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1 Mohaymen Kiaran McLaughlin Tapit—Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union Shadwell manager Rick Nichols said his performance in the Holy Bull sent chills up and down his back. When you see perfection and executed with such ease it does get the emotions flowing. Even though he ran his first half in a soft :49 1/5, when you can run your second half ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Get ready, everyone! An absolutely fantastic day of racing awaits on Saturday, led by eight graded stakes races at Gulfstream and Santa Anita. Two of the highlights are the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III), which will mark the return of Mor Spirit, and the $300,000 Las ...

Success in the purchasing of horses is often attributed to seeing what others don’t see; in other words, looking past physical issues or deficiencies that turn other buyers off. When Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall Farm attended the 2009 Keeneland January Mixed Sale, she noticed a 3-year-old filly in the book by Unbridled’s Song named Special ...

Breeder Eamon Cleary took a gamble when planning the mating that resulted in Mohaymen, dominating winner of the Jan. 30 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II). Using pedigree consultant Alan Porter as a sounding board, Cleary was mulling breeding his multiple grade II winner Justwhistledixie to a rising son of Pulpit named Tapit. Cleary had ...

1 Mohaymen Kiaran McLaughlin Tapit—Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union Well, I’m convinced now. I thought he was good last year, but he really has his act together this year. I said last week he could jump into the top spot with an impressive performance, but this far exceeded what I was expecting. I loved the way he looked in the post parade, ...

We have seen numerous changes in racing over the years, both in ideology and execution. There obviously have been great improvements technologically, and there have been dramatic changes in training philosophy, especially in preparing a horse for the Kentucky Derby. Perhaps the biggest change can be attributed to the new points system that ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman On Saturday, the most important Kentucky Derby prep race so far in 2016 will be held at Gulfstream Park, that being the $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III). The 8.5-furlong race serves as the first of three major prep races at Gulfstream Park, and in recent years, the race has drawn ...

I am reprinting the following two columns to celebrate Penny Chenery’s 94th birthday today. This first one was reprinted three years ago, and originally published in Blood-Horse magazine in 2002, and many people have read it, but I am publishing it again for those who haven’t and those who wish to read it again. It was The Meadow's grooms that ...