BloodHorse.com

Only a few weeks ago we were reflecting in MarketWatch how the U.S. dirt horse–the core of the North American commercial thoroughbred– had evolved into a horse that was very different from the European turf runner. It that light, it's somewhat ironic that the two horses that fought out the heart-stopping run to the line in the Breeders’ Cup ...

(Guest post by Tom Hall) Arkansas seems an unlikely place to be the birthplace of a future chef-de-race Thoroughbred stallion. But the fact is this: A good horse can be born anywhere, from the ''horse capitals'' of the world to any out-of-the-mainstream state in the hinterlands. Such is the case with Nodouble. On March 4, 1965, a chestnut colt ...

 It is finally time to say goodbye. Mighty Mare Zenyatta has been retired; and this time it is official, as she departs for Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky. in early December.Despite having her remarkable 19-race winning streak ended in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), by only a short head, Zenyatta not only added to her legacy, she ...

WinStar Farm's new 2011 stallions Super Saver and Hold Me Back have joined TrueNicks. WinStar homebred Super Saver (TrueNicks) claimed this year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I, video below), making him the second colt by the late Maria's Mon to win the classic following Monarchos in 2001. A winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) at two, Super Saver ...

The stallions of Bybee Road Farm in Ranson, West Virginia, have joined TrueNicks. Unlimited free nicking reports are now available to breeders for Officer Rocket and Ghostly Numbers. New for 2011 is Officer Rocket (GB) (TrueNicks), dead-heat winner of the Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) while defeating eventual two-year-old champion ...

 (Originally published in the November 20, 2010 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column.)  By Evan Hammonds   Though we don’t begrudge the continued, passionate interest in the outcome of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) or the ongoing, ...

As some of you may remember, in June I wrote about Aces N Kings, an interesting story about a 2-year-old who was sired by a teaser, Jet Phone. The blog received a positive response, mostly because it was kind of an oddball story and there was a connection to superstar Rachel Alexandra. Here is a link to the story again to help refresh your ...

The California horse racing industry is advertising a healthy purse increase effective Dec. 26, opening of Santa Anita Park, in an effort to spread the word in advance of the meet and increase field size. The increase will come courtesy of the betting public via a hike in pari-mutuel takeout. … With repeated claims that at least $300 million could ...