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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 ...

While it doesn’t have the breeding and sales industry infrastructure of Keeneland, Oaklawn Park—and the town of Hot Springs, Ark.—is steeped in racing and gambling tradition. Both tracks run high-caliber meetings, feeding right into Triple Crown season. Oaklawn’s signature closing event—the Racing Festival of the South—brings together the best of ...

By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea While ending up in the winner's circle is ultimate goal for Thoroughbred owners, one partnership tries just as hard to find homes for former charges once their racing days are over. Ten Strike Racing—which is run by Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders, plus 25 other partners—campaigns graded stakes placed Allied ...

1 Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher Bodemeister—Above Perfection, by In Excess Boy, is it close up at the top. But rather than keep switching the No. 1 horse every few weeks based on the latest big-race winner, I decided to stick with this guy for now, partly because of his potential to be any kind and his combination of tactical speed, ...