#Thousand Words

Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, is on a quest. He wants to create the kind of innovation that will make Indiana Grand not just the gold standard in horse tracks, but a point of reference in the larger entertainment world. I had the pleasure of working with Eric when he led innovation…

A historic 15 weeks after it began, the 2020 Triple Crown drew to a close as Swiss Skydiver crossed the line first in the 145th Preakness Stakes at a spectatorless Pimlico to become the sixth filly to win the race. She was the first filly to run in the Preakness since Ria Antonia in 2014, who finished last. Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra was the…

The Preakness Stakes is traditionally the second leg of the American Triple Crown but in this most unusual of seasons, the 2020 Preakness concludes the series this year at Pimlico on Saturday (10.45pm BST). Routinely flanked by the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, this renewal of the Preakness moves from second to third in the Triple Crown…

The post positions for the 2020 Kentucky Derby are set, and the entry list includes 18 horses for what's now the second leg of horse racing's annual Triple Crown. Yes, the Triple Crown races are being run out of their traditional order for the first time since the early 1930s, but the Kentucky Derby specifically is experiencing significant change…

Not only will Tiz the Law try to keep his hopes for the Triple Crown alive on Saturday in the 2020 Kentucky Derby, he'll also attempt to redeem himself on the track on which he suffered the only loss of his career. After winning his first two starts, the three-year-old finished third at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 30,…

If a picture paints a thousand words, as the old adage goes, the floods of images emerging from Australia's greatest race on Tuesday have compiled a masterpiece of literature. Michelle Payne may have told her detractors to "get stuffed", but [Gerald] Mosse's emotional display should be seen as a similar slap in the face to the anti-racing lobby For…

Wet racetracks can create confusion for horse racing handicappers, and all week long it has appeared that Churchill Downs would be a sloppy mess for Saturday's 2020 Kentucky Derby. Instead, the 146th Run for the Roses will be contested under sunny skies and on a dry track. Does that mean overwhelming favorite Tiz the Law has a better chance at…

Trainer Bob Baffert can extend his record number of wins in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes when he saddles two horses in the 2022 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita Park. The 69-year-old Baffert has won the race nine times, including the last three years with Medina Spirit (2021), Thousand Words ('20) and Mucho Gusto ('19). He will attempt…

The final leg of an unforgettable Triple Crown is set for Saturday, as 11 three-year-old colts will take the starting gate for the 2020 Preakness Stakes. As was the case with the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby, no fans will be in attendance at Pimlico Race Course due to COVID-19 concerns. While Belmont winner Tiz The Law is not in the 2020…

After lots of last-minute decisions, the 145 Preakness (G1) is set - a field of 11 was entered Monday with Kentucky Derby winner Authentic the morning-line 9-5 favorite leaving from post No. 9. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Authentic has won five of six career starts, and put in his final workout - 4 furlongs in 47.60 seconds - earlier…

Tiz the Law is the odds-on favorite for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, about three months after he won the Belmont. Wait, what? It may not be a typical horse racing year, with the first leg of the Triple Crown now acting as the second. But the interest is certainly there. If you want to bet on the Derby, check out TwinSpires, which is available in 39…

After almost four months of waiting, the 2020 Kentucky Derby is finally ready to go off Saturday from historic Churchill Downs. When the 16-horse 2020 Kentucky Derby field is called to the post at 7:01 p.m. ET, a normally raucous Churchill Downs will be eerily quiet due to no spectators in the grandstands or infield. Favorites have lost 12 of the…

Despite being clouded in controversy, for all of 2020 Maximum Security has been the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic. On Saturday he lost to Improbable and now is no longer the chalk. There has been significant movement in futures prices, and they are well worth pondering at this juncture. Over the last week or two, and during the next two…

With fans watching at home instead of cheering from the stands, the 145th running of the Preakness Stakes, the final race in the Triple Crown, is set to take place on Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Traditionally the middle jewel of the American Triple Crown held after the Kentucky Derby and before the Belmont Stakes,…

In the days leading up to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, usracing.com will profile the horses in the race set for Jan. 23. The profiles will be updated on Jan. 20 with morning-line odds, post positions and jockeys.' By Lynne Snierson This recently turned 4-year-old and newly…

In yet another upset in a Triple Crown race, Swiss Skydiver (11-1) defeated race favorite Authentic (3-2), edging out the Bob Baffert trainee by a neck to win the 145th Preakness Stakes in a time of 1:53.10. This marks the first time that a filly has won the race since Rachel Alexandra did it in 2009. Swiss Skydiver took the lead after the…

Decisions, decisions, decisions. A few weeks ago, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen acknowledged Pneumatic would show up for the 145 Preakness (G1) on Oct. 3, giving the trainer a shot at victory No. 3 in this classic to go with wins by Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. In the past few days, Asmussen came up with two more Preakness…

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…

Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law will break from the No. 17 post in the 146th Kentucky Derby as the strong favorite with 3-5 opening odds. The top three horses will all start next to each other on the far outside with 5-1 Honor A. P. starting to Tiz the Law's left and 8-1 Authentic on his right. The 2020 Kentucky Derby, which…

The Kentucky Derby is the second leg of the Triple Crown this year - the Belmont Stakes was held in June - as horse racing's biggest events were shuffled by the novel coronavirus pandemic. That schedule change, among others, allowed the morning-line favorite, Tiz the Law, to earn 372 points on the Derby trail, eclipsing the previous high of 170 set…

It is considered the sport of kings, but an investigation into two prominent identities in Queensland country horse racing has sent the industry spiralling and cast a long shadow over outback events. Investigation into alleged jigger incident in Birdsville continues Racing insiders believe the use of illegal equipment could be widespread The…