You can attempt to actually answer these questions if you wish, but they’re meant to be rhetorical questions merely designed to inspire thought. 1-- When was the last time each of the first three finishers of the Preakness went into the race with 10 or more career starts? You’d probably have to go back...

(Originally published in the May 18, 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 Is this the year? Is this the one that will break the streak of near misses that has now stretched...

With this year's Kentucky Oaks and Derby come and gone, I'm left with a lot of memories in the form of photos that I'd like to share. In the past, I've provided lists of my top 10 favorite moments during Derby week, but this year, with so many to choose from, I thought I would give you a photo essay...

(Originally published in the May 11, 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 Trainer Shug McGaughey is pacing the shedrow of Barn 43. Fifteen dragging minutes to go before contenders...

When the field goes to the post for the 138th Preakness Stakes (gr. I), don’t be surprised if two of the participants, who could go off as the two top choices, begin gaping at each other, as two childhood playmates might do meeting years later. With horses at Pimlico sharing the same grazing area, the...

The day finally had arrived. Everything had gone perfectly for Orb and trainer Shug McGaughey. So perfectly in fact that one couldn’t help but feel there were forces guiding the colt every step of the way, from the early days this winter at Payson Park to his breakout performances in the Fountain of...

You want Derby works, boy do we have Derby works. A total of eight Derby horses had their final drills Saturday morning, many of them moved back a day due to the impending rain expected later today and tomorrow. Heading the day’s activity was the Todd Squad, which is made up of Verrazano, Revolutionary...

Kentucky Derby contender Goldencents walks off the van with Jack Sisterson (all photos Claire Novak) LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 27, 2013) -- Moving like a tremendous machine, Team O'Neill arrived at Churchill Downs around 1:20 p.m. on Friday afternoon. They were a year older, perhaps a year wiser, and a...

The charm of horse racing lies primarily in the animals that do it—their beauty, grace, power and their degree of class. But there is an undeniable attraction to the colorful human beings that make it happen. The purpose of this blog is to share my stories about some of these characters. My requisites...

(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...