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People often complain that journalists only want to write about negative things. But in this post, the focus is on the positive, in particular what was good about the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction. 1. The sale confirmed that even with a sagging American economy there is still demand for quality horses, something the that also ...

We've frequently mentioned, in this and other columns, varieties of what we call ''Parallel Patterns.'' There are variations, but a general description would be where a sire and a mare or broodmare sire are bred on a similar cross (we also have inversion of this, which we've christened ''Reverse Parallel Patterns''). A couple of recent ...

Saratoga was still stirring from Michael Vincent Magnier’s $2 million winning bid on a Storm Cat colt at the yearling sales when Amtrak’s Adirondack arrived on Wednesday morning an hour and a half late from New York. Trains departing Penn Station are usually on time.  The trains coming down from Rutland, Vermont or Montreal, Quebec heading ...

We had yet another example of the imporatance of considering opportunity when creating nick ratings with the August 1 victory of Luck Money in the Majestic Light Stakes at Saratoga. Irish-bred Luck Money was scoring his first stakes victory, although he'd been third to superstar Henrythenavigator in the Coventry Stakes (gr. II) and captured the ...

Last week, we debated whether temperament has anything to do with class or talent.  I put forward that there seems to be an industry bias towards fiery spirits, and quick forgiveness for certain wild behavior, with the idea that it indicates racing aptitude. A poll that accompanied this discussion asked for reader input.  More than half ...

  Curlin vs. Big Brown: Every racing fan in the nation wants to see it. It's a match-up that would be great for the sport and would give the industry a huge shot in the arm. The only problem is, with every passing day the chances of it happening seem to grow slimmer. From where I sit, the only realistic way it happens is Oct. 25 in the ...

It's been a few weeks since I brought my Keeneland September colt (pedigree, catalog page) over to a sales prep facility.  I stopped by Friday to check on his progress -- it's only a couple of miles from my office, so quite convenient to get there during a lunch break -- and I was impressed by the progress made thus far.  The ...

The Breeders’ Cup took important steps last week to help ensure the integrity of its races, while at the same time prodding those states not already on board to hurry and establish steroid policies for tracks its racing authority regulates.Should a horse test positive for anabolic steroids at the Oct. 24-25 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at ...

In the morning, the National Museum of Racing enshrined six new members into the Hall of Fame.  In the afternoon, the track came alive with lucrative longshots and people watching.  Fasig-Tipton Company held the first of two evenings of yearling sales when twilight descended.  How much better can the sport entertain?Jockey Edgar ...

Some recent articles by propents of rival nicking systems have floated the idea that somehow programs that don't use a database of worldwide stakes winners, and don't consider true opportunity - in fact they admit they don't use opportunity at all - can be more accurate than the TrueNicks program that considers true opportunity, and utilizes the ...