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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Five years ago, a stoutly-bred colt named Commissioner tried to pull off a gate-to-wire upset in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. Entering the final furlong, he was 1 ½ lengths in front, and victory in the third jewel of the Triple Crown seemed all but ...

This is not merely the account of the agent. I have been texting with him and talking to him on the phone since January and following and chronicling every step of this, the ups and downs, as it happened. It is a behind the scenes look at a jockey and his agent's long arduous journey to the Derby and their pursuit of the Derby dream and ...

It had always been hard to believe that in the first 144 runnings of the Kentucky Derby (G1) there hadn’t been an incident on the track that was egregious enough to disqualify the winner. Derby first-place finisher Dancer’s Image’s testing positive for a prohibited substance—phenylbutazone (Bute)—and subsequent disqualification comes to mind, but ...

Several days have passed to allow the Kentucky Derby fiasco to sink in. We have had additional angles of the incident and a variety of opinions, some saying it was the right call and others saying it was a travesty. I guess that’s as far as it will go.I fully understand that some people are going to be outraged by the stewards’ decision and ...

After documenting the twists and turns of this year's Road to the Kentucky Derby, we'll take a break from writing about those events to answer the question on everyone's mind: Who do you like Saturday? The Derby of recent years reminds me more of the initial editions of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), where top horses with a few starts in ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Before I dive into my annual marathon analysis of the Kentucky Derby, I should probably admit that my handicapping confidence has waned considerably with the scratch of Omaha Beach. The morning line favorite was my clear choice to win the roses—as confident a Derby selection as any ...

We have seen the late defections of Kentucky Derby favorites and leading contenders before, but this was the most heartbreaking I can remember. It has created a major void in the race. But it is still the Derby and it is finally time to decipher all the clues we've been given, as puzzling as they may be. One thing is for sure, opinions are ...

It’s one of the best weeks of the year: the week before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Each year historical stories grow older, and are remembered more fondly. Each year the players (for the most part) get younger, each one burning to make a mark in one of the sport’s most important races. Railbirds on the backstretch in ...