In late December, I walked into one of my neighborhood liquor stores, the Brooklyn Wine Exchange, seeking a bottle of bourbon to give some friends for Christmas. They love bourbon. I love bourbon. I cover horse racing, and they love the sport, so when my eyes fell on a bottle with a racehorse on the label,…
Keeneland: The GIII, $200,000 Lexington at 1 1/16 miles(Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 20–8-4-2) by Brian Nadeau While the Lexington has lost some luster in recent years, this year’s renewal could be the gateway to the Kentucky Derby for more than a few who are perilously close to the points bubble and looking to get over the hump. While today’s…
Oaklawn Park: The GI, $1 million Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Improbable (8-5): The favorite was run down late by fellow rival Long Range Toddy in his return in the slower (by only .07) split division of the local prep, the GII Rebel last month, and will be…
During the week before the Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park is used to being the center of attention. The Grade 1 Kentucky Derby prep is one of the key dates on the national racing calendar, and one of the two biggest days at the Hallandale track. Usually, the attention of the turf media is turned squarely…
New Yorker Mike Repole arrived at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, April 6, with an entourage of 50 friends and family members. He had horses entered in each of the last five races, four of them in stakes. Standing in the winner’s circle after Life’s a Parlay, co-owned by Repole and St. Elias Stable, won the Grade 3 Excelsior,…
Tacitus may be named for a Roman historian that one encyclopedia calls “the greatest prose stylists who ever wrote in the Latin language,” but it took more grit and guts than elegance to win the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack. Breaking from post 2 under José Ortiz, Tacitus was one of many horses…
Santa Anita: The GI, $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Roadster (5-2): The first of two from Baffert looked good winning his comeback here last month, when he settled just off the early pace in an optional-claimer and drew off late, in what…
Keeneland: The GII, $1 million Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Somelikeithotbrown (10-1): Turf/Poly specialist has been a terror for Maker since a no-show debut sprinting in the slop at Saratoga and will now try to take his graded stakes form to real stuff in the hopes of qualifying…
Aqueduct: The GII, $750,000 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Tax (9-2): The 3-year-old version of Rodney Dangerfield has gotten little respect on the Triple Crown Trail this year but has done nothing but impress—and run fast—in his two starts since being claimed by Gargan, which…
As John McConnell walked out to the track at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, March 30, following the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile, he looked almost stunned. Grabbing the shank from exercise rider Nick Bush, he walked homebred Prince Lucky in a circle, then headed towards the winner’s circle, where his father Daniel was waiting. McConnell fils shouldn’t…
Brooklyn Backstretch 