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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Pre-entries for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup were released on Wednesday, with final fields due to be drawn on Monday. After taking a day to review the prospective fields for the 14 championship events, here are a few of the first handicapping thoughts to cross my mind: Brad Cox ...

The news cycle in the Thoroughbred business moves like an opening quarter-mile in :21 and change this time of year. In the past two weeks we’ve been inundated with announcements from nearly all of the stallion operations with new deals for the incoming class of 2021 as well as the fees for the coming season—most of them having been reduced due to ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Two weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, we'll take a brief respite from analyzing prospective fields and instead turn our attention to a pair of intriguing races on the immediate horizon. An allowance race at Keeneland and the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine have captured my attention. ...

Not everyone likes to be first out of the box. Being first sometimes has its advantages while introducing a new product line or setting pricing, but being in front can also leave a business out in the cold. Back in the formative days of the commercial bloodstock world, “Cousin” Leslie Combs II, master of Spendthrift Farm, wanted to be out front. ...

There are few mountains left for trainer Todd Pletcher to scale. While the veteran horseman is not yet in the Hall of Fame—he’s sure to be a first-ballot entrant when he becomes eligible in 2021—he ranks first among trainers all-time with more than $395 million in earnings. He’s won two Kentucky Derbys (G1): Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Six weeks ago, the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) was expected to be something of a two-horse showdown. Pacific Classic (G1) winner Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old male of 2019, was supposed to cruise through the fall and enter the Breeders' Cup as a standout among older ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Who's ready for another exciting weekend of racing? Four weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, there are plenty of high-class events to anticipate across North America. No fewer than 11 graded stakes events are on the agenda, including a quartet of Grade 1 races on Saturday at Belmont ...

Racing has continued amid a pandemic, and for that we have a great many thanks. In Maryland, hopeful horsemen declared last week: “Hey, they’re running the Preakness Saturday…it’s like we’re alive in the double.” The Maryland Jockey Club did present the Preakness Stakes (G1) in front of a very select, very socially distanced live audience at ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Some 4 1/2 months after its originally scheduled date, the 145th running of the Preakness (G1) will take place on Saturday at Pimlico without spectators in attendance. The historic 1 3/16-mile race will serve as the final leg of a unique Triple Crown restructured due to COVID-19. ...