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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Another Triple Crown is in the books, which means it's time for horseplayers to turn their attention to the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. The exciting year-end championship is less than five months away! The annual highlight of the two-day, 14-race extravaganza is the $6 million ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman If you're reading this post, then you're probably wondering who I've picked to win Saturday's 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Join the club! I'm still wondering myself. I find this year's renewal of the 1 1/2-mile classic to be among the most perplexing in ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a big one in U.S. horse racing, and this year is no exception. More than 50 stakes are slated to take place from May 28-31, including a trio of Grade 1 events on Sunday at Santa Anita. We're bound to see a bevy of high-class horses take center ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The weekend between the Preakness and Memorial Day is typically a quiet one in U.S. horse racing. The international stage is considerably richer this year, with spring classics set to take place in Ireland and Japan. But the local scene nevertheless features a handful of graded ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman How times flies! The 146th running of the Preakness (G1) will take place on Saturday at Pimlico, just two weeks after an ultra-competitive renewal of the Kentucky Derby (G1). The second leg of the Triple Crown has attracted a field of 10, including seven newcomers who skipped ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The weekend between the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Preakness (G1) brings a busy Saturday of racing at Belmont Park. Five graded stakes are on the agenda, and while the Man o' War (G1) for older turf horses is the star of the card, the Peter Pan (G3) is arguably the more intriguing ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman After a couple of frustrating misses in recent years, you might say I'm highly motivated to pick the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. Preferably a winner who isn't the top betting choice. I was among the handicappers who selected Maximum Security to win the ...

In terms of today's methods of preparing Thoroughbreds for the spring classics, Essential Quality has gained about as much experience in his five starts before this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) as any horse could expect. With horses no longer building toward the Derby through a long series of races at 2 and 3, it's ...