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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The road to the Kentucky Derby will get serious on Saturday when Fair Grounds hosts the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II), the first Derby prep race offering 50 qualification points to the winner. A total of fourteen promising three-year-olds have been entered in the 8.5-furlong ...

Kentucky Derby (G1) winners carry a certain cachet, but the winner of the 1999 Run for the Roses was truly Charismatic. The memories of the coppery chestnut colt, who slipped from this earth Feb. 19 at Old Friends near Georgetown, Ky., are still fresh nearly two decades on. His arc—a scant two months that spring and summer—was brief, but it was oh ...

By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea If you're looking to make a donation to a charity, one of the biggest factors is finding out how that organization spends its money. Charity Navigator is a huge help for those looking to donate to larger, more mainstream organizations. But if you want to help horses or have a horse who needs a home, where do you look? And ...

1 McCraken Ian Wilkes Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by by Seeking the Gold By having three preps, even if he does regress slightly somewhere down the road, don’t expect Wilkes to fret over it. He won’t allow what happened in last year’s Tampa Bay Derby to Destin, who peaked too soon, to happen to McCraken. Remember his two Derby wins with ...

 by: Anne M. Eberhardt, @BH_AEberhardt Resting in her paddock. Order This Photo Patchen Wilkes Farm near Lexington, Ky. has been home to 13 white foals since 1995. The latest addition came during Super Bowl 51 when Beautiful Devil produced a white filly by Revolutionary at 10:15 p.m. Feb. 5. Mom is close by. Order This Photo Beautiful ...

I read the other day that Hall of Fame trainer Buddy Delp’s daughter Pajeen, who has been involved with the sport since she began hotwalking for her father at age 12, is leaving the racing industry. What struck a nerve is the reason she is leaving something that was born in her and what she loved. After all, this is someone who learned under the ...

 By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea The Retired Racehorse Project announced Feb. 7 that a record 578 trainers have been accepted to compete for the top prize of $100,000 in the annual Thoroughbred Makeover event Oct. 5-8 at the Kentucky Horse Park.  The competition, which draws a large crowd every year along with its demonstrations and other ...

by: Anne M. Eberhardt, @BH_AEberhardt  California Chrome in his stall. Order This Photo California Chrome, the newest addition to the Taylor Made roster, is one of seven stallions at the farm near Nicholasville, Ky. In his paddock. Order This PhotoThe popular son of Lucky Pulpit easily settled in to the routine at Taylor Made, residing in ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman With some of this week's best races scheduled to be run on Presidents' Day, the racing action on Saturday will be a little quieter than usual. However, handicappers with an eye on the Kentucky Derby will still get to enjoy an intriguing renewal of the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby ...

Watching TVG’s coverage of Tampa Bay Downs’ Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and its supporting stakes Feb. 11 was encouraging. The racing was captivating, but we were also impressed by what was going on in the background: parking areas appeared to be packed and an apron full of fans took in the fun, the sun, and the action. The Davis program, along ...