BloodHorse.com

Sometimes, a brief comment can trigger a deluge of thoughts and images, and such was the case when Bob Baffert said of American Pharoah at the Longines World's Best Racehorse Award Jan. 19 in London, “He showed the beauty of racing.” It was an innocent comment, but it struck a chord. And that is why you will read the word beauty repeatedly ...

Glen Hill Farm founder Leonard Lavin has a personality tailor-made for Thoroughbred racing. While tough and demanding of his racing operation’s employees on one hand, he has been equally accepting during the tough times and bad breaks he’s endured through 50 years as an owner and breeder. “He has the highest expectations for and is hardest on the ...

There have been some exciting racing videos on YouTube this year, but none more exciting and revealing, and ultimately profound than the GoPro video of American Pharoah’s gallop the day before the Travers Stakes that also was posted on the NYRA website. A horse’s gallop is the video of the year, you ask? The answer in one person’s opinion is ...

I will make this column brief. There has been quite an uproar over Sport Illustrated’s editors selecting Serena Williams as Sportsman of the Year, ignoring the historic accomplishments and world-wide popularity of American Pharoah. While I totally disagree with their decision, there is no reason for the uproar or to get even mildly upset over ...

No one could imagine that a year as magical, historical, and downright glorious as 2015 could end in such tragedy. The death of Shared Belief shocked the racing world and reminded everyone just how gut wrenching this sport can be and how fragile these magnificent horses are. Shared Belief was special, pure and simple, going through his ...

Computer-robotic wagering (CRW) has helped prop up pari-mutuel handle in recent years but has made race betting less attractive for every other player by making it difficult for racing to attract new bettors. Now, based on law enforcement officials’ assessment of fantasy sports wagering, CRW may be illegal. Considering one in five dollars bet ...

I have been known to break promises before, so when I said my last column on American Pharoah would be my last on the Triple Crown winner you didn’t really believe me, did you? I had actually intended to keep that promise until the recent announcement that the colt is among the 12 finalists for Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year ...

With NBC televising a special on American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby on May 2 I thought it would be a good time to reprint one of my favorite columns that appeared in 2015. That was my last Kentucky Derby after providing lead coverage for Daily Racing Form and Blood-Horse for 23 years. There were many memorable moments, but none quite as special as ...

There is a method to the madness that follows in the next several paragraphs. You just have to bear with me and my indulgences for a short while. For the past five decades, I have witnessed live many of racing’s historic moments, from Triple Crowns to Breeders’ Cups to record-breaking performances to memorable stretch battles to arch ...

As Ralph Kramden would say, “One of these days, bang! zoom!” You know it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when. You know that one of these days Aidan O’Brien is going to set off that bang and that zoom in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. O’Brien has come agonizingly close on several occasions and he’s back yet again, this time with his ...