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In June of this year, Catholic Boy was winning the Pennine Ridge Stakes on grass at Belmont Park and 17 days later we watched Yoshida run his tail off to be beaten 1 1/4 lengths in the 15-horse Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot following his victory in the Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. If there was an exacta future book wager ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The recent announcement that the two-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) winner Enable will travel to Churchill Downs to contest the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) has caused quite a stir among handicappers and racing fans. Enable's brilliant form in Europe ensures that she'll start as ...

Like most of his progeny, Kitten’s Joy is making a sustained late run, showing his best turn of foot nearing the wire. This race is the contest for 2018’s top North American sire, and Kitten’s Joy has overcome a fast early start from the competition to open a short lead; however, the ultimate order of finish is still very much up in the air. The ...

It is difficult to put into words the emotions one feels when visiting a gravestone. From that slab of granite or stone comes a flood of memories, as if the deceased is right there with you, recalling all the special memories that were shared.I am not equating the gravestone of a horse to that of a human being, but sometimes the memories are just ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The last of the ''Win and You're In'' prep races have been run and just three weeks remain until the 2018 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs. With that in mind, now seems like as good a time as any to take an early look at each of the fourteen races and start ...

It only took 1:47.25 to get Keeneland’s fall meet off to a rousing start Oct. 5. The first race, a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds on a turf course softened by torrential rains the night before, was taken by 15-1 shot Pico Entry. A half brother to Keeneland grade 1-placed Cherry Wine, the son of Point of Entry was bred by and is raced by ...

In the spring of 1969, a magical seed was planted in the equine garden known as The Meadow, located in Caroline County, Va., just north of Richmond. From that seed the following spring would sprout a legendary creature who would one day transcend the Sport of Kings and forever alter the course of racing history. But the harsh winds of 30 ...

Looking for something new in a jam-packed weekend of stakes races, many of which serve as key steppingstones to the Breeders' Cup World Championships? The three North American Breeders' Cup Challenge races to the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs will be contested this weekend at Santa Anita Park, Belmont ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman It's not often that I make a Friday race the focus of my weekly Unlocking Winners analysis, but then again, not every Friday features the opening of the much-anticipated Keeneland fall meet, and even fewer Fridays happen to feature my best play of the week. So that's why, after much ...

When a championship-defining race has been run 99 times, we expect there to be magical moments. The Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), run for the 100th time Sept. 29, might not have looked like a vintage renewal on paper, but the race gave us a run for our money, stirring memories of Gold Cups past. Despite being purely an “American” race, this ...