Each year, I keep thinking there is no cure for Triple Crown trail withdrawal, and each year I am reminded that there is a cure, and it’s called Royal Ascot, which thankfully comes only 10 days after the Belmont Stakes. But, that poses a new problem. What is the cure for Royal Ascot withdrawal? That...

Racing didn't get a Triple Crown winner, but it got a compelling race in the Belmont Stakes. Union Rags was a deserving winner. He showed class and stamina rallying up the rail to beat Paynter by a neck. Union Rags was America's best two-year-old in 2011, and there is still an outside, remote shot he...

In his hauntingly melodic song, “Hallelujah,” Leonard Cohen wrote, “Baby I’ve been here before. I know this room, I’ve walked this floor.” Many of the 85,811 on hand at Belmont Park June 9 had been here before, familiar with every hallowed nook and cranny of this historic structure. They walked its floors...

Here's a quick follow-up to our pre-Belmont post on pace , where the take-home was that flatter pace lines do best in the 12-furlong classic. This year's race gave another example where the winner had the more consistent pace. Mike Smith wanted the lead with Paynter, but to get there they had to run...

Approaching the Belmont Stakes (gr. I)—the longest leg of the Triple Crown—why does it seem that those day-and-night distance questions we asked for every starter going into the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) are now pushed to the back burner? Now we focus more on the riders, and who has the experience to ride...

We taped That Handicapping Show this morning, and I selected Paynter as my key horse in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another clearly has proven to be the best of this crop. But for gambling purposes, I can't take 4-to-5 on a horse trying a new distance. Additionally, I'll Have Another could be worn...

The 1 ½-mile distance of the Belmont Stakes is the biggest wildcard of the American Triple Crown. These three-year-olds have never gone this far before, and most never will again. Very few American horses are bred to go 1 ½ miles, so a horse with 1 ½-mile blood in its family could hold a significant...

After 34 years and 11 failures, this is the year the Triple Crown will be conquered…right? It’s so close you can taste it. Unfortunately, the taste hasn’t lasted very long, quickly dissipating somewhere between the quarter pole and eighth pole of the 12-furlong Belmont Stakes (gr. I). Well, once again...

Welcome to the new handicapping blog on bloodhorse.com. As many of you probably know, Jason Shandler is leaving Blood-Horse. Jason did a great job of fostering a place for handicapping discussion on this website, and I am looking forward to sharing insights. I made my debut on That Handicapping Show...

Every several years, whenever a horse is attempting to sweep the Triple Crown, Billy Turner is summoned by the media to offer his take on the horse, the obstacles that stand in his way, and to reminisce about the great Seattle Slew, who under Turner’s guidance and expertise became racing’s only undefeated...