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So, Keeneland is now back on dirt and that means the Blue Grass Stakes is back to being a major prep for the Kentucky Derby and no longer a haven for grass and synthetic horses looking to back door it into the Run for the Roses.The first thing Keeneland did was raise the purse to $1 million and move the race up a week to four weeks before the ...

1 Texas Red Keith Desormeaux Afleet Alex—Ramatuelle, by Jeune Homme Other than not winning, you couldn’t have asked for a better debut. This race will do him a world of good in the long run, and you had to love the way he split horses and how he was striding out at the end, coming home his final eighth in :11 4/5 and final three-eighths in ...

Lord Nelson after winning the San Vicente Stakes.Photo: Benoit Photography While Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Texas Red ran second in his 3-year-old debut, finishing a neck behind Peachtree Stable’s Lord Nelson in the $200,250 San Vicente Stakes Feb. 1 at Santa Anita Park, I suppose the connections of the top two ...

Changes have come to The Blood-Horse sire lists. Beginning with this issue, the statistics populating the sire lists will be slightly different to reflect shifts in racing and the commercial marketplace.Because sire lists are ranked by total progeny earnings, the change likely to attract the most interest will be the inclusion of earnings from ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') During the last ten days, we have had the good fortune to witness two highly impressive performances from a pair of up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contenders, Khozan and Prospect Park. The first-mentioned colt broke his maiden in dominating fashion at Gulfstream Park (VIDEO), while the latter overcame a bit of ...

As long as the New England Patriots keep winning Super Bowls, and doing it in such dramatic fashion, I will keep telling this story, which first appeared in a much shorter version in 2001 and has been expanded since. What better time to re-tell it yet again,16 years after it all began. This time the story shifts to a wild and crazy night in ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On February 1st, one of the most exciting races of the weekend will be held at Santa Anita Park, that being the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II). The seven-furlong sprint for three-year-olds typically draws an intriguing field of runners, but this year, the race will be particularly significant thanks to ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Although it is not an official Kentucky Derby prep race, and thus will not offer Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top four finishers, the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs has drawn a very promising field of twelve colts and geldings, several of which appear to be poised to ...