According to the Maryland Jockey Club’s logo for the feature race at Pimlico this Saturday, this year is Preakness 143. That would mean that the first edition of the race was run in 1873, when Survivor won it. (1918 counts twice, because there were two divisions that year.) If you go by the June 3,…
It all started with a bunch of Google alerts. “We started seeing notifications for Audible popping up in our newsfeed, and we went, ‘Wait, this isn’t about us. This is about a horse,’” said John Harrobin, senior vice president of marketing at Audible the audiobook company. Audible the horse began to get national attention in…
She’s got a team in the second round of the NBA playoffs and a horse in the Kentucky Derby. It’s a good thing that Gayle Benson doesn’t need a lot of sleep. She’s just returned from watching her New Orleans Pelicans go down 0-2 to the Golden State Warriors, traveling between San Francisco and Oakland…
Churchill Downs: The GI, $2 million Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles #1 Firenze Fire (50-1): Arguably the longest shot in the field danced every dance this winter in New York with the sole purpose of accumulating qualifying points to get into the gate in Louisville, and while the mission was accomplished, it doesn’t mean…
Keeneland: The $200,000 GIII Lexington at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 20-8-4-2 While the Lexington has lost a lot of luster in recent years, it gets a bit back today as it’s been moved to three weeks out from the Kentucky Derby, is now worth 20 points to the winner, and has lured…
Oaklawn Park: The $1 million GI Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Beautiful Shot (30-1): Huge longshot enters off a complete no-show in his seasonal debut in a weak renewal of Aqueduct’s GIII Gotham and once again gets thrown in the deep end in what is shaping up as…
Santa Anita: The $1 million GI Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau You can also check out Brian’s analysis of the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass. #1 Instilled Regard (5-1): Fair Grounds’ GIII Lecomte winner was exposed a bit in their GII Risen Star when…
Keeneland: The $1 million GII Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau You can also check out Brian’s analysis of the Wood Memorial and the Santa Anita Derby. #1 Zing Zang (30-1): Deep, deep closer heads north in a last-chance effort to make the Kentucky Derby after failing…
Aqueduct: The $750,000 GII Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau Also check out Brian’s analysis of the Blue Grass and the Santa Anita Derby. #1 Heartfullofstars (20-1): Santa Anita invader was all-out to win a restricted MSW last time after dueling on the lead through fast fractions…
Meydan: The $2 million GII UAE Derby at about 1 3/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) Like it or not, a race some 7,393 miles away from Churchill Downs could very likely send two horses to the Kentucky Derby, and with Coolmore’s #4 MENDELSSOHN and Godolphin’s #5 GOLD TOWN (GB) having designs on the…
Brooklyn Backstretch 