BloodHorse.com

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 ...

Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” No one can really put into words the centuries-long bond between horses and humans, especially the emotional and sometimes mystical attachment we have had with these magnificent creatures throughout history. But there are times ...

1 McCraken Ian Wilkes Ghostzapper—Ivory Empress, by by Seeking the Gold I have to admit I kept changing my mind who to put No. 1. I love Irish War Cry and hated lowering him after only one week. Although he has shown more brilliance, I have absolutely no questions regarding McCraken, and his style of running and powerful turn of foot stamp ...

Sources of stamina among North American stallions seems to be getting leaner as judged by the recent release of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's annual report of sire durability and soundness (see near pg. 66 in the Feb. 11 issue of BloodHorse). Among the leading 30 stallions by starts per starter, 13 sires have died, two are ...