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By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY BALTIMORE — When jockey Kent Desormeaux and undefeated Big Brown spring into action in the 133rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday, their bid to move to within one win of a Triple Crown will be accompanied by a rush of sights and sounds. The jockeys' bright, shimmering silks will form a montage of colors after the starting ...

Twelve contenders will go to the post for the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Let's see how they're rated by TrueNicks. A++ BIG BROWN (Boundary - Mein, by Nureyev) - Went into the history books by winning the Derby on only his fourth start, but is also there as one of the most closely inbred Derby winners of all time: with Northern Dancer 3 x ...

By Joe Drape, NYTimes.com Rick Dutrow doesn’t mince words. “I think that it’s our race to lose,” Dutrow said. “I think that he is the best horse in the race and I think if he breaks with the field, he’ll win the race.” He also is right. I’m rooting for Big Brown to pull into Belmont with a shot at a Triple Crown and immortality. Still, there ...

[image url=''http://cdn.bloodhorse.com/images/content/jsquires_large.jpg'']Jim Squires[/image] Jim Squires is the breeder of five graded stakes winners, including Monarchos, winner of the 2001 Kentucky Derby. He is an owner of Two Bucks Farm, Versailles, Kentucky and manager of Two Bucks Stable, which has 8 horses in training. In a previous life ...

Just last week we commented on the ''deadly duo'' of Kingmambo and Sadler's Wells mares and the success that this nick has had, despite the fact that these two stallions stood in separate countries. On the weekend there was another example of a potential ''mega-nick,'' this one certain to be tried an awful lot more given that it is one for the ...

  First, let me begin by saying there are no sure things in horse racing. We'll all been around long enough to know this. The most overused phrase in handicapping is undoubtedly, ''He's a lock.'' If somebody tells you this, walk the other way. With that being said, if Big Brown should lose the Preakness, I would be shocked. He is just too ...

Looking through some recent results, we noticed that another nicking program had rated Elite Squadron - who took the May 3 Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II) - as an A++ nick. A cross check with TrueNicks revealed that Elite Squadron is rated D. Naturally, we wondered what could have caused such a discrepancy. A little research revealed that Elite ...

  The recent breakdowns of horses in high-profile races have raised questions about the soundness of the Thoroughbred. How many breeders consider soundness to be an important actor when planning the matings for their horses? Apparently, not many. Here's what prominent equine surgeon Larry Bramlage had to say about the situation: ''We ...

The start of the week brought the double-whammy news that both Sadler's Wells (pedigree) and Storm Cat (on SRO) (pedigree) were pensioned. It would be hard to overstate the impact that these two Northern Dancer-line studs have had, both in their respective homes and worldwide. Read more about Sadler's Wells' retirement here.  View the ...

 It is what we owners and breeders fear the most. A call from a farm employee, trainer, or vet with that oddly familiar, awkward tone foretelling the bad news we have lost one of our horses. Or, perhaps even worse, in the moment of excitement and anticipation of competition, one of our horses goes down on the track or falls ...