The Wire

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....

Whirlaway, the fifth Triple Crown winner, ignited the imaginations of those along for the ride on the cusp of war in 1941....

Whirlaway, the fifth Triple Crown winner, ignited the imaginations of those along for the ride on the cusp of war in 1941....

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...

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....

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 →...

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...

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....

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...

Real Writing period 💯...

The family that produced the 2023 Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure has been owned by breeder Peter Blum since Moses …Continue reading →...

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...

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...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

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...

When Arrogate died in June 2020, his oldest foals were only yearlings. None had gone into training; nothing substantial was …Continue reading →...

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...

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...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

Real Writing on Racing 💯...

The victory of Mage (by Good Magic) in the 149th Kentucky Derby was the culmination of visions and hopes, of …Continue reading →...

Real writing on Racing 💯...

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...

Among the 20 colts entered for the 2023 Kentucky Derby on May 6, there is one who is unique among …Continue reading →...

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...