BloodHorse.com

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 ...

One of California's leading stallion farms, River Edge, has become the latest to enroll its stallions on TrueNicks. River Edge Farm is home to three stallions: Benchmark (TrueNicks, SRO), Bertrando (TrueNicks, SRO), and Tribal Rule (TrueNicks, SRO). Benchmark, a son of Alydar, was a three-time grade II winner. He is sire of 19 stakes winners, ...

How many times have you heard the expression, “No one would have beaten him today?” Throughout history, there have been numerous horses who, for one or two races, turned in performances so extraordinary, you can’t imagine anyone beating them. Often, these horses were meant for great things, but were hampered by a variety of problems, such as ...

  It is not often that a horse wins a $1 million grade I race and people still walk away scratching their heads. Was it a good performance or not? It is a difficult question to answer. Then again, we should not have expected anything less. From the very start, everything about Big Brown seems to be complicated. On Sunday at Monmouth ...

It’s not only the thousands of fans that are missing each day from the racetrack that has Saratoga troubled.  That some Saratoga mainstays are missing persons is also a concern.Take Mitch at Large, for example. Horseplayers hitting hard times used to find humor in his vignettes on the track’s video messaging boards and closed circuit ...