BloodHorse.com

By Gene Kershner, Equispace So we've had 22 days of racing on the new Pro-Ride surface at the Oak Tree Meet at Santa Anita through today and what have we learned. Well for one, it takes a long time to chart the analysis of every synthetic race to see if there are any angles out there. BTW, I was happy to do it and it helped me learn a ...

A Blissful Kiss:Driving to Keeneland from a previous evening in Louisville was quite an adventure Sunday. I did make it to Keeneland in time for race 7 finally, in time to see the jockeys load and hear the call to post trumpet sound. However, I had to make my way to the box seats and by the time I made it there, the horses were loading in the ...

 By Patrick Patten, Handride Look, I'm on the fence too.  I think Curlin is a horse for the decade:  An absolute monster who has proven his mettle on more than one continent.  He is a horse whose races will be watched years from now, both wins and losses. HOWEVER, I don't believe he's a lock in the Breeders' Cup ...

With 14 races to get through in this year's Breeders' Cup there isn't much time for long introductions. There is a lot of information to sort through and it can get overwhelming. So let's get right into the Friday races. Filly and Mare Sprint Between Dearest Trickski, Dream Rush, Indyanne and Indian Blessing there is a ton of early pace in this ...

By Lisa Grimm, Superfectablog There are certainly some reasons to criticize the Breeders' Cup Dirt Marathon. You can argue that it is a misnomer; it isn't even really on dirt, and much of the rest of the racing world finds its mile and a half distance rather less than daunting. You might point out the less-than-stellar field (although it ...

Hip #1 (catalog page, pedigree), a 4-year-old colt named GREAT HUNTER, sells Sun., Nov. 2, 2008  at the Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale Thoroughbred female family:  1-n Race record:  3 wins, 4 places, 1 show from 15 starts, for earnings of $970,500.  Won 2006 Lane's ...

By Alan Mann, Left at the GateAt least the field sizes are fairly manageable on Saturday; just nine go in the Sprint. I'm not proud, I'll take any break I can get. In post position order, with the top contenders all lined up inside: Cost of Freedom has run huge in two races since being claimed by trainer John Sadler. You could have doubted ...

 BREEDERS' CUP INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY: COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF BREEDERS' CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM THE SPORT'S TOP TURF WRITERS Steve Haskin, Evan Hammonds, Lenny Shulman, Tom LaMarra, and Jason Shandler, available for interview trackside at Santa Anita or via telephone.   WHAT:   Top ...

By Valerie GrashEvery horseplayer has their favorite types of races. Personally, I’m a turf buff and, if you give me a juvenile maiden special weight, I’m in heaven. So, while some dread handicapping the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, I’ll dive right in. Recent wire-to-wire Jessamine winner Laragh (Tapit out of El Prado mare) is the ...

Two industry announcements separated by only a day were related in a way—the Safety and Integrity Alliance initiative put forth by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the annual Report of Mares Bred issued by The Jockey Club.Alex Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA, noted five areas Oct. 15 that were targeted for health and safety reform, among ...