....
24 Jul 2012 4:45 PM
Avalyn Hunter believes a strong, centralized policing authority is necessary in the Thoroughbred industry--but that the U.S. Congress is the wrong master. Is a federal takeover avertable?...
10 Jul 2012 2:30 PM
The impressive Suburban Handicap (gr. II) victory of Mucho Macho Man on July 7 is in interesting juxtaposition to the pensioning of his grandsire, Holy Bull, which was announced one day later....
30 Jun 2012 10:30 AM
(By Avalyn Hunter) This year's Royal Ascot meeting saw two coronations. One was that of Frankel as possibly the best miler Europe has ever seen--rarefied air indeed when one considers the likes of Brigadier Gerard, Miesque, and Goldikova. The other was that of Black Caviar as not only the world's best sprinter but as a champion whose heart matches her stunning talent, overcoming both injury and an...
30 Apr 2012 1:40 PM
Dynaformer was not a horse that had everything handed to him. While a multiple grade II winner on the track, he started his career in the shadow of two similarly-bred sons of Roberto, both members of his crop, who were both better racers: champion turf male Sunshine Forever and multiple grade I winner Brian's Time. But Dynaformer eclipsed both at stud.... (Avalyn Hunter reflects on Dynaformer's legacy.)...
28 Mar 2012 12:00 PM
Fans of superhorse Zenyatta rallied for the 13-time grade I winner to take home any and all annual honors—even if by proxy. Vertigineux was the runaway winner of last year’s MarketWatch Broodmare of the Year title as fans of her 2010 Horse-of-the-Year daughter flooded the ballot boxes. Will Easter Bunnette, dam of reigning champion Havre de Grace, receive similar support this year? Will the broodmare...