BloodHorse.com

Thoroughbred racing has always been confined to its own small world, safe and protected from the tumultuous events that surround it. There have been individual stars that have transcended the sport and reached out to touch mainstream America. But never before had the Sport of Kings been woven into the often tattered fabric of history. That is, ...

A look at the leading North American sires list shows Tiznow ranked No. 2 and Giant’s Causeway No. 3. What else is new? They wouldn’t have it any other way.The two horses have been pretty much joined at the hip from the time they lined up against each other in the starting gate of the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Tiznow in post 12 and Giant’s ...

After many years in the same profession, it is not uncommon to feel the need for a new and greater challenge. Charlie Hayward fit that bill, so in November 2004, following a lengthy career in publishing, Hayward was named the president and CEO of the New York Racing Association.If it was a challenge he wanted, Hayward was in the right spot.In ...

It's a little before 6 a.m. Although the sun is beginning to rise back home, Lexington, Ky. is still dark. Outside my window at Old Friends, there is a sprawling network of paddocks, housing a number of top-class stakes winners and champions and some not not-so-well-known horses.My host, Michael Blowen, still bubbling with the unbridled enthusiasm ...

The single most significant number relative to a racetrack’s business is handle. Pure and simple. It not only fuels the second-most-important number—purses—but is clearly reflective of the acceptance of a track’s racing product by the wagering public.In August 2007, Churchill Downs Inc. announced it would no longer publicly release handle figures ...

  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ...

Because I’ll be away in Kentucky until late next week, and with the announcement that Lava Man will be going to Old Friends, I’m putting this look back at the Lava Man story (from last year) on here, in good part just to get this latest Curlin vs. Big Brown feud off. Just the mere mention of either of them in any context turns the blog into the ...

Actually, I have nothing concrete to back that up other than a line from a movie. And it sounded like a good head. But, really, when Jess Jackson opened the door after the Woodward, saying he’s going to have trainers like Dick Mandella keep him informed about the Santa Anita surface, it gave racing fans a ray of hope that maybe it could ...

Money doesn’t guarantee success in the horse business (or any other business, for that matter). Many have invested huge amounts in the industry, some with great success, yet others have realized only limited return on investment.No one really knows which mating will work best, or which hip number in a sale will pan out to be the top runner.But ...

Driving over the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn on the morning of Sept. 15, it was apparent why the New York Racing Association decided at the last minute to cancel racing until Sept. 19. Any thoughts of Belmont Park or Thoroughbred racing were obliterated by the sight of the seemingly naked skyline of Lower Manhattan off to the left and the ...