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2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) winner Danedream has been retired and will be bred to Frankel in 2013. Danedream was forced to miss the 2012 Arc when her Cologne, Germany, training base was put under quarantine for swamp fever Oct. 1. The filly remains confined to the facility pending future tests. Owner Teruya Yoshida, whose family also ...

Beyond the Blinkers Guest Blog By Mary Cage It was simply supposed to be a new experience, something fun that would expose me to another part of the sport of horse racing, the part of the industry that I did not realize at the time would be where I would find my greatest passion. My trip to the under-tack show for the 2010 Fasig-Tipton ...

This will be the first of six (monthly) editions of my top 20 contenders for the 2013 Kentucky Derby. Future lists will be ordered/numbered. It's too early to split hairs. These horses need to do a lot of developing between now and May 4, 2013. Bold Dance (c by Pulpit--Quiet Dance, by Quiet American) This half-brother to Horse of the Year ...

Journalist Kate Hunter continues her visit with mares in Japan. Like any big breeding operation, the Yoshida brothers are looking for mares who have performed at the highest level and impressively so. Turf has always been the most important surface in Japan, but they know, better than most, that a dirt horse can rule the turf. Case and point: ...

(Originally published in the December 22, 2012 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column.) By Evan Hammonds - @BH_EHammonds on Twitter It’s getting harder and harder these days to see the future in the crystal ball. With tax hikes looming—but who knows how much ...

By J. Keeler Johnson “Keelerman”  Ask any racing fan to name the best horses of the early 1930s and you are likely to hear names like Equipoise, Twenty Grand, Gallant Fox, Discovery, Cavalcade, Top Flight, and Sun Beau. That is to be expected. All were considered champions in their respective divisions; all are in the Hall of ...

December 6 brought the news that Pulpit, a leading commercial sire for almost a decade and a half, had died in his paddock. The 18-year-old stallion was bred by Claiborne Farm, raced in the Claiborne colors, and stood his entire stud career at the Paris, Ky., nursery. A member of the first crop of A.P. Indy, Pulpit was in several ways a ...

Lady Banks, a two-year-old filly who ran an excellent second in her debut at Aqueduct on Novembr 23, is back in Friday in the 3rd race at Aqueduct. She is listed as the 9-5 second choice on the morning line. While we won't bet getting 10-1 on her again (nor $10 to place), we also have more information now. The debut play was based entirely ...

(By Avalyn Hunter) Claiborne's famed stallion cemetery now has one more tenant. If Pulpit was not the equal of the likes of Nijinsky II, Danzig, and Mr. Prospector as a sire, he nonetheless had an honorable record. Through his son Tapit (currently fourth on the general sire list), he has also succeeded in securing the future of the Seattle ...

At year's end we typically see many of our favorite stars move into retirement or second careers. Inspite of the many fan favorites and talented athletes who have left the track, one thing remains...their finishes. Let's remember and celebrate our many athletes by looking back at some of the hair raising finishes this past year! Here is a short ...