#Bobby Frankel

A tour of Coolmore Stud in Fethard, County Tipperary is a wonderfully enriching experience for any Flat racing fan, the site being home to so many champions from years gone by. To drive the point home, simply check out the stud's roster for 2021 which counted 16 stallions and the winners of 44 Group/Grade 1 races between them. Of course, winning…

ONLY the true greats truly break the racing bubble. Frankie Dettori, Desert Orchid, AP McCoy, Lester Piggot all make the cut. And of course, the mighty Frankel. In tandem with his unequalled talent on the track, a run of 14 straight wins at the highest level in breathtaking fashion, Frankel was also credited with keeping his trainer Sir Henry Cecil…

According to Churchill Downs' Mike Battaglia's opening odds, thoroughbred contender Cyberknife is a 20-1 shot for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Even if he doesn't win, his owner deserves a bouquet of roses or at least a glass of champagne. You see, Al Gold had more important things on his mind when he named his Chestnut colt. The prostate cancer he…

Arguably the best horse ever to be trained in Hong Kong, Golden Sixty became a household name during the region's strict Covid lockdown period. J A McGrath traces his career ahead of his hat-trick attempt in Sunday's Hong Kong Mile, one of four Group 1 events at the annual HK International Races at Sha Tin Covid lockdown heroes were uncovered in…

Some outstanding turf distaffers have prevailed down the years in the GI Matriarch S., contested at Del Mar since the permanent closure of Hollywood Park in 2013. The late Bobby Frankel sent out the closely related Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) and Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill) to win in 2003 and 2004, respectively-after the race was shortened…

With Japan's top international race taking place at the weekend, Nicholas Godfrey looks at the task facing overseas runners in Tokyo - and traces the nation's emergence as a racing superpower One of the world's foremost international races takes place on Sunday [Nov 27] with the 42nd edition of the Japan Cup at Tokyo racecourse, the Japan Racing…

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,…

The encore to the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic was Ghostzapper's 2004 performance. The 1998 Classic was said to be the greatest field ever assembled. Then the 2004 race was said to be the best. November 5, 2022, we saw Flightline win with a hand ride to an 8 1/2 victory and that race and Flightline were called the best. So, who is the BC Classic…

The two-day spectacle of the Breeders' Cup World Championships is essentially a combination of Christmas and Super Bowl for the horse racing fan. With 14 championship deciding races and $26 million in purses on the line, there is something for everyone. Wagering successfully on the Breeders' Cup can be a daunting task. The marquee event draws the…

MEET THE MAN WHO RIDES FLIGHTLINE FOR A LIVING You're a true horseman when every time you see a quality horse you wonder'What would it be like to ride him.' The man to answer that question about Flightline, this Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic favorite, is Juan Leyva, assistant trainer to John Sadler and exercise rider for Flightline. "He's not like…

Churchill Downs is using a tiered points system based on 34 races to determine how horses earn their way into the May 3 Kentucky Derby if more than 20 are entered. Saturday's races are the last two offering a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers. • Points leaders: 150 - California Chrome; 120 - Vicar's in Trouble; 102 - Wicked Strong; 100 -…