We’ve finally come to the end of the road. The Triple Crown trail, that is. The Belmont Stakes and one lap around the glorious main track of Belmont Park. There’s no Triple Crown on the line this year, no big bonus for the winner and no exciting rematch between the Derby winner Mine That Bird…
Arguably the most important one-turn race in the U.S., the Met Mile has brought us some spectacular Memorial Day performances over the years. From Holy Bull and Honour And Glory as 3-year-olds to Ghostzapper’s remarkable comeback run as a 5-year-old, the race tests the stamina of a sprinter and the versatility of a router. While…
He’s baaaa-aaaack! Brian Nadeau returns to Brooklyn Backstretch for a look at the Preakness. There’s really no reason to beat around the bush, so let’s get right into it…what a Preakness lined up for Saturday! As if the improbable Derby winner Mine That Bird wasn’t enough, we have the super filly Rachel Alexandra to boot.…
Well, by now we all know what happened in Saturday’s 135th Kentucky Derby. Or at least we all know what we saw. I think it’s fair to ask if we’ll ever know what really happened on Saturday. To briefly recap, the unheralded Mine That Bird took the racing world and 18 of the best 3-year-olds…
We’ve finally come to the end of the line after three long months. The field for the 135th Kentucky Derby has been drawn and all that’s left is to spring the latch. I think we’ve covered the field from every standpoint possible so let’s take a look how the race might be run and then…
You didn’t really think only 19 would line up, did you? Of course not! Ever the sportsman, Nick Zito threw Nowhere To Hide into the mix at the last minute and we have a full field of 20 in the starting gate. Personally, I think post positions in the Derby are highly overrated, with some…
Our third and final installment takes a look at the remainder of the field. The Tuesday morning scratch of Square Eddie and the decision not to run Take The Points left the door open for Join In The Dance and Atomic Rain, and both should have a big impact on the race. –Brian Win Willy…
Part two of our installment was supposed to start with Quality Road, who would have vied for favoritism on Saturday. Sadly, he was declared from the Derby Monday morning as the result of a quarter crack. Let’s continue at our look and hope we see the classy son of Elusive Quality soon. –Brian General Quarters…
We made it through the winter and the spring preps, so now it’s time to look over the prospective field for the 135th Kentucky Derby. Entries will be taken Wednesday afternoon, but it’s never too early to get a look at the runners, their background, and the good and bad aspects they bring to the…
The Lexington Recap, by Brian NadeauThe Polytrack surface has long reminded everyone–horsemen and horse players alike–of a turf course, and adhering to that theme, WinStar Farm’s Advice made the last run a winning one in the final prep before the May 2 Kentucky Derby. With Garrett Gomez aboard, Advice sat in last of the 11-horse…
Brooklyn Backstretch 