The Wire
Aggregating horse racing commentary since 2008
Looking for picks, previews, tips & touts? Try Tout Wire!
Looking for picks, previews, tips & touts? Try Tout Wire!
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Made for Hollywood: Secretariat and the 1973 Belmont Stakes
Among the fortunate 67,000-plus paid attendees at Belmont Park for Secretariat’s epic triumph was longtime Lexington, Ky., resident and industry contributor Rab Hagin....
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The Hearts That Wears the Crown: Whirlaway
Whirlaway, the fifth Triple Crown winner, ignited the imaginations of those along for the ride on the cusp of war in 1941....
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The Heart That Wears the Crown: Whirlaway
Whirlaway, the fifth Triple Crown winner, ignited the imaginations of those along for the ride on the cusp of war in 1941....
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The Friday Show Presented By The Jockey Club: A Statistical View On Racehorse Injuries
The discourse around the rash of fatal equine injuries at Churchill Downs has onlookers inside and outside the horse racing industry searching for causes and solutions. Many have examined the 12 fatalities at Churchill from the beginning of the meet on April 29 through the end of the day on...
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Stats and storylines for 2023 Belmont Stakes
The 155th running of the $1.5 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 10 will wrap up the Triple Crown. Known as the “Test of the Champion,” the Belmont is the oldest and longest race in the Triple Crown series....
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June 1, 2023
Jonesboro (March 15, 2002 – May 25, 2023) Sefapiano – Mom’s Command (Top Command) When Jonesboro arrived at Old Friends on September 11th, 2022 we all fell in love with his beauty. All except for Michael, who didn’t need to … Continue reading →...
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Mack: Switching Triple Crown To Synthetic Surfaces Is ‘An Ethical Imperative’
Longtime owner and breeder Earle Mack wrote an op/ed for the Thoroughbred Daily News this week proposing a solution to the 12 fatalities at Churchill Downs and burgeoning public relations crisis facing the entire racing industry: a switch to synthetic surfaces. “Tradition holds great power in our sport, with our most prestigious...
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Voss: On Churchill Fatalities, HISA, And The Answers We May Not Find
If I've learned anything from our readership through the years, it's that it is human nature to seek answers in the wake of disappointment or confusion. People like simple, concise explanations for things they find upsetting. Unfortunately, horses (and horse racing) have taught me that reality is rarely so simple....
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Tinky: The Met Mile Rescheduling A Business Win? Not So Fast, Ray
While I typically find Ray's View From the Eighth Pole columns to be insightful, his most recent offering appears as though it may have been written on one of those foggy Saratoga mornings when it's difficult to see the finish line 100 feet out, let alone from an eighth of...
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So now you know 🇺🇸
Real Writing period 💯...
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breeder blum believes in mining the maternal line of mono, famous for major winners, including triple crown champ assault
The family that produced the 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure has been owned by breeder Peter Blum since Moses …Continue reading →...
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World Famous Super Spectacular Blog Vol 9 - When Churn Works (and Doesn't Work), Transparency Can Be Scary, Pitching Horses Off Bad Lines, Gural Minds the Store, & Are New York OTB's Back?
Welcome to the World Famous Super Spectacular Blog! Last week was a record traffic one for the blog, but it was also a record for spam hits. To all of the real readers like Chip Reinhart, movie star Ryan Reynolds movie star Ray Cotolo, and I mighta saw one of the Beulah...
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View From The Eighth Pole: Met Mile’s Move Proved Good Business Decision For NYRA
It's been 10 years since the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, better known as the Met Mile, has been run on the Memorial Day holiday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The race landed on Memorial Day in 1971 when the federal holiday was moved from May 30 to the last...
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Raw Inevitability
Real Writing on Racing 💯...
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Maintaining a connection to when Stanford was synonymous with speed, not students
The Red Barn, which was built circa 1878, and modern arena at the Stanford Equestrian Center.What do you think of when somebody says the name “Stanford”? Guidance counselors and high-achieving high school students are likely to associate the name with Stanford University. Those in the technology and business realms might...
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the classic traditions of arcangelo
When Arrogate died in June 2020, his oldest foals were only yearlings. None had gone into training; nothing substantial was …Continue reading →...
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Super Spectacular Blog Vol 8 - Preakness Day Thoughts. Rudulph, TVG Actually Doesn't Mention ITP, Go and No Go - Why Sharps Use Board Odds, The Value of Powerful Cards, & You Know You're Ice Cold When You Lose a Mascot Race
Welcome to the 8th edition of the Monday Super Spectacular Blog! It was Preakness week and frankly instead of a horse racing pool, next year I think we should just guess who won't scratch. Sadly, it threw a good deal of multis into the dust bin, but it was a Triple...
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TUHONUI BANSEOK STUNS WINNER’S MAN BY CRUSHING MARGIN AS BART RICE TRAINS FIRST KOREAN GROUP WINNER
The second leg of the Stayer Series was every bit as one-sided as most expected. It just wasn’t the result most expected as Tuhonui Banseok produced a spectacular performance to beat defending Champion and Korea Cup and Grand Prix Stakes hero Winner’s Man by an astonishing eleven-lengths in the YTN...
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The Preakmess
Real Writing on Racing 💯...
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Black Eyed Friday 🌻
Real Writing on Racing 💯...
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good magic is adding to the myths of donegal; mage wins the kentucky derby
The victory of Mage (by Good Magic) in the 149th Kentucky Derby was the culmination of visions and hopes, of …Continue reading →...
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Preakness week musings
Real writing on Racing 💯...
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The Super Spectacular Blog Vol 7 - Every Day is Groundhog Day, Sharp Money v Dumb Money, Triple Crown Spacing, Torching the Bank on Multis, Simple Takeout Models & Woooo I Finally Have a Beer Sponsor!
Welcome to the Monday Super Spectacular Blog, or as I like to call it, Merby! This week I saw a groundhog. He was up on his little hind legs checking for predators left and right, and although I was standing about 50 feet in front of him, he somehow didn't see...
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hit show brings contemporary attention to the star-crossed stallion who won the 1960 kentucky derby
Among the 20 colts entered for the 2023 Kentucky Derby on May 6, there is one who is unique among …Continue reading →...
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Super Spectacular Blog Vol 6 - Derby Card Thoughts, Top Tweets, Doubling Down, Girl Who Jumps Like a Horse, Multi-Legs, World Premiere Movies & Irad's a Big Baby
Welcome to the Monday Super Spectacular Blog! As always thanks for reading and sharing these random thoughts each week. I feel I've really upped my game, because I've even started to proofread what I type a little. It only took me around fourteen years to start and I owe it to all...