BloodHorse.com

The initial equine fatality numbers for Southern California since March 29, when the tracks and racing regulator put sweeping reforms in place, are encouraging. While more numbers are needed before declaring any statistical significance, to date the rate of catastrophic injury during racing at Del Mar, Los Alamitos Race Course, and Santa Anita ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman It seems safe to say the $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park is one of the fastest-growing races in North America. Just 15 years ago, the one-mile race (then known as the Remington MEC Mile) was worth a mere $75,000. But a date change and steady ...

A new topic of conversation has arisen that likely will have people at each other's throats, as is the norm with every topic these days. OK, so here it is. Who should be the champion older horse? There is the distance horse in Vino Rosso and the sprinter/miler Mitole. So, will Vino Rosso take home the Eclipse for champion older male and Mitole ...

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation rarely has a bad year. The ruler of Dubai’s Thoroughbred holdings is deep around the globe with highly prized bloodstock that is raised on highly prized land in the U.S., England, Australia, and Japan. As to be expected, Godolphin runners win more than their fair share. This year, however, the performance of ...

Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Affirmed, Hoist the Flag, Cougar II, and now Maximum Security. This is quite an elite group, and to be included would link you with four Hall of Famers and five champions. But, alas, in this context it is a list trainers and owners would prefer not to be on. You see, all these horses were disqualified from first ...

Here I am again back on my soapbox, much to the dismay of those who are tired of me preaching the same sermon ad nauseam. But the truth is I don't care about those who have tired of the message. I will keep shouting it from my pulpit even knowing it will fall on deaf ears. But once on a rare occasion, such as in 2016, some trainer will go ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The Road to the Kentucky Derby will take a couple of sharp turns on Saturday, December 7 when Aqueduct and Los Alamitos host the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2). Both races offer Kentucky Derby qualification points, and both can boast impressive ...

In a year in which the survival of our sport is being challenged and we fight to continue to engage in our passion—horses—it can be harder to give thanks and show gratitude for the treasures that enrich us and this business of Thoroughbreds. Although a long, fertile past doesn’t ensure an equally bright future, our history does give us thousands ...

Between oddsmaker Mike Battaglia and the general public it is quite obvious that no one has a clue what to make of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court. The colt will remain an enigma until he launches his assault on the Kentucky Derby, most likely in next year's Robert B. Lewis Stakes. He also is going to cause a great deal of head ...