BloodHorse.com

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') When the calendar informs you that the month is December, and when a foot of snow on the ground confirms that winter has arrived, and when the lone graded stakes race of the previous weekend was a grade II at Los Alamitos… racing fans across America (especially those in the northern states!) know with ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On the surface, the first Saturday in December looks like a slow day of racing, with only a single graded stakes race—the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (gr. II)—on the agenda. But if you dig a little deeper, you discover that Saturday is also opening day of the Gulfstream Park winter meet, which brings with it the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On Saturday, the very talented and very popular Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner California Chrome will give turf a try for the first time in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. I) at Del Mar, a race that could secure him honors as Horse of the Year and Champion 3yo Male if he wins. But while this race promises ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') In recent years, the nine-furlong, $500,000 Clark Handicap (gr. I) has been won by such well-known horses as Blame (2009), Wise Dan (2011), and Will Take Charge (2013.) This year’s field might turn out to lack the star power of years past (only one grade I winner has been entered), but then again—who knows? ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Get ready, folks! American racing is scheduled to emerge from its post-Breeders’ Cup lull this weekend with a terrific series of races scheduled for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! All told, there are nineteen graded stakes races to be run across those four days, so there’s going to be lots to ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') On Saturday, Delta Downs in Louisiana will host the biggest race card of their season by far; a spectacular day of racing highlighted by eight stakes races, including the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) and the $400,000 Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. III). With many top-class horses entered ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') As horse racing in the United States continues to slowly emerge from its post-Breeders’ Cup lull, an impressive schedule of stakes races—both graded and ungraded—are on schedule for this Saturday. Two of the most intriguing are the $250,000 Red Smith Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct and a $350,000 Frank De ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') As hard as it can be to believe, racing does go on after the Breeders’ Cup! While this week’s racing action can’t compare to last week’s thirteen-race extravaganza, there are still a number of interesting stakes races to be run, led by the $200,000 Long Island Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct and the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Every year, after the Breeders’ Cup, I spend some time handicapping the Eclipse awards, considering the various candidates for each title and trying to determine which horses will earn recognition as champions of the season. It’s always a fascinating topic to ponder, but particularly so this year because ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Breeders’ Cup Friday promises to be an exciting day of racing, but as usual, it’s Breeders’ Cup Saturday—with nine top-notch grade I races on schedule—that has racing fans really excited. After much deliberation, here are my top two selections in each race, along with a live longshot to spruce up the ...