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It's still very early on the Triple Crown trail, but for now we have a good start on which 3-year-olds to watch for at the top barns. Todd Pletcher has three good ones (Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty, and Brethren) including the early Kentucky Derby favorite; Bob Baffert has several that could turn out to be special when the dust settles (The Factor, ...

Uncle Mo, the likely champion 2-year-old male and our early Kentucky Derby (gr. I) favorite, has taken up residence in Todd Pletcher's barn at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, Fla. The son of Indian Charlie has been there since Dec. 8 where he has settled in nicely and recently returned to light training after getting some farm time in Ocala. ...

We're now just a few days away from the New Year, which of course means that juveniles will be officially turning 3 and the Triple Crown trail will launch into full swing. It is impossible to talk seriously about the Kentucky Derby without mentioning Bob Baffert. There is no better trainer at preparing young horses for a run at the Triple Crown ...

By J. Keeler Johnson The Great Race Place has long been known for its great races and its very fast racing surface. For the first seventy-four years of its existence, Santa Anita Park had a main track consisting of good old-fashioned dirt. However, the sudden rise of the synthetic tracks changed all of this. In 2006, the California Horse ...

Despite a couple of concerns, Rick Dutrow Jr. is confident that with Boys At Tosconova he has a horse that will be a leading contender Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contender by the time May 7, 2011 rolls around. Though not blessed with the ideal 10-furlong pedigree, Dutrow is not troubled about Boys at Tosconova's ability to get the distance. And even ...

As we move along on these slow December days while anxiously awaiting the start of the Triple Crown season, it helps to pass the time by keeping an eye on some of these impressive maiden winners. Within the last week, trainer Neil Howard had a pair that caught my eye. On Friday, Howard sent out Wilkinson in a 1 mile and 40-yard maiden special ...

Welcome back to Triple Crown Talk. Breeders' Cup Chat normally switches over to Triple Crown Talk once the calendar turns, but for the sake of my sanity and many others', I've decided to do it a few weeks earlier this year. I simply cannot bear to see the same subject written about anymore. It's time to move on folks. Though there is a lull in ...

Todd Pletcher leads all North American-based trainers in 2010 with more than $22.6 million in earnings and should have his fifth Eclipse Award locked up. His first Kentucky Derby win and three Breeders' Cup victories may have made this the most rewarding year of Pletcher's career. With 2011 right around the corner, it's only logical to take a ...

With the announcement of Lookin At Lucky's retirement on Friday, and the previous decisions to retire Rachel Alexandra, Blame, Quality Road, and Zenyatta, arguably the five best and most popular North American-based horses of this year will no longer be running in 2011. Other than the soon-to-be 3-year-olds revving up for the Triple Crown (And ...

As some of you may remember, in June I wrote about Aces N Kings, an interesting story about a 2-year-old who was sired by a teaser, Jet Phone. The blog received a positive response, mostly because it was kind of an oddball story and there was a connection to superstar Rachel Alexandra. Here is a link to the story again to help refresh your ...