Santa Anita: The Grade III, $150,000 Robert Lewis at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) #1 Ayacara (GB) (8-1): Son of Violence goes for the Desormeaux brothers and makes his first start on the dirt since a distant fourth behind Bold d’Oro’s freakish effort in the track and distance GI FrontRunner in October,…
They don’t call him Big Money Mike for nothing. Of the 13 Grade 1 races that will be run this weekend in the Breeders’ Cup, Mike Smith is named on nine of them, three of them favorites. But no matter how he does, even if he goes winless, his Breeders’ Cup records are secure: 126…
A look at Benner Island‘s past performances might suggest the filly entered in Saturday’s Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park is due for a loss. After all, she won last out in the Eight Belles (G2) at Churchill Downs in May, and following each of her two previous wins, she’s slumped a bit before returning…
Brian Nadeau is back this year to offer insight and analysis on this year’s road to the Kentucky Derby. A handicapper at Horseplayer Now and Capital OTB, he’ll analyze every official Derby points race and the three Triple Crown races, back at Brooklyn Backstretch for the sixth year. Gulfstream Park: The Grade II, $400,000 Fountain of…
Brian Nadeau is back this year to offer insight and analysis on this year’s road to the Kentucky Derby. A handicapper at Horseplayer Now and Capital OTB, he’ll analyze every official Derby points race and the three Triple Crown races, back at Brooklyn Backstretch for the sixth year. Oaklawn Park: The Grade III, $500,000 Southwest at…
Golden Gate Fields: The GIII, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) While synthetic racing has gone out of favor in recent years, Golden Gate’s featured event has lured a pair of legitimate dirt horses looking to get some ever-important Kentucky Derby qualifying points, in #3 ANN ARBOR EDDIE and…
On Saturday afternoon at a little racetrack just outside Philadelphia, the top three finishers from this year’s Kentucky Derby will meet, for the third time this year. In some racing circles, Parx Racing — the name of that little track — is more often derided than praised, not least of all for the name it…
