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(Originally published in the May 25, 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 In the days leading up to the May 18 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), jockey Gary Stevens had been wrestling with a lot of doubts. His return ...

“Come on, Lukey! Come on, Lukey! Come on, Lukey!”You don’t witness it very often, but one of those cheering the loudest for D. Wayne Lukas and Oxbow in the final quarter mile of the May 18 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) was one of his opponents in the race.Once Bob Baffert realized that his colt, Govenor Charlie, was not going to overcome a slow start ...

(Originally published in the May 18, 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 Is this the year? Is this the one that will break the streak of near misses that has now stretched to 35 years, the longest drought ...

History, it is said, repeats itself, and it will do just that in the 138th Preakness Stakes. It was 25 years ago that Claiborne Farm’s Forty Niner defeated Ogden Phipps’ Seeking the Gold by a nose in a gut-wrenching stretch duel in the Haskell Invitational Handicap, run in near-100-degree temperature. Finishing fourth in the five-horse field was ...

When the field goes to the post for the 138th Preakness Stakes (gr. I), don’t be surprised if two of the participants, who could go off as the two top choices, begin gaping at each other, as two childhood playmates might do meeting years later.With horses at Pimlico sharing the same grazing area, the two could very well cross paths prior to race ...

The day finally had arrived. Everything had gone perfectly for Orb and trainer Shug McGaughey. So perfectly in fact that one couldn’t help but feel there were forces guiding the colt every step of the way, from the early days this winter at Payson Park to his breakout performances in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and Florida Derby (gr. I). ...

For William A. Wilch, Ray Woods, J.J. Witmeyer, and Alan Reeves, this year’s Kentucky Derby will have great significance, evoking images that have remained indelible for seven decades. The four unknowingly helped inspire the name of Kentucky Derby contender Normandy Invasion, along with the other thousands of brave soldiers who participated in the ...

Each year, there is at least one horse you take an instant liking to; one that is easily accessible and has great presence and character. This year, that horse is Itsmyluckyday, who arrived at Churchill Downs as if he’d been there his entire life. You always like to find that happy horse that stands out, and Itsmyluckyday is indeed a happy horse, ...