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Tapit, the near-white son of Pulpit (by A.P. Indy), reaffirmed his position as one of the most significant sires and …Continue reading →...

Triple Tiara winner Jeulgeounyeojeong took on her elder filly and mare compatriots at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon and proceeded to dismantle them to win the Jeju Governor’s Cup (1400M KOR-G3), the first leg of the Queens’ Tour Fall/Winter series. Having not only won all three jewels in the Tiara...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

Like most of you I enjoy looking at the gamble, and that's brought me into the sports betting world for some time now. As betting on, in this case, football is concerned, we've seen more and more interest with the proliferation of legal gambling in both the U.S. and Canada. This...

The announcement earlier this week from the ownership of Turf Paradise that the 67-year-old Phoenix, Ariz., racetrack would no longer conduct live racing left employees, horsepeople, and fans reeling. With no live racing, the off-track betting facilities operated by Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms would also be forced to close,...

Amazombie(April 18, 2006 – September 18, 2023) One of the most talented horses ever to live at Old Friends, 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and 2011 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter, Amazombie, passed unexpectedly on Monday. He was euthanized following a … Continue reading →...

It’s been a sad week at Old Friends. Last Friday Lady Grizzley, a sweet mare who had lived with us since 2016, lost her battle with an infection and its complications and was euthanized. Her death preceded by three days … Continue reading →...

The American Graded Stakes Committee is not doing the Thoroughbred breed any favors. As I've written before, when the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in the early 1970s undertook the worthwhile mission of ranking the best races with a Grade 1, Grade 2, or Grade 3 designation, there was not...

When I mention Alfred the Great to most people, they think of the 9th century king of the Saxons who …Continue reading →...

In 1975 I was in graduate school, living in New York. It was just two years after Secretariat's Triple Crown and his appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated, two years after Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in America, three years after Title IX barred discrimination based on sex. Billy Jean King...

The Breeders' Cup championships are now just seven weeks away, and there are a host of “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races coming up, including three this weekend at Woodbine featured on the Canadian track's Turf Champions Day on Saturday. Godolphin's European-based trainer Charles Appleby has had an incredible...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority revealed Tuesday that its investigation into the 12 equine fatalities during Churchill Downs' 2023 Spring meet led to no singular “smoking gun” explanation. Still, the resulting 197-page report did reveal some interesting findings. Apparently, there was an issue early in the meet with rocks...

Dick Powell offers his selections and analysis for Tuesday's card at Presque Isle Downs....

A pair of rich Saturday stakes at Kentucky Downs awarded “Win and You’re In” berths to the Breeders’ Cup as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series....

At this time of year, you can usually count on at least one juvenile per week to deliver an exciting maiden victory. Last week, the excitement came courtesy of a bay colt named Slider....

Jason looks back at the end of the Colonial Downs season and his first five years calling the races in Virginia....

Was anyone cheering as hard for Nutella Fella in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga as racing man and sports gambler “Mattress Mack” McIngvale? Jim McIngvale bought and raced the winner’s sire, champion sprinter Runhappy, a bay son of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (by Maria’s Mon). McIngvale had famously...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

I, like many of you, watched most of the Saratoga meet this season. I figure I'd jot down a few thoughts. Handle was down only 9%. Considering the weather, the scratches and all the rest, this is a strong number. Many years ago I turned to a NYRA card, saw off...

Seven years ago, a gray colt named Arrogate (by Unbridled’s Song) won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in a galloping …Continue reading →...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

Sarava March 2, 1999 – August 28, 2023 Sarava came to live with us in September 2012. Yesterday he was euthanized due to fracture sustained in a paddock accident. The horsepeople among you know that while some equine leg fractures … Continue reading →...