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The majority of the stories leading up to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) puts the focus on the trainers and jockeys at Churchill Downs. While the trainers and jockeys are the face of the industry—along with the horses—and are caring for the Thoroughbreds every day on the backstretch, the owner ...

By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea Bridging the gap between racing and riding has always been a key component to successfully moving retired Thoroughbreds off the track and into new homes. Since not all racing owners and trainers have the ability and time to track down potential new owners for their former charges, and not every area is serviced by an ...

1 Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher Bodemeister—Above Perfection, by In Excess There has been concern about his over-aggressiveness in the morning, especially throwing his wildly in the air. Draw reins were added to keep his head down and a more experienced exercise rider galloped him, and he was much better on Tuesday. I’m not going to do ...

A look at recent Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) dirt prep races in the United States could determine if any potential bias toward a particular running style on the main track existed on particular race days. One less thing for handicappers to worry about? Note that all tracks for race days involved were listed as ...

Racing fans who were not around before the 1980s may find it difficult to appreciate just how much the dynamics of the Kentucky Derby have changed since then and how much more difficult the race is to win since they incorporated the graded earnings and now points system. In fact, today’s Derby bears little resemblance to the Derby of the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman One of the most important factors to consider when handicapping the Kentucky Derby is the pace of the race. Correctly determining how fast or slow the pace will be can be the key to finding the winner, although doing so is easier said than done. All you have to do is look at what ...

Horses that capture the imagination of the racing world come along only so often. One of those was this week’s cover boy: Silver Charm. While we don’t like to admit it, it’s been 20 years since he took us to the edge of the Triple Crown in June 1997. Silver Charm’s story had it all. A $16,500 yearling at the 1995 Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ August ...

By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea Dreams of conquering a four-star course or cruising around a show ring aboard a stylish, square-kneed hunter, ending the day with a plethora of blue ribbons, are familiar for many equestrians. Of course, the ribbons and glory came from spotting the perfect diamond in the rough—a strikingly beautiful Thoroughbred ...

1 Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher Bodemeister—Above Perfection, by In Excess I’m not interested in bouncing, Pletcher’s Derby record, a speed-favoring track in the Florida Derby, and his slow allowance race. All I see is a fast horse when he needs to be with pushbutton acceleration, beautiful action, class, an overall presence, and ...