BloodHorse.com

While Louisville and Churchill Downs remain quarantined—at least for another week as the backside is set to open May 11 with racing expected to resume May 16—Oaklawn Park’s 2020 season ended in a blaze of glory. Racing in Hot Springs, Ark., continued as most other major-market tracks were closed for the last two weeks amid COVID-19 shutdowns and ...

1 Tiz the Law Barclay Tagg Constitution—Tizfiz, by Tiznow Despite the Derby Day assault by the Baffert Brigade, he holds on to the No. 1 spot as we head into the makeshift spring schedule beginning with the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) May 23. Whenever stakes are carded, such as this year’s version of the Belmont Stakes (G1), he will be ready, ...

The scroll on ESPN's Sportscenter on the morning of May 3 had its priorities straight. The No. 1 horse racing story read: ''Secretariat wins Virtual Kentucky Derby.'' Oh, yes, that was followed by story No. 2, which read: ''Charlatan, Nadal Win Split Arkansas Derby.'' The fake Kentucky Derby run on the First Saturday in May with animated ...

If there was one thing I learned about covering the Kentucky Derby it was to stay objective and don't let personal relationships obscure your vision. It was all about the story and backstories and telling them with a clear thought process. But I have to admit there was one year when I let my personal feelings trickle to the ...

This column is for me and couple of guys from Brooklyn. If anyone wishes to relive it with us you can continue to the reprint of my 2017 Derby recap below. This will always be known as the year the Kentucky Derby went silent…at least for the next four months. But in silence comes thoughts, and for some reason this morning I thought of a cold ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman After five weeks without a single Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race to occupy our interest, the Derby trail will resume on Saturday with two divisions of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. Let's dig in! Arkansas Derby Division 1 I'll admit that part of me wants ...

With NBC televising a special on American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby on May 2 I thought it would be a good time to reprint one of my favorite columns that appeared in 2015. That was my last Kentucky Derby after providing lead coverage for Daily Racing Form and Blood-Horse for 23 years. There were many memorable moments, but none quite as special as ...