#Old Friends

A decade ago, the word "aftercare" was not part of the industry vernacular when talking about Thoroughbreds leaving the racetrack. There were a handful of nonprofits which had battled the tide of horses retiring from racing for years. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation launched in 1983, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in 1992,…

Twenty-five years after the nearly white and cleverly named Alphabet Soup made headlines by narrowly defeating the legendary Cigar in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Woodbine, his name and pedigree (Cozzene-Illiterate, by Arts and Letters) live on through his 18 crops of offspring that often sport equally creative monikers such as Egg Drop, Alpha…

It's the Friday before the holidays and there are a million things we could be doing tonight. We could meet up with old friends at the local watering hole and laugh at the old times. We could spend time with our families and battle the cold with some warm pastries and classic movies. Not us though. We have a sickness. That sickness requires us to…

You hear plenty of familiar names around the Magic Millions sales grounds. It seems like it was headed by either Gai and Adrian - and you didn't need to add Waterhouse and Bott, or thanks Maher/Eustace when another was knocked down to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock. Annabel, as in Neasham, was on the charts with a bullet. Or then there was "Vinnie", as…

The history of horse racing is filled with rags-to-riches stories of jockeys, trainers, and horses that rise from humble beginnings to achieve success at the highest levels of the sport. Few such stories can compare with that of the remarkable gelding Lava Man, who went from claimer to Hall of Famer to dominate California horse racing for much of…

The San Antonio Spurs visit the Golden State Warriors in a game that closes Monday's NBA program. The hosts will try to use Golden State's struggle to post a win and reach a.500 record. Also, beating the NBA champion is always good for the team's morale, so Gregg Popovich and his boys have a big motive to play well tonight. On the other end, the…

Kentucky Derby Past Performances and statistical view at the Run for the Roses. Since 1940, a lot of talk has been placed on a Kentucky Derby hopeful's final start and where they will prep and how well the past performances were. The interest in this annual right of passage for the owners of each horses and for Kentucky Derby handicappers as well…

For the 2021 Red Sox, the weight of expectations will not be a problem. Heading into the new season, Boston is listed at 50:1 odds to win the World Series. Clearly, experts are not eyeing the current Red Sox team as a projected postseason contender, though opinions differ. As the season gets underway, here's a quick look at what's being said about…

Strummer wins the 2006 Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct (NYRA/Coglianese) By Mary Eddy - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- In January of 2006, a plain bay named Strummer made his connections proud as he crossed the finish line first in the $65000 Jimmy Winkfield to score his first stakes victory. Nearly 17 years after posting his biggest…

Prices of refreshments at racecourses have often been criticised in the UK where a pint might set you back nearly £7 for a Guinness, but what about £2000 for a liquid refresher? That's the going rate racegoers at the Kentucky Derby will be asked to fork out for an extravagant tipple. The Woodford Reserve Mint Julep is what can set you back between…

Zippy Chippy, the hugely popular gelding who earned national celebrity for his career record of zero wins in 100 starts, died on April 15. Steve Dennis pays tribute to an equine legend - of sorts A wise man once said that it wasn't about the winning, but the taking part. That was the mantra that Zippy Chippy lived by, that his life was reckoned by,…

The Triple Crown is one of the most elusive achievements in all of sports. In the long history of racing, just a dozen horses have found the right blend of speed, stamina, durability, and luck required to sweep the three-race series comprised of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Many other horses have won the first two legs,…

DEL MAR, Calif.- Tizamagician will try again to get back in the winner's circle when the stakes action at Del Mar shifts to the main track Sunday for the mile and an eighth, G3 Native Diver. The son of Tiznow heads up a six-pack of horses, 3-year-olds and up. He hasn't had his picture taken after a race since winning the G3 Cougar II during the…

A year ago at Del Mar it was World Approval coming from just off the pace to capture the Breeders' Cup Mile. When the $2 million turf event is run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, it appears that a host of European invaders will be at or near the front throughout, with four Group I winners this year across the pond set to make the trip, with three…

The trade deadline has passed, and the race to the MLB postseason is heating up. But there are still some lingering questions about the future of a few of baseball's biggest stars and where they'll play in the future. Last winter, the lockout shook up free agency. Lucky for baseball fans, the labor strife is behind us, at least for now, and some…

FUN TO DREAM LOOKS TO DISTANCE THE FIELD IN THE BETTY GRABLE There has been no need for a photo finish camera when Fun to Dream races. When she wins, she wins big and she'll try for another laugher in Sunday's $100000 Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar. It's the last of the opening weekend's stakes races featuring a compact field of five Cal-bred…

It's quite an honor for a breeder to watch their horse win a Breeders' Cup race. The penultimate the Classic. To see two of their horses, win, amazing. A sire, son. Outstanding. How about two of the deepest fields in Breeders' Cup Classic history. Phenomenal. Frank Stronach has done just that. In 1998, campaigned for Stronach Stables and racing…

Ballyandy: an encouraging third on his return at Perth The Cross Country Chase which once spearheaded this card is replaced by a veterans' event and we have a former Champion Bumper winner facing a past Welsh National hero in a race packed with old friends. Admittedly, we are winding the clock back to 2016 for Ballyandy's Grade 1 strike and 2018…

The first Saturday in May means the running ofthe Kentucky Derby at Louisville's Churchill Downs -- and a celebration of the bourbon-based mint julep, the favored drink for viewers. So you'd think that Brown-Forman'sOld Forester bourbon, whose Ready-to-Drink Mint Julep has been "the official drink of the Kentucky Derby" since 2015, would want you…

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…

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants technically played just four meaningless games in 2022, but you would have a hard time making that case to the small crowds that filtered into Oracle Park during the last homestand. It felt like more of the same for a franchise that hasn't had much to cheer for in recent Octobers. Since Game 4 in the 2016 NLDS, the…

The good news: your Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed a solid first half showing in their first preseason action of the 2022-23 season, when Darvin Ham actually used something resembling what's going to be his team's regular season rotation. The bad news: L.A.'s young reserves failed to get the job done in the second half, getting run off the floor by a…

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…

First, Kansas routed Tennessee Tech 56-10. Tennessee Tech is neither Tennessee nor Texas Tech, but still. Popping a Division I-AA team is what any self-respecting Power Five Conference football team should do. For the Jayhawks, that's improvement. Then Kansas stunned West Virginia 55-42 in overtime, in Morgantown, no less. The Mountaineers are down…

We're just a few days into 2022, and anticipation is already building for what's to come this year. There's sure to be plenty of exciting races, memorable moments, and great times to be had this year at tracks all across the country. Everyone makes New Year's resolutions; some are more successful than others. Here are some for racing fans to keep…