(Originally published in the February 9, 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 Thirty points. Under Churchill Downs’ new points system, 30 points is expected to be the minimum...

1 Violence Todd Pletcher Medaglia d’Oro —Violent Beauty, by Gone West Resisting the temptation to replace him on top with one of the brilliant winners from this past weekend. Can’t forget the fact that he won his career debut in 1:22 4/5 at Spa and then won the Nashua in 1:35 1/5, so he’s pretty fast...

Jockey Erik McKneil couldn't believe Texas Bling upset Remington Park's Springboard Mile at odds of 128-1 (Dustin Orona Photography) They say everything is bigger in Texas, and if that's the case it is easy to imagine that the heart of a Thoroughbred named Texas Bling is biggest of all 3-year-olds competing...

The Kentucky Derby graded earnings system is gone, thank goodness. No more one-time 2-year-old hotshots getting a free pass and riding the gravy train all the way to Louisville. Those lucrative 2-year-old races no longer will get you a starting berth in the Derby, although we feel some tweaking is needed...

1 Violence Todd Pletcher Medaglia d’Oro —Violent Beauty, by Gone West Have to stick with him for the time being. Cannot find any flaws in his record, running style, attitude, and pedigree. He’s got it all, and until they beat him he has to be considered top dog. And he is a grand-looking colt. Fountain...

Not everything on the Derby trail is what it seems. There are so many twists and turns it is often futile to plot a course and expect every step to go as planned. This applies to everyone, not just trainers and owners. So, when all the “experts” say a horse can’t go a mile and a quarter or is too slow...

New Year’s Day has come and gone and that means the race for the Kentucky Derby has begun. Some are ready to become immersed in it, while others aren’t quite ready to smell the roses and taste the mint juleps this early in the year. But regardless of whether you’re ready or not, the long, arduous journey...

At year's end we typically see many of our favorite stars move into retirement or second careers. Inspite of the many fan favorites and talented athletes who have left the track, one thing remains...their finishes. Let's remember and celebrate our many athletes by looking back at some of the hair raising...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- We form attachments writing about racehorses, as much as some of us try to deny it. Admiration of the Thoroughbred is, after all, part of why turf writers do what we do. The best and worst parts of our job revolve around the campaigns of these runners and our coverage of them. We get...

By Michele MacDonald It is not an exaggeration to say that no Thoroughbred stallion has ever lived a life like 2002 champion and dual classic winner War Emblem . From demonstrating he was one of the sharpest runners of the past decade with victories in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes...