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One of the most common misconceptions surrounding Kentucky Derby future wagers in winter is that “No horse is worth betting now with the race so far away.” While I do think you’re more likely to find value in any race right now than for one 12 weeks away, it is possible for there to be value in any wager in which there is an outcome. I.e., ...

Sometimes Thoroughbred racing’s challenges seem as entrenched as the Israeli-Arab conflict in the Middle East.Small gains are so few and far between that they generate exaggerated enthusiasm when they do occur. The most recent example came Jan. 29 when Illinois avoided catastrophic—and likely irreversible—damage to its Thoroughbred racing industry ...

1 Top Billing Shug McGaughey Curlin—Parade Queen, by A.P. Indy The truth is, I don’t feel comfortable putting him or anyone at No. 1. Just too many question marks, inactivity, and setbacks regarding the top contenders, and he moved up because he’ll now likely go in the Fountain of the Youth with Honor Code out, and he does appear to have as ...

There is nothing quite as humbling on the Derby trail as attempting to set off two fireworks on the same day, especially when you light them minutes apart. Len Riggio, who hasn’t exactly been a familiar face on the Derby trail, not only attempted this on Feb. 1, he attempted it with New York-breds, both of whom went off as the favorite in their ...

When South Africa's Western Cape Breeders Club invited me to talk at their Thoroughbred & Equestrian seminar, I knew it meant one thing—an opportunity for another installment of Tapp's Travels, which I hadn't done since 2011 in Australia and New Zealand. The seminar coincided with the Cape Premier Yearling Sale in Cape Town Jan. 23-24. This ...

It has become a rite of spring in this column that every three years I reprint, re-live, and re-energize the amazing story of Jim French. To those who have read it once or even twice, you are excused, unless you wish to refresh your memory and read it again (I have to admit I never get tired of it). Actually, there is some additional information ...

The old wives’ tale to starve a fever doesn’t work with the Kentucky Derby variety—not because the charms of the First Saturday in May are so irresistible 13 weeks away but because sustenance is unavoidable. Not that I’m trying to avoid it, mind you, but even if the highlight of your week is Louisiana Premier Night and our 3:10 to Delta ...

Saturday, Santa Anita, Race 7, Local Post Time 3:30pm PTThe G1 Las Virgenes Stakes, 1 mile, Dirt, 3YOFBy Jason PerlmutterThe G1 Las Virgenes represents the first significant Kentucky Oaks prep of the year for Southern California's new generation of three-year-old fillies.  That said, a mile at Santa Anita is a far cry from nine furlongs at ...

This story originally appeared in the January 25th, 2014 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Some stories are not destined to have happy endings. Although each chapter in St Nicholas Abbey’s remarkable fight for life seemed to end happily, pointing to the feel-good ending everyone had hoped for, it was not to be.After surviving a catastrophic ...