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Most racetracks provide services to owners and horsemen, assisting with seats in the clubhouse or transportation or recommendations to top-shelf restaurants in the area.Many owners, however, are not necessarily aware these services are available or may not know whom to contact when they arrive to compete at an unfamiliar track in an unfamiliar ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') @J_Keelerman The first three 100-point Kentucky Derby qualification races were held last Saturday, and the results—while not overly surprising—served to further confuse a puzzling Kentucky Derby trail, resulting in more questions asked than answered. We’ll begin with the UAE Derby (UAE-II) at Meydan in ...

It has been said that I have a good eye for a horse. Certainly I have bought a great many. Some were good and many were not. Admittedly, when I have picked out and bought a good horse (like Palace Malice for instance), I can get a little high on myself. But, I have a framed copy of a certain sales catalog page hung prominently in my office, and a ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') @J_Keelerman The last Saturday in March is a day that I mark on my calendar far in advance each year. Without question, it is one of the best days of racing every year, and 2015 promises to be no exception. Across the world in Dubai, a nine-race program worth $30 million will be highlighted by the $10 ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') @J_Keelerman On Saturday, the racing world will turn its attention to Dubai, where an impressive slate of eight graded stakes races worth a combined $29 million will be held at Meydan. Headlining the action is the world’s richest horse race, the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), in which reigning U.S. ...

The most important lessons Chuck Simon learned as an assistant trainer to Allen Jerkens were not about horses—though those were plentiful. What Simon learned most were lessons about being a good person. “Outside of my own father, he had more influence on me than any other person,” said Simon, who worked for Jerkens from 1994 through 1999, when he ...

1 American Pharoah Bob Baffert Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman Ever wonder why his tail is so short? Well, he actually had part of it bitten off by another horse while playing in the field. Now his tail is all the other horses see of him and he’s made sure no one gets close to it. But a little company in the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') @J_Keelerman Just as the Spiral Stakes (gr. III) is a major milestone on the Derby trail as the ''first of the final'' Kentucky Derby prep races, the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) is another major milestone as the ''Last of the Fifties,'' or the last of the Derby prep races that award 50 qualification ...