BloodHorse.com

Shug McGaughey threw everyone a bit of a curve when he stated that his grass star Mr Speaker was being considered for the Travers Stakes. Now why would McGaughey think that a horse who has won three of his last five starts on grass, including stakes scores in the Belmont Derby Invitational and Dania Beach and a fast-closing second in the Palm ...

There seemed to be an inordinate number of people who were displeased with the result of the Aug. 2 Whitney Handicap, mainly due to the winning trainer Eric Guillot, who, to put it mildly, is not your typical trainer. Looking and sounding as if he had been plucked out of the swamps of the Bayou after years of wrestling gators, Guillot ...

A stance by 25 prominent American trainers Aug. 1 urging the elimination of race-day Salix over the next two years has not done much to clarify the debate over the medication’s use (see page 15), but it has given new momentum to putting America on par with the rest of the racing world. The intention of the phase-out, some of the supporting ...

A person’s love of horses manifests itself in many ways – from reading about them in books to having the pleasure of merely petting them in their stall to grooming them, and finally to riding them professionally at a racetrack and over fences, or simply through the fields for a leisurely morning gallop. But the love of anything or anyone is ...

On one side of Saratoga Race Course, facing the Oklahoma training track, is the home of Palace Malice, currently the No. 1 ranked horse in America and favorite for Horse of the Year honors. On the other side of the grandstand, facing the main track, is the home of Wise Dan, reigning two-time Horse of the Year. Both horses can look out their ...

I hate getting personal, but somehow I am unable to avoid it when thinking, talking, and writing about Saratoga. It has been a state of feeling for 45 years, a place around which my entire life has revolved, and now it is time yet again for my annual pilgrimage to this Mecca of Thoroughbred racing. So, bear with me as I embark on another ...

Pat Riley, president of the Miami Heat, delivered some pretty inspirational comments to players on his team this past week, especially those who may be thinking about leaving the organization following the Heat’s five-game decimation at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. “We’ve got to get a grip on greatness,” Riley said. “It’s about what ...

June 7 held such promise. The weather was perfect on Long Island, Martin Panza and crew in the racing office at the New York Racing Association put on the best race card at Belmont Park this side of a Breeders’ Cup program, and the track drew a monster crowd. The anticipation of a Triple Crown win put a crackle of electricity in the air. Palace ...

Everything seemed to sparkle and shine Friday morning. Sun-drenched Belmont Park was abuzz with camera and news crews from TV and radio, both local and national. There were interviews being conducted non-stop. And nothing shined and sparkled more than the star of the show himself, California Chrome, who went out for his final gallop before ...