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We’re going to do something different this week. Because there are so many new faces emerging who could be major Derby contenders by Sept. 5, there will be two rankings this week. The usual list of horses who have already established themselves and a separate list in Knocking on the Door comprised of late developers who have only competed in ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Another day, another stakes race for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park, another short-priced favorite from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shuttered racing at many tracks throughout North America, it's comforting to know ...

This column is dedicated to producer/director Jim Wilson and his wonderful film ''50-1,'' one of the best racing movies I've ever seen and one which still brings a tear to my eye at the end. Watching it for the umpteenth time last night was what inspired me to tell the Mine That Bird story from a personal perspective. It was time to start ...

A few months ago we all looked forward to the first weekend in April. Students from the University of Kentucky would have flocked to the opening Saturday of Keeneland and its full slate of graded races, including the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2). Aqueduct had the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) on tap and Santa ...

With little action to write about in the upcoming weeks, we’re going to focus a little more on speed ratings that we follow to detect patterns that could suggest where these horses might be on the first Saturday in September, which right now seems like an eternity. They also can tell a great deal about a horse’s strengths and weaknesses, and ...

The mid-to-late fifties was a time of peace and tranquility in America; a time when baseball, boxing, and horse racing dominated the sports world. The Dodgers and Giants were gone from New York, Elvis was stationed in Germany, and a new mellow sound of rock and roll was emerging with most of the hit songs being written by Jewish kids from ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The COVID-19 outbreak has shuttered racing at many tracks throughout North America, which means there isn't a single graded stakes race on the agenda in the U.S. this weekend. But never fear! Even though there isn't much racing action to cover, we can always start planning for ...

(The following is pure fiction and the chances of it actually happening are slim to none, but it does make for compelling thought, especially on April 1st, so let's have some fun with it) I have just written a script. It's not your everyday script. It is futuristic...well, not too far in the future. Some of the names are ...

For centuries the most admirable trait of the Thoroughbred has been speed. Their ability to carry that speed is what separates the good ones from the great ones. As we soldier our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, the skills, talents, and, most of all, patience of everyone in the industry will be asked to stretch out from sprinting to going two ...