Fair Grounds: The GII, $400,000 Risen Star at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) by Brian Nadeau Brian handicaps at Capital OTB and Horseplayer Now, and he’ll offer analysis and selections of Derby points races, hoping to make us all a little money as we head to the Belmont Stakes. Here’s his analysis of…
YEAR TWELVE! TWELVE! When we launched this in 2009, we were able to donate several hundred years to a racing charity. Last year? More than $2,700. Since that first contest, nearly $13,300. That’s a lot of money to benefit the horses and humans that make this sport possible, and you don’t have to be an…
Tampa Bay Downs: The GIII, $250,000 Sam F. Davis at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau Brian handicaps at Capital OTB and Horseplayer Now, and he’ll offer analysis and selections of Derby points races, hoping to make us all a little money as we head to the Belmont Stakes. Follow him on…
Gulfstream Park: The GIII, $250,000 Holy Bull at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau #1 Toledo (7-2): Juddmonte homebred brought a big reputation to his AOC here in December but was flat early and made little impact late when second behind the surprising Ete Indien, who he meets again today,…
Aqueduct: The GIII, $250,000 Withers at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau #1 Mr. Shortandsimple (30-1): Huge longshot is one of several in here with speed, and this draw kind of forces his hand early, so while you have to respect Rodriguez, this son of Pioneerof the Nile won’t be…
Santa Anita: The GIII, $100,000 Robert Lewis at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau Early Santa Anita Derby prospects are on display in the Robert Lewis, which offers an early season two-turn test for a six-pack of runners, with more than a few trying to show they belong with the…
I couldn’t be happier that Brian Nadeau is back at Brooklyn Backstretch for year 11 to take us through this year’s road to the Triple Crown. In a few weeks, we’ll kick off our annual contest to raise money for racing non-profits. Stay tuned… Brian handicaps at Capital OTB and Horseplayer Now, and he’ll offer…
It wouldn’t be hard to compile a list of 2019 racing regrets and recriminations. It wouldn’t be hard to catalogue criticisms of the industry, not after a year in which Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. found itself in the public eye for all the wrong reasons: equine fatalities, trainers paying millions in restitution for financial…
In 2011, Joe Dietrick made his annual trip to Saratoga Race Course from his home in northeast Pennsylvania. He’s come here for decades, and when he was younger, he’d park his mobile home in Saratoga for the whole meet. On that day in 2011, Dietrick was with his son Jon and two grandsons. John Velazquez…
Saratogians are proud of the Travers Stakes. Most of the thousands of fans who show up every year probably don’t know that the race was first run in 1864, or that it was named for one of the men who established Saratoga Race Course; they do know that the day of the Travers is something…
