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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 ...

With the recent passing of trainer Lyn Whiting and this year marking the 25th anniversary of Lil E. Tee’s victory in the Kentucky Derby, it brought back a flood of memories. Lil E. Tee’s stunning score at 16-1 over that year’s Cinderella horse Casual Lies was extremely popular in Kentucky because of the always amiable Whiting, a longtime ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Now that the Kentucky Derby prep races are over and the field for the ''Run for the Roses'' is coming into sharper focus, we can temporarily turn our attention to a different division of racing. Older males will get a chance to shine in the $1,250,000 Charles Town Classic (gr. II) on ...

Considering Todd Pletcher will have one of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) favorites in Florida Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming and several other promising starters in this year's Louisville classic, it's even money the most-repeated Derby-week stat will be the multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer's 1-for-45 mark in the ...