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I don't like to pick one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby.  I prefer to hone in on a well-bred longshot, and then to have my hopes and dreams dashed as my picks straggle in fourth or fifth... or nineteenth. But in recent years, I've had a feeling about a few horses. And I've almost felt guilty, because they were the ...

With the first Northern Hemisphere 2-year-old races set to get underway shortly, we thought that this year we would do something that allowed us to follow TrueNicks as a predictor of racetrack success. We debated a couple of ways we could do this, with the primary goals of offering a statistically sound study and one that is trackable in ...

NEWS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWednesday, March 4, 2009Contact: Robert Bolson, Director of Corporate MarketingBlood-Horse Publications(859) 276-6809; rbolson@bloodhorse.comJASON SHANDLER'S POPULAR BLOG, ''TRIPLE CROWN TALK''  ON BLOODHORSE.COM GOES LIVE THIS SATURDAY!Racing enthusiasts are invited to preview the all-important prep race, the ...

This Saturday, March 7th, BloodHorse.com will host its first ever live blog. Join host Jason Shandler for a live version of his Triple Crown Talk blog from noon to 1 p.m. EDT. In this engaging new chat room-style format, comments will be posted instantaneously as fans ask Jason questions and debate the potential outcomes of upcoming Kentucky ...

 I Want Revenge is a horse on a mission. The son of Stephen Got Even has traveled across the country to get a head start on his compatriots back home to see how he handles the dirt in the Gotham Stakes. Read the full column here.

A couple of weeks ago we noted how well Elusive Quality's 2005 crop had done. They are headed by the now-retired Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I) winner Raven's Pass, and have been well-represented this year by the General George Handicap (gr. II) victor True Quality and Royale Michele, who took the Barbara ...

We're now two months away from Derby Day.  Here are a few of the runners I've been watching this year, hoping they'll make it to the Run for the Roses: Square Eddie (pedigree) is a spectacularly consistent colt. The Canadian-bred chestnut son of Smart Strike (SRO) has been in the money six times from seven starts, from 5 to 8.5 ...

A few years ago we wrote an article about pedigree trends to come. One we suggested would be the combination of stallions bred on the Mr. Prospector/Buckpasser cross, notably Seeking the Gold, Woodman, Miswaki, and Mining. Exchange Rate (TrueNicks,SRO) began his career in Florida but earned a move to Three Chimneys with a relatively ...

Phil Marino with John Henry Photo courtesy of Tammy Siters Word came the other day of the passing of Phil Marino on Feb. 26. He was 59. Many people don’t know who Phil Marino is, and that is a shame. The native of New Orleans was the legendary John Henry’s first trainer, and saddled the gelding to his first career victory and first stakes ...

Personality-wise, Jimmy Jerkens and Julio Canani have little in common. But this week the two trainers have one important thing in common: Each has a Derby horse in his barn.Thousands of races will be run at racetracks throughout the land over the next two months, but most of our attention will be focused on the preps that lead to Louisville, Ky., ...