The sport of Thoroughbred racing puts on its best show on the first Saturday in May. While the weather might not have cooperated with those in Louisville during the week, the atmosphere was electric, the...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman The stage is set. The horses are ready. The question is, are the handicappers ready? The 143 rd running of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) is the culmination...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman One of the most important factors to consider when handicapping the Kentucky Derby is the pace of the race. Correctly determining how fast or slow...
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The major preps are over. Now the anticipation begins. Time to call the car rental office and reserve a car, hoping it drives well enough to make the 11 1/2-hour trek to Louisville somewhere between tolerable...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman As one of the last grade I races for older horses left to be run in 2016, the $500,000 Clark Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs has drawn a remarkably...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman Handicapping races with odds-on favorites is never an easy task, especially when you're doing it a couple of days in advance. It's a careful balancing...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman The $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) would be a great race no matter when it's run, but coming one week after the Belmont Stakes and the...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman The preparations began months ago, when the two-year-old racing began at Saratoga and Del Mar. Since then, I have watched hundreds of races and...
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By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman Anyone that has ever played the trifecta or superfecta in the Kentucky Derby knows that finding live longshots is the key to hitting those bets...
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Although I have covered my last Kentucky Derby and very well may have gazed upon the Twin Spires for the final time, the Run for the Roses still encompasses a great deal of my life through the Derby Dozen...
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