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''I thought I'd never see a horse as good as Kitten's Joy,'' Dale Romans said. ''I'm starting to think this one might be.'' ''I think he's by far the best 3-year-old and I don't just mean on turf,'' said Kent Desormeaux. They were the quotes by Paddy O'Prado's trainer and jockey minutes after winning the Secretariat Stakes on Saturday for his ...

Before touching on a great weekend of racing, let me start out by stating six sweet words that should have racing fans around the nation jumping for joy: Santa Anita is returning to dirt. It's the best news we've heard from the California racing industry in a decade. Sure there are a few California-based trainers that prefer the disastrous ...

On Sunday, Wasted Tears hung on by a nose to win the John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IIT) in a thrilling finish. Remarkably, it was the 10th consecutive victory on turf for the 5-year-old mare, half of them coming in graded stakes company and all of them coming in wire-to-wire fashion. It's been an amazing two-year run for the undersized daughter of ...

Last weekend's Whitney did not disappoint, as the top two handicap males in the country put on a terrific display for fans at Saratoga. But lost in the shuffle of the photo finish was the fifth-place effort of Mine That Bird, who was never a factor. Mine That Bird finished 12 1/2 lengths back of Blame, but it might as well have been 30. He never ...

As previously stated, I am going on vacation this weekend for about 10 days. Though there is plenty to be done before my R&R in Cape May, N.J., I'd like to give some quick picks on this weekend's exciting racing action, and get your thoughts as well. Good luck to everyone this weekend and be sure to look for a couple of guest blogs ...

Vineyard Haven is one of the most talented horses in training that has never raced in a classic or a Breeders' Cup. For the last two years he has been at the top of his class, but for a couple different reasons has not made it to the biggest races. Hopefully, that will change in November. In 2008 while owned by a partnership that included ...

Opening weekend at Saratoga and Del Mar. A great weekend card at Monmouth that includes Rachel Alexandra. And let's not forget about the Claiming Crown at Canterbury. This is the weekend we've been waiting for. Let's make some money. Eddie Read Handicap Only seven entered but four of them are group or grade I winners. All four of the G1 winners ...

As we've talked about before in other blogs, there seems to be a larger than usual number of Breeders' Cup divisions with no true standout. Yes, we are only in July, but it's still a bit unusual to be searching for the top horse in several classes. One of the unsettled divisions is the turf males, which was dominated by Gio Ponti last year. ...

Let's take a look at some of the stakes on a solid weekend of racing. Calder, Hollywood, Monmouth, and Belmont take center stage. Let me know who you like. Princess Rooney The headliner on a very good Summit of Speed card. This six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares drew a full field of 13. Warbling is the 7-2 morning line choice and even ...

Of all the good racing this weekend, including the Hollywood Gold Cup, Man o' War, and Princess Rooney (all grade I), one of the races I will most look forward to is the Carry Back Stakes at Calder. Though it only a grade III sprint with a short field of five, the headliner is D' Funnybone, who is quickly emerging into a superstar. D' Funnybone ...