BloodHorse.com

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On Monday, the Road to the Kentucky Derby continues at Oaklawn Park with the running of the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes. The one-mile race has drawn a field of nine, led by the talented Mr. Z, who placed in a quintet of graded stakes races during his very busy juvenile campaign. Here are the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') The $200,000 LeComte Stakes (gr. III) on January 17th at Fair Grounds poses an interesting handicapping question—what do you do with Eagle, the likely favorite, now that he has drawn the far outside post position in a field of eleven? From some perspectives, Eagle seems like a standout. Last time out, he ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Along the road to the Kentucky Derby, it sometimes becomes clear that the top three-year-olds in a particular region of the country are clearly superior to their rivals in other states. In 2012, the supremacy of the California-based runners became clear as they dominated prep races across the nation, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Dirt! Turf! Fillies! Colts! Three-year-olds! Older horses! No matter what kind of racing you prefer, there should be something for everyone on the second Saturday of 2015. At Santa Anita, up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contenders will take the stage in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (gr. III), while at Gulfstream ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') In the quiet month of January—the only month in American horse racing that does not feature at least one grade I race!—it’s natural to pay special attention to the early Kentucky Derby prep races. After all, there’s no better time to start compiling lists of up-and-coming three-year-olds that could prove ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Happy New Year, everyone! There is definitely a bit of sadness in bidding farewell to 2014, as it was a wonderful year with some of the very best racing in recent memory, but the good news is that 2015 promises to be just as good, or maybe even better! One of the reasons that 2015 is shaping up to be such a ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On December 26th, Santa Anita Park will begin their eagerly-anticipated winter meet with a nine-race card highlighted by three graded stakes races, including a pair of grade I races—the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) and the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I). It promises to be a very exciting day of racing, so ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') A little more than a week ago, I wrote a blog post sharing early thoughts on the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and mentioned that the promising allowance winner Dortmund—unbeaten in two starts for trainer Bob Baffert—is my top-ranked Derby horse with five months remaining before the Run for the Roses. On Saturday, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Although it is an ungraded stakes race and rarely draws much attention on a national scale, the $250,000 Remington Springboard Mile at Remington Park has been drawing fields of higher and higher quality in recent years. In fact, two years ago, the runner-up at odds of 12-1 was a little-known colt by the name ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') When Take Charge Brandi heads to post on Saturday for the $350,000 Starlet Stakes (gr. I) at Los Alamitos, she will likely do so as a heavy favorite against six rivals. After all, her last two starts have yielded victories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. ...