#Gary Stevens

As times change, even a two-time Triple Crown-winning, Hall of Fame trainer has to adjust. In an era when horses are racing less and less, Bob Baffert looks like he is not only ahead of the curve, but he is leading the vanguard. This goes way beyond what he did with Justify in a gaudy, 112-day dash from apprenticeship to retirement. Very quietly,…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A lost coin toss. A failed mating. Terrible post-position draws to the extreme inside or outside in a 20-horse field. Sudden weather changes that turn an already-quirky dirt surface into goo, leading some thoroughbreds to skip over it while others trudge home. As fans await the 143rd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, history suggests…

Three-year-old dirt fillies get one last chance to compete at the top level against their own age and sex in the $300000 La Brea Stakes (G1), which runs Monday, December 26 at Santa Anita! The race drew a field of eight, four of whom are already graded winners and four who seek those honors for the first time in their career. The field is led by…

Top contenders for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby are listed in order of preference, with comments provided by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. Churchill Downs has adopted a points system to determine the Derby field, with points being earned by the top four finishers in designated prep races. The odds are from the…

The date: Thursday June 20, 2013. The place: Ascot. Royal Ascot, to be precise. A four-year-old filly called Estimate, ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, powers past ColourVision in the final furlong and holds off the late challenges of Simenon and Top Trip to land the Gold Cup in a pulsating finish. The cheers of the 62000…

A former film student, Mary Dixon Reynolds, lists her top-rated horse racing films and documentaries. 1983 Before there were Winx and Black Caviar, Australians were transfixed by a big chestnut horse named Phar Lap. The horse reigned during the 1930s depression and gave the nation something its pride. Trainer Harry Telford, played beautifully by…

When handling a top thoroughbred racehorse in excess of 1000 pounds, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens often remained acutely aware of a mechanical issue in the starting gate that could imperil the safety of the riders. Now, working as an analyst with Saratoga Live for the famed Saratoga Race Course summer meet, Stevens reacted with incredulity on…

Some people love a horror movie, others a romance, many like a comedy or maybe a crime thriller floats the boat and rocks the cradle of others. But regardless of the genre, racing fans can rarely turn down a film where the star is a horse. Factual, fanciful and even the outright absurd, if the sport of kings or horse racing betting is the theme,…

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gun Runner will start from one of the outside posts in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup Invitational, a less-than-ideal situation even for the top horse in the sport right now. Then again, at least he'll be out there. Gun Runner's connections wanted him in the inaugural edition of the Pegasus a year ago, only to have their…

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 TVG.com Haskell Invitational has emerged as a summer fixture at the Jersey Shore and beyond, with a $1 million purse, Grade 1 stature and a national television audience on NBC for the 52nd running on Saturday, July 20, 2019. Its namesake, Amory L. Haskell, played a prominent role in amending the state constitution after World War II to legalize…

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday he planned running standout filly Secret Oath against the boys in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 2 at Oaklawn Park. Lukas broke the news to retired Hall of Fame jockey and current jockey agent Gary Stevens late Saturday on Fox Sports' America's Day at the Races telecast. When you dig deeper, the…

The Randox Grand National takes centre stage on the third and final day of the Aintree Festival - and what a race we have in store. The world's greatest steeplechase is woven into the fabric of the sporting year - an occasion when once-a-year punters get to pit their wits against the bookies, while more dedicated racing fans will look at the race…

That's the way it usually works when Bob Baffert sends a horse to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Sunday should be no different, when the trainer makes his nearly annual trek to the Jersey Shore to saddle American Pharoah in the colt's first race since taking the Belmont Stakes and becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 37…

Trainer Todd Pletcher will be back in the Kentucky Derby. Was there ever any doubt? Needing some of his 3-year-olds to come through on a big Saturday of Derby points qualifiers, Pletcher's horses responded in a huge way. Known Agenda ($12.80 for a $2 bet) made his move at the top of the stretch and pulled away from Soup and Sandwich to win the…

Breeders' Cup Notebook: The "Math" of the Aftermath (Breeders' Cup 2022 / Coady Photography) From the Breeders' Cup Media Team: Europeans, New York-based Runners Dominated World Championship Weekend Horses based primarily in Europe and New York accounted for 11 of the 14 victories in the 39 edition of the Breeders' Cup 14 World Championships this…

The best sprinter I've seen who conquered everything thrown at him. From Royal Ascot to York, Paris to New York. Apart from the shadows cast by the Belmont Park grandstand 100 yards from the finish on the dirt track. The fastest racehorse in the world, doing what he was bred to do, jumped not once, but twice. Spooked and startled by what he thought…

Horse racing means different things to different people. For some, just going to the track and trying to a pick a few winners will do just fine. Others, looking for a huge score, bet exotics, wheel the favorites, and do a deep dive into the most lucrative wagers. Still others head to the races just to socialize. The diversity of race-goers is on…

At80-1, Rich Strike was not the longest shot ever to win the Kentucky Derby, buthe was the one whose shocking victory resonated the fastest. Theonly bigger betting surprise to win the race was Donerail, who carried odds of91-1 in 1913. Not only was that before the internet made communications fasterthan the blink of an eye, it was more than a…

The horses for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby are listed in order of post position, with comments by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. The morning-line odds were set by Mike Battaglia of Churchill Downs. (Note: International Star, who was to start from the No. 12 post, was scratched Saturday morning with a hoof issue.…

Once in a while you are reminded of a horse that inspires curiosity. Perhaps a mention in a pedigree or a press release. A photo pops up in a search for something completely unrelated. This reminder came in the form of an Ebay listing. Oh yes, the horse, his name is Wallenda. The Ebay item was a winner's plaque from a very special race. The Suffolk…

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…

Twenty horses and jockeys will compete in the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby May 6, 2017, at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Without a standout favorite, the first leg of racing's Triple Crown appears wide open. This year's winnings for "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" total $2 million. When: Saturday, May 6 Post Time: 6:34 p.m.…

The Juddmonte International Stakes has helped cement the reputation of many great champions and next week the unbeaten Baaeed will be the headline act as he seeks to keep his flawless record intact. The four-year-old colt will be stepping up to a mile-and-a-quarter for the first time after successive wins in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Lockinge,…