BloodHorse.com

Dada, dada, dadaa, da, da, daa….Who's the horse with hot three-year-old crop? Shaft! Mine Shaft!. With due apologies to the late Isaac Hayes, we think there are plenty of reasons to be ''talkin' 'bout'' Mineshaft (TrueNicks,SRO), who missed an historic double at Saratoga on Saturday by about an inch. The only Horse of the Year by A.P. Indy ...

With only six days of racing to go, a Wall Street operative named Bill Taylor heads the five public handicappers that select horses each morning for The Saratogian’s Pink Sheet.  These last couple cards have proved hard for the lot. Taylor has picked but two winners from 21 and his closest competitor, a guy by the name of Daniel Feiss, could ...

It didn’t take long for the “Retire Rachel” cries to be heard. I can’t really criticize those who believe Rachel’s reputation has suffered, and feel each race compromises her legacy. If you are of the opinion that every defeat to lesser opponents dims Rachel’s remarkable accomplishments last year, it shows more than anything you are a fan and ...

Last week, it was my pleasure to participate in The Jockey Club’s annual Round Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York.  They asked me to present to the conference concerning the role that the NTRA is playing through our Safety & Integrity Alliance to help bring about the considerable progress that the Thoroughbred racing industry ...

  Blind Luck, who is leading the chase for the champion 3-year-old filly title, didn't have a distinguished sales career. Bred and consigned by veterinarian Bill Baker's Fairlawn Farm, she brought $11,000 at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July select yearling sale and then was a $10,000 buy-back at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. April sale of ...

Don’t be misled by the long lines outside Ravenous. Crepes are quick to prepare and diners are served faster than you think.  Because the boutique Phila Street eatery opens at 10:00 am, you’d be well advised to pass on the scrambled eggs sandwiches that are sold at the morning workouts in favor of brunch. Try the pommes frites with aioli ...

While the secret brotherhood of 20 “Mohicans” from Schenectady, NY lay sleeping in a palatial white tee-pee on Fifth and Ludlow following a long night of sausages and firewater, a gathering of horse racing fans sat huddled on beer coolers and lawn chairs outside the clubhouse turnstiles on Union Avenue.  By 5:00 am Saturday – Travers Day, the ...

Despite a paucity of horses in early races, Friday represented an excellent card. The 52nd running of the Gr.2 $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap brought together seven decent turf horses, including the winner Get Stormy. The bay colt by Stormy Atlantic has taken seven of his last eight races and is now four for four on the Saratoga turf courses.The ...

Having finally cleared some matings – late Southern Hemisphere and very early Northern Hemisphere – off the desk, and taken our nose out of the middle of the 1300 or so strong catalog two of Keeneland September, we realized that we ought to take a quick look back at the pedigrees of some of the winners of major U.S. stakes events last ...

I mentioned in my last post that while I was on site at Lane’s End Farm ''life got even sweeter''.  Well, that's because I got the opportunity to photograph Sweet Life, dam of Life Is Sweet, and champion Sweet Catomine.  Sweet Life was named the 2009 Broodmare of the Year, so it was quite an honor.Order this Photo.Sweet Life and her ...