Thanks to everyone who signed up and pledged a donation in this weird, abbreviated, slimmed-down version of the Road to the Roses this year. We’ve got 13 players and about $500 in pledges, so a lucky racing charity is going to get a nice donation next month. Below are the standings, offered with condolences to…
Gabby Gaudet grew up almost literally on the racetrack. Her father, Eddie, trained horses in Maryland for more than 50 years; her mother, Linda, has saddled her own horses since 1996 and has 11 top-three finishes from 17 starts this year; and her sister Lacey started training in 2007. Until eighth grade, Linda home-schooled Lacey…
When the undefeated three-year-old colt Verrazano won the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York, on Saturday, he also earned the chance to make history in next month’s Kentucky Derby. Verrazano made his first career start on New Year’s Day, winning at Florida’s Gulfstream Park by nearly eight lengths, and in…
Last Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, Kentucky-bred Animal Kingdom, winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby, ended three years of United States futility in the world’s richest horse race. Inaugurated in 1996, the Dubai World Cup had been won 9 times in 14 years by horses based in the United States, all when the race…
Santa Anita: The GI, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles #1 Flashback: Highly touted Baffert runner won the battle but lost the war when he dueled through suicidal fractions with fellow rival Goldencents and succumbed late in the local prep, the GII San Felipe in March. and will need to settle a bit…
Aqueduct: The GI, $1 million Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles #1 Chrisandthecapper: Late addition to the field is clearly overmatched and is an easy toss, but oddly, he might hold the key to the race, as he could project as the speed of the race and the one to keep heavy favorite Verrazano honest…
I’ve been contacted by a few people who didn’t quite get their stables in by yesterday’s deadline but who would still like to submit a stable for a chance to win a donation to the racing charity of their choice. So, even though you had to have your Road to the Roses stable done by…
Gulfstream Park: The GI, $1 million Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles #1 Shanghai Bobby: The reigning 2yo champ enters off a two-month break after suffering his first career defeat when second to fellow rival Itsmyluckyday in the local GIII Holy Bull and will try to prove he’s got the stamina to be a top…
Fair Grounds: The GII, $1 million Louisiana Derby at 1 1/8 miles #1 Hip Four Sixtynine: Recent MSW winner going six furlongs over the track looked like a new horse with blinkers removed, but steps way up and seems completely overmatched in this deep GII. Stretch runner was a well-beaten fifth in his lone route…
The inaugural Dubai World Cup was held in 1996 at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. Worth $5 million, the race was won by the U.S. horse Cigar, contributing to his retirement later that year as the leading money earner among U.S. Thoroughbreds. In a four-year career, he raced 33 times and…
Brooklyn Backstretch 