We look back at a huge Saturday night card at Churchill Downs which included the Stephen Foster, Elate winning the Fleur de Lis, and more. We also talk about the Poker Stakes at Belmont and Maximum Security's return to the races at Monmouth Park.
Maximum Security wins Florida Derby (Coglianese Photos) With the disappointment of his Kentucky Derby (G1) disqualification still looming large, Maximum Security will aim to start the summer of his 3-year-old campaign on a bright note when he contests the June 16 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Gary and Mary West’s star colt is one of six runners entered in the 1 1/16-mile event, which serves as a local springboard to the July 20 Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth. [...]
Maximum Security and Country House battle to the wire in the Kentucky Derby (G1) - Coady Photography The rules are simple. Sweep all three legs of the Triple Crown, and you will be named champion 3-year-old male at the Eclipse Awards. Win two of the three races and you’d have to really mess up the second half of the season to lose the title. But when three different horses win the three Triple Crown races, it’s anyone’s guess [...]
Thunder Snow winning the 2018 Dubai World Cup (G1) - Coady Photography A busy Saturday of racing at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day saw a handful of contenders for the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) enhance their résumés. Others faltered under the bright lights and will have to rebound this summer. No clear favorite has emerged for the 1 1/4-mile race Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park. Your guess is as good as mine when it comes [...]
Bricks and Mortar winning the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) - Coady Photography Don’t look now, but the 2019 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park is just more than five months away, and the first North American leg of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series kicks off this weekend. Handicappers will be happy to know several key Breeders’ Cup divisions look wide open this year, which should make the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races exciting and competitive. Let’s quickly [...]
Thunder Snow winning the 2018 Dubai World Cup - Coady Photography Who exactly are the early favorites to win the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park? A dearth of proven star power among the older horses and a 3-year-old division lacking clarity makes that question difficult to answer. But as we prepare to enter the second half of the 2019 racing season, here’s how I rank some of the top contenders for the 1 1/4-mile [...]
Newspaperofrecord winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) - Coady Photography With the Kentucky Derby complete and the spring racing season well underway, I’m already looking ahead to some of the great racing action we can expect to see this summer. The 13 graded stakes races held at Churchill Downs on Derby week produced some interesting storylines to keep an eye on during the second half of the year. Here are just a few of my main [...]
Maximum Security and Country House battle to the wire in the Kentucky Derby - Coady Photography From a handicapping and wagering perspective, Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs was a mixed bag for me. If I’m being honest, the week got off on the wrong foot when my confident top choice for the Derby—Omaha Beach—scratched from the race with an entrapped epiglottis, which sent me scurrying to regroup and rethink my plays. Overall, the week was filled with [...]
Improbable winning the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) - © Benoit Photo Which horses are expected to compete in the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico? At this point, a better question might be “which horses are not expected to compete in the Preakness?” The potential field for the second leg of the Triple Crown is still in flux, but it’s safe to say the biggest names will be absent from the May 18 classic. Country House, the official [...]
Maximum Security and Country House battle to the wire in the Kentucky Derby - Coady Photography The Kentucky Derby is nicknamed “the greatest two minutes in sports,” but it’s safe to say the 2019 renewal could also be considered “the most controversial two minutes in sports.” Seemingly everyone—even the President of the United States—has shared an opinion on the disqualification of Maximum Security, who crossed the wire first only to be disqualified for interference on the far turn, [...]
