#A.P. Indy

Making the Grade, which will run through the 2019 Belmont Stakes, focuses on the winners or top performers of the key races, usually from the previous weekend, who could impact the Triple Crown. We'll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner,…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Jockey John Velazquez, riding Authentic, celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday. Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The Breeders' Cup World Championships, just as they were designed to do, nicely wrapped up some issues for the 2020 racing season, including the "Horse of the…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

There is a risk-reward element to betting races with 2-year-olds, and especially 2-year-old fillies, that makes them at times frustrating but also very appealing when looking for a nice score. Juvenile races feature mostly lightly raced runners capable of showing significant improvement, either by the natural maturation process or a light-bulb…

The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday in Elmont, N.Y., with Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike returning after sitting out the Preakness. At 80-1, Rich Strike was the second-biggest long shot winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby. Although he didn't run in the Preakness, there was a Rich Strike effect. Fenwick opened…

After winning the Belmont Stakes with Sarava in 2002, trainer Kenny McPeek did not have a top-three finisher in the race again until Atigun a decade later. The 59-year-old is hoping a 10-year span is a charm again when Creative Minister runs in the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Listed at 6-1 in the 2022 Belmont Stakes odds, Creative Minister is…

Making the 33rd start of her career, her 19th in the last two years and ninth of her 5-year-old season, Lothenbach Stables' She Can't Sing (Bernardini) may just be better than ever and earned an extremely valuable first victory at the graded level in the GIII Chilukki S. as the sun began to set on Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon. A highly…

In the latest chapter of his widely acclaimed series recalling his personal favorites, Jay Hovdey tells the story of an unsung hero who ran in four different races in four years at the Breeders' Cup Let's hear it for the unsung heroes. The anonymous donor. The unnamed benefactor. The Good Samaritan who was first to help at the scene of the crash,…

Nest takes a shot against males in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher, a man who has won this race with the filly Rags to Riches in 2007. Even though Nest belongs in the Belmont, choosing the filly requires faith that the 1 1/2 miles elevates her to a new level. On previous form alone in normal route races, Nest…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Sconsin Returns in Sunday's Dream Supreme Stakes (Sconsin / Photos by Coady Photography) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Lloyd Madison Farm's growing broodmare band will add another member to their roster with their homebred Sconsin, who has a date with 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in a few months. The…

Our #Pedigeek "Term of the Week" is: Homebred Race 2 Saturday at Saratoga Race Course actually features a prior pedigree play, Powerful, whose pedigree reflects affinity. This Steve Asmussen trainee proved the angle to be an honest one, even if he had to settle for coming up a head short in the end on debut. Powerful should only be better with the…

Tiz the Bomb earned a spot in the 2022 Kentucky Derby starting gate following a 2 1/4-length victory in the Jeff RubySteaks (G3) over Turfway's Tapeta track on Saturday. Hecompleted 1 1/8 miles in a strong 1:48.60, getting his final furlong in 12.71 seconds. Before Tiz the Bomb's victory in the Jeff Ruby, trainer KenMcPeek had provisional plans to…

Our #Pedigeek "Term of the Week" is: AFFINITY Wow, the sixth race at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday is a salty one. You could make an argument for every entry. It was extremely hard to narrow the field down to just one horse to feature in this article. Full Moon Madness is out of the precocious By the Moon, a multiple Grade 1 winner who won her…

ELMONT, NY - The kid from Queens got his GI Belmont Stakes. Carrying the royal blue-and-orange, New York Mets-inspired silks of Middle Village native Mike Repole, Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) delivered an authoritative, three-length victory as the 5-2 favorite before an announced crowd of 46103 in Saturday's GI Belmont…

Breeding is a very important part of the thoroughbred industry. The commercial breeding industry focuses primarily on the male line of the pedigree. This is because mares can only produce one offspring per year, whereas a single stallion can breed to hundreds of mares. Stallion managers need to advertise in order to get attention for their breeding…

Shadwell Stable's champion Malathaat roared past champion Letruska at the top of the stretch and drew clear by 5¼ lengths to win the 67 running of the $600000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Malathaat covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:51.05. The…

It becomes a process of elimination, doesn't it? It is less about what horse will win Saturday's Belmont Stakes as which ones will not. Even in a year when the Kentucky Derby winner(s) will not be seen again until the summer, it is entirely possible to use 10 recent and longer lasting trends and practices to boil down the betting possibilities. 1.…

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Shadwell Stable's champion Malathaat roared past champion Letruska at the top of the stretch and drew clear by 5¼ lengths to win the 67 running of the $600000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Malathaat covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track…

Nest tuned up for her engagement in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland next month with an effortless victory in the GII Beldame S. at Aqueduct Sunday. Making her first start against her elders, the 1-9 favorite broke well from her inside post and was on the lead in the early strides before allowing Travel Column (Frosted) to take over…

The most unusual Triple Crown horse racing season in history will finally continue Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:01 p.m. ET post time, NBC) with the 2020 Kentucky Derby. The first jewel was postponed from the first Saturday in May, which now makes it the second jewel. Tiz The Law, which cruised to victory at the Belmont Stakes on June 20 and followed that…

A total of nine Grade 1 races highlight this weekend's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Elmont, N.Y., with one Friday and eight on Saturday's blockbuster card. Though the field sizes may leave something to be desired, there is no shortage of stars lined up to show off for horse racing fans. Among the top matchups is that of the Met Mile, featuring…

Handicapping horses by analyzing pedigree can be a helpful tool to identify which runners are suited to particular race conditions. And sire statistics are some of the most useful pedigree tools to utilize. Since top Thoroughbred stallions sire hundreds of foals each year, there is a lot of data to draw from. Distill that data into handy…

Kitodan, claimed for $80000 just four starts ago, flew home from out of the clouds to pull the 20-1 upset in the GIII Dueling Grounds Derby on Kentucky Downs's rescheduled card Monday. The bay colt settled near the back of the 12-horse field and was well off the pace as Double Clutch (Optimizer) bowled along on the front end through pedestrian…

Change. Sometimes we fear it, and sometimes we embrace it. President Bill Clinton once said that "the price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change." Few major races have had as much change in their history as the Jockey Club Gold Cup. One of those changes began last year with the race moving to the final weekend of the…

Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports Final Triple Crown race of the season is run at Belmont Park this weekend, as the Belmont Stakes is contested We The People and Mo Donegal joint favorites in the betting to win the Belmont Stakes It has been a fascinating year of Triple Crown action in the U.S. Rich Strike's win in the Kentucky Derby will live long in…