Riding the wave of Thoroughbred horse racing
Since winning his debut on June 28th at Churchill Downs, the remarkably consistent Mr. Z has competed strictly in stakes company, running at least once every month since then while winning or placing in ten of his fifteen subsequent starts. The first … Continued
Twenty-one years ago, the great grey superhorse Holy Bull was in the middle of his 1994 Horse of the Year campaign that included victories in the Florida Derby (gr. I), Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), Haskell Invitational … Continued
With the United Nations Stakes (gr. I) coming up this Sunday, it’s hard not to think of the remarkable two-time United Nations winner Presious Passion, one of the best U.S. turf horses of the last decade. A very fast front-runner, Presious Passion was … Continued
As the racing world speculates on where Triple Crown champion American Pharoah will run next, and with the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) looming as the most likely option, now seems like an ideal time to recall one of the most amazing Haskells … Continued
With the prestigious Royal Ascot meet well underway, now is a great time to remember the remarkable unbeaten champion Frankel, who went unbeaten in 14 starts from 2010-2012 in England. Among his most spectacular victories was the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes … Continued
On June 13th, 2010, the legendary Zenyatta won the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park for the third consecutive year, setting a record for the most wins in the prestigious race for fillies and mares. Carrying 129 pounds, and conceding from … Continued
Tom Durkin’s racecall still resonates in the minds of all who heard it: “…Can Smarty Jones hold on? Here comes Birdstone! Birdstone surges past! Birdstone wins the Belmont Stakes…” On this day eleven years ago, Triple Crown hopeful Smarty Jones entered … Continued
Since Affirmed became the eleventh and most recent Triple Crown winner in 1978, many horses have come close to sweeping the elusive three-race series, but none have come closer than Real Quiet. Trained by Bob Baffert, the unheralded son of Quiet … Continued
Ten years ago this month, Afleet Alex made history with a stunning victory in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico. After making a powerful rally along the rail to reach contention at the top of the stretch, Afleet Alex stumbled … Continued
The great champion Zenyatta won many prestigious stakes races during her legendary career, including two renewals of the Milady Handicap (gr. II) at Hollywood Park. It was in the month of May six years ago that Zenyatta began her five-year-old … Continued