BloodHorse.com

While I’ve seen a few days where the dirt track has suggested a moderate level of bias either way, the new dirt surface at Keeneland generally has been fair and certainly has not produced the dramatic speed-favoring bias the former dirt track would sometimes display. Granted, the new track has only offered nine race days but my general ...

The select Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling sale of 2013 may have been the tipping point in the economic balance between the American and European commercial yearling markets.Throughout the 1970s and early 1990s, American breeders had the broadest base of desirable sires, and the world spent the bulk of its money on yearlings here. The sire ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') With the Breeders’ Cup less than three weeks away, I thought it would be wise to start pondering each race to try and work out some early wagering strategies and selections before the Breeders’ Cup arrives. So as a jumping off point for those that wish to join me in this challenging but enjoyable pursuit, ...

By Tom LaMarra Crown Queen, who has done nothing wrong in four starts this year, came out of the Oct. 11 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland in good order but remained on the fence for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old Smart Strike filly owned by Besilu Stables has been ...

The Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Keeneland / October1 / Race 9 / 5:13 EDT by TimeformUS Analyst Justin FinchGet Started with FREE PPs for the Queen Elizabeth Challenge CupThe Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup has nine three-year-old fillies entered to go a mile and 1/8 on the grass. Early weather forecasts are ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') With the Breeders’ Cup now little more than three weeks away, the racing action in the U.S. this Saturday is naturally going to be a bit calmer than it was on the last two weekends, with just two graded stakes races scheduled to be held on October 11th. Fortunately for racing fans, one of those races is the ...

Ellen Pons, wife of Country Life Farm’s Josh Pons, was six months pregnant and knew she had no business working directly with horses. But she just wanted to help out this one time and felt it was pretty safe just leading out a mare and her one-month-old foal. But that one-month-old, as it turned out, was no ordinary foal. When he eventually was ...

Kellyn Gorder - Anne M. Eberhardt By Claire NovakTrainer Kellyn Gorder got the Autumn meet off to a good start on Friday, Oct. 3, when he took the first race of the season with WinStar's Race Day and brought back grade II winner Bourbon Courage to take the sixth for Bourbon Lane Stable.''It was nice to get a couple wins for some of my biggest ...

Racing lost one its all-time greats with the passing of Cigar. As a tribute, I am reprinting some of my most memorable experiences with this magnificent horse. Garden Party During a Blood-Horse online chat about five years ago, someone asked me what was my most special moment in racing? Well, needless to say, there are dozens to choose from. But ...

For all those with aspirations of winning either Horse of the Year or the Older Male title or the Male Grass title, there is a force out there even stronger than Eric Guillot’s voodoo dolls. It is the curse of Wise Dan.Have you wondered why Game On Dude, known throughout his career for his consistency, was able to finish second in the Breeders’ ...