The Europeans whipped our butts in the Breeders’ Cup and are superior to American horses: Winning 5 of 14 races does not constitute a butt-whipping. Granted, winning five of the 10 races in which they competed was impressive, but still not exactly a butt-whipping. Why shouldn’t the European horses win...
Now that the dust has settled on Zenyatta's marvelous Breeders' Cup win, I thought it would be a good time to catch up with her trainer, John Shirreffs, who is one of the nicer guys in racing. Admittedly, my motives were a bit self-serving, as I wanted to inquire about two of the hot-button topics surrounding...
Now that the Breeders' Cup is in our rearview mirror and it feels as though racing comes to a screeching halt for the rest of season, there is one topic that seems to be on everyone's mind: Horse of the Year. Curlin vs. Zenyatta. Who will it be? It's been less than a week since the Breeders' Cup ended...
So, will it be Curlin or Zenyatta for Horse of the Year? That is the question everyone – fans, writers, horsemen – either seem to be asking or are adamant about one way or the other. Obviously, a case can be made for either one. But I have to admit I am flabbergasted that not a single person I’m aware...
How does one even begin to comment on this year’s wild and crazy Breeders’ Cup? Pro-Ride form, the absence of any injuries, the filly phenomena, the European butt-whipping, Santa Anita, Horse of the Year, ESPN’s new camera shots? That’s just for starters. Before anything, I must say I cannot recall a...
What a great weekend of racing. We saw several outstanding performances, including three on Ladies Day Friday and many more on what will be now known as "European Saturday." Less than 24 hours after a very successful Breeders' Cup 25, here are a few thoughts and a breakdown of some of the standout races...
Juvenile Turf Take your pick. Morning-line favorite Bittel Road and second choice Coronet of a Baron have a slight edge on paper, but this is a wide-open contest. Bittel Road, trained by Todd Pletcher, is undefeated in three starts but his speed figures are nothing staggering compared to these. He'll...
By Alan Mann , Left at the Gate I know that Patrick would like to see Curlin disappear . That seems like wishful thinking to me. I believe that Curlin will win the Classic. Actually, he has to win. Forget the Euro horses just for a moment....and this is a field that the champ should handle without too...
By Patrick Patten, Handride Look, I'm on the fence too. I think Curlin is a horse for the decade: An absolute monster who has proven his mettle on more than one continent. He is a horse whose races will be watched years from now, both wins and losses. HOWEVER, I don't believe he's a lock in the Breeders...
Pro-Ride, Pro-Ride and more Pro-Ride. Considering it was installed only about two months ago and this will be the first Breeders' Cup held on a synthetic surface, it is all anyone here at Santa Anita is talking about. How will some of the traditional dirt horses handle the Pro-Ride? Will it even the...