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We are less than seven weeks from the Kentucky Derby (G1), and only a handful of horses have earned their place in the starting gate under the new points qualifying system that places enormous weight on the final two rounds of Derby preps.My clear #1 rated horse -- Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Itsmyluckyday -- has just 10 points, not nearly enough ...

By Fred Pope  Some people spend time thinking about how to win a big race. Some dream bigger. They think about how to deliver a bright future for the Thoroughbred breed. The Breeders' Cup cancelled its ban of race-day drugs and some liked the decision, thinking it might help them win a ...

The charm of horse racing lies primarily in the animals that do it—their beauty, grace, power and their degree of class. But there is an undeniable attraction to the colorful human beings that make it happen. The purpose of this blog is to share my stories about some of these characters. My requisites in the selection: I had dealings with them, ...

(By Avalyn Hunter) In the wake of recent events, it seems as if horse racing is missing a major marketing opportunity. Take Ive Struck a Nerve. While he is off the trail to the spring classics, the former $1,700 weanling is now a grade II winner with more than $300,000 in the bank. And while the price Paul Braverman paid for an interest in the ...

It’s starting to get hairy, folks. If there is one thing we’ve learned from the new points system, it’s that you’re playing with fire by skipping the 50-point races and going straight from the wee little 10-pointers to the big, bad 100-pointers.By putting all your eggs in the one proverbial basket, in many cases having to finish first or second to ...

(Originally published in the March 16, 2013 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column.) By Eric Mitchell - @BH_EMitchell on Twitter Disputes over Thoroughbred racing dates are as endemic to South Florida as the sabal palm.Ugly clashes among the three ...

[brightcove videoid=''2219323501001''] 1 Itsmyluckyday Eddie Plesa Jr. Lawyer Ron—Viva la Slew, by Doneraile Court Debated long and hard whether to stay with him on top, and with so many lightly raced horses dominating the Derby lists, I decided to stay old school and go with the more experienced, battle-tested horse, who also worked old ...

Photo: Daehling RanchPeppered Cat Not many people outside Northern California have heard of the stallion Peppered Cat, but with current earnings per starter of $36,400 compared to a 2013 stud fee of $2,000, the 13-year-old son of Tabasco Cat is starting to get some attention. Granted, he's had just 16 starters, but that group includes 10 ...