While Louisville and Churchill Downs remain quarantined—at least for another week as the backside is set to open May 11 with racing expected to resume May 16—Oaklawn Park’s 2020 season ended in a blaze...
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The scroll on ESPN's Sportscenter on the morning of May 3 had its priorities straight. The No. 1 horse racing story read: "Secretariat wins Virtual Kentucky Derby." Oh, yes, that was followed by story...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman After five weeks without a single Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race to occupy our interest, the Derby trail will resume on Saturday with two...
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With NBC televising a special on American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby on May 2 I thought it would be a good time to reprint one of my favorite columns that appeared in 2015. That was my last Kentucky Derby...
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In 2016 I wrote a story for BloodHorse documenting how 16 horses that registered clenbuterol positives following 18 starts in Florida in 2012-13 when trained by Kirk Ziadie enjoyed success they never registered...
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It was an odd road to the 2002 Kentucky Derby (G1) for the two Derby Dominators, Bob Baffert and Wayne Lukas. Baffert and Lukas had seen one Derby hopeful after another fall by the wayside. It seemed apparent...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman Happy New Year! The year has barely begun, but the Road to the Kentucky Derby is already off to a fast start. On New Year's Day, Independence Hall...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman The Road to the Kentucky Derby will take a couple of sharp turns on Saturday, December 7 when Aqueduct and Los Alamitos host the $200,000 Los Alamitos...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman When a handful of lightly-raced juveniles head to the Del Mar starting gate for Saturday's $100,00 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, racing fans...
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For a Bob Baffert-trained horse who will be the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, you would think that McKinzie would have a stronger fan base, especially considering Baffert won three consecutive...
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