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1 Nyquist Doug O'Neill Uncle Mo—Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry He continues to do well at Keeneland and turned in his typical Doug O’Neill workout. He still, however, keeps cocking his head slightly to the right as if looking at whatever activity there is along the rail. The key has been to build up the colt’s foundation, having had only one ...

For Kentuckians in the horse business, the coming two weeks are the best of the year. Spring’s warmth has provided every tree with its own natural infill project. The grass is green and lush. A drive down any country lane and one can see this year’s crop of foals kicking and running as if they are in the middle of their first ballet lesson. There ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman While handicapping the Kentucky Derby, one of the most important factors to consider is the pace of the race. With eighteen, nineteen, or twenty young horses trying ten furlongs for the first time, the pace of the Derby-whether fast, slow, or somewhere in the middle-can have a huge ...

It’s been 16 years since the epic slugfest between Tiznow and Giant’s Causeway in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and they’re still at it, but this time it’s two against one. In this year’s Kentucky Derby, Giant’s Causeway will have a distinct advantage over his conqueror, when his talented sons, Blue Grass Stakes winner Brody’s Cause and Tampa Bay ...

Central to everything we do here at Blood-Horse is the horse. Of our multifaceted mission to chronicle the life of this amazing creature that is the Thoroughbred racehorse, racing coverage typically attracts the most attention. We follow their racetrack successes, mourn the tough beats, and curse the bad racing luck, but life at the track is ...

1 Nyquist Doug O'Neill Uncle Mo—Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry We should learn by now not to pay attention to time when it comes to O’Neill’s works. Clockers got Nyquist 5f in :12 3/5, :24 4/5, :37 1/5, and 1:02 3/5, out in 1:17 1/5. A private clocker, commenting on Twitter, got him 7f in :13 1/5, :26 1/5, :38 3/5, 1:03 4/5, 1:16 1/5, and ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman We're almost there, folks! On April 16th the last two prep races for the 2016 Kentucky Derby will be held, and the field for the 142nd running of the ''Run for the Roses'' will be more-or-less established. The most important of the two prep races is the $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. ...

Some years ago, a young groom at Belmont Park looked admiringly at all the well-bred Ogden Phipps horses and said to himself, “If I could ever train those horses, my life would be made.”That groom’s name was Shug McGaughey, and in 1986, his life was made when he replaced Angel Penna as trainer for the Phipps family’s private stable, that also ...