(Originally published in the April 23, 2013 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine . Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column. ) By Eric Mitchell - @BH_EMitchell on Twitter The Road to the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) points system seems to have survived its inaugural year without...

At Aqueduct recently, it was suggested by Jim Gluckson of the NTRA/Breeders' Cup that I reprint a column I wrote several years ago on Jim French. He reminded me that this is the 40th anniversary of his remarkable and unprecedented Triple Crown campaign. With the majority of top Derby contenders having...

This isn't the Kentucky Derby, this is the Breeders' Cup . Last year at the Breeders' Cup Stable Boy and I were able to push out track-side video in real time, through my blog. At the same time, I was tweeting live from the gap at Santa Anita. Observing the horses coming on and off the track. As well...

If you have not read Steve Haskin's Derby Dozen for this week, be sure to do so. Why you ask? Because his number one pick is a MaidenWatch horse (by Saint Liam) and he is trained by Bruce Levine, I am good friends with Bruce's niece. Say hello to Buddys Saint . This blog is actually about several of...

Steve Haskin's Look Back at the Decade Editors of The Blood-Horse challenged senior correspondent Steve Haskin to fill in the blanks on several “best of” lists for the decade of 2000-2009. While several of them appear in the Dec. 26/Jan. 2 combined issue of the magazine (mailing on Dec. 29), there wasn...

As the year winds down, a few closing thoughts on gifts given this year that will continue to bring a smile to my face as long as I live. Feel free to share favorite memories, but please leave your HOY and HOD arguments at home. I want to hear races, from Maiden Claiming to Foreign Allowance races to...

Jockeys 2.3 Here is a quick review of the show and I would like to hear feedback of what you thought of the newest episode. How about the Dubai World Cup? The entire story surrounding Aaron Gryder and his attempt to win the Dubai World Cup was very captivating. The story included his family, the incredible...

(Originally published in the July 11, 2009 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine . Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column. ) In the midst of a stinging defeat for expanded gaming in Kentucky, it was discovered that people will still attend a racetrack - without slots...

Should it really be a surprise that Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)? Mine That Bird's Grandsire, Grindstone, won the 1996 Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird raced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and his connections mentioned some good points in their post Kentucky Derby...

Being in the industry for a year and a half now, there is one thing I know. We need to engage younger people and bring in more fans to this wonderful sport. Though I feel the Breeders' Cup fell short in their advertising efforts for such a huge event, the coverage was great. The spike in national, and...