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BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC RANKINGS 1—Vino Rosso Todd Pletcher When in doubt go with the older horse. They are in most cases more mature mentally and physically and this tough, hard-knocking horse looks to be peaking. He's already shipped out there and won a grade 1 over the track and I loved his race in the JC Gold Cup. ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman With the 2019 Breeders' Cup heading to Santa Anita Park, one of the key factors for handicappers to consider is how the slow and tiring main track will affect the outcome of the championship races. The track has received a lot of attention and maintenance in recent months, stemming ...

There’s no question that the Thoroughbred racing business is a risky proposition. The stories published in the general media these days focus on the number of equine fatalities and not the snappy comments a trainer makes in the winner’s circle after a major stakes event.  However, there are positive signs. In the last few weeks we’ve ...

Once upon a time there were two young horses frolicking about in the field at Glennwood Farm in Versailles, Ky. They were both the same color, both had excellent parentage, and both were headed to the Keeneland September yearling sale. One sold for $410,000 and the other for $500,000, giving John and Tanya Gunther, who operate Glennwood Farm, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman With just three weeks remaining until the 2019 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, I was tempted to kick off coverage of the much-anticipated championship event with an early look at the major players in each race. But then I saw the field for Saturday's $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II ...

On the final weekend of “Win and You’re In” races across the country, and in Europe, a lot of talent earned their way to Santa Anita Park for the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. While it’s certainly an accomplishment for an owner to get a horse to the big dance at year’s end, having multiple starters is a longshot at best. Don’t tell ...

The answer to this question is almost impossible to answer because you have a ceiling that is so high, it is difficult to assess without getting a bit too carried away. With Omaha Beach, you have to start with the usual questions - How? What? Why? When? and Where? The first question we've addressed, how good is he? What are his limits if he ...

There are times when you just can’t help root for a horse, a trainer, or an owner. When you look at trainer Carlos Martin about to embark on the Breeders’ Cup trail with the brilliant mare Come Dancing, there are a number of thoughts that run through your head, at least if you have any sense of history and are impressed with hard work and an ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Having come down with an annoying cold this week, I should preface my analysis of Saturday's $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) with the disclaimer that my handicapping will either be very good or very bad—nowhere in the middle. If my handicapping reflects how I feel ...

The evening of Sept. 27 was a memorable one in Central Kentucky. Over at Keeneland Race Course, Gov. Brereton C. Jones was regaled as the 88th Honor Guest at the Thoroughbred Club of America. On the other side of town, friends and family of Will Daugherty gathered to watch a horse he bred, with his father and business partner under the BlackRidge ...