tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13422863003380505142012-01-28T08:40:26.832-08:00Brock Sheridan's blog covers the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup and all thoroughbred races in between.Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.comBlogger4281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-82165608362422339962012-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:002012-01-27T12:54:22.272-08:00

A couple of things about the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) from an historical point of view may help put this weekend’s early Derby prep into perspective. The $400,000 Holy Bull will be run Sunday at Gulfstream Park with a field of six going the one-turn mile. The lead story line for this year’s Holy Bull Stakes is the 2012 debut of Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner and champion 2-

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-37967950438967206152012-01-25T12:16:00.000-08:002012-01-25T12:16:54.234-08:00

The Florida Sunshine Millions takes on a new format in 2012 when the six-race event for Florida-breds highlights the Saturday card at Gulfstream Park. In year’s past, the Sunshine Million consisted of eight races run at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita (four races at each track), with Florida-breds and California-breds competing against each other. Whether it was the format change or not however,

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-16676897389557905692012-01-23T14:17:00.000-08:002012-01-23T16:31:40.572-08:00

While not making quite the buzz that Beyonce and Jay Z did with the announcement of their new daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Rachel Alexanda and Curlin have produced the newest celebrity colt in the Thoroughbred world. According to reports, the colt was born at 2:40 pm Sunday at Stonestreet Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The 125-pound colt has a white blaze on his face similar to his mother but will

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-37283140431827200912012-01-20T13:38:00.000-08:002012-01-20T13:38:56.706-08:00

The trail to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) passes through New Orleans Saturday as 13 aspiring young thoroughbred line up in the $175,000 Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds. The 1-mile and 70 yards Lecomte is the first serious prep race for the $1 million Louisiana Derby (gr. II) April 1, itself a major prep for the Kentucky Derby on May 5. While some may discount

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-52429021061769775512012-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:002012-01-18T14:29:59.628-08:00

Despite his victory in the prestigious Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Monday night being honored with an Eclipse Award as Champion Two-Year-Old Male, one would think Hansen (photo right) returns to training this year among a wave of popularity. After all, his eventual task now is to carry that success to Churchill Downs in May and win America’s most prestigious race, the Kentucky Derby

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-30680200719666154772012-01-16T13:58:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:58:07.898-08:00

I, and many in racing for that matter, expect history tonight at the Eclipse Awards. When they get down to giving out the golden Eclipse trophy for Horse of the Year, Havre de Grace may become the third consecutive female to be so named. Not since Hanover won the first North American Horse of the year title in 1887, has the title gone to females in three consecutive years. Only once have females

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-4079460772570022122012-01-13T11:36:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:38:03.248-08:00

Three years ago this weekend, trainer Charles “Scotter” Dickey won the $50,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park with a promising 3-year-old son of Flatter for owner Art Preston’s Preston Stables LLC. It was a solid three and-a-half length victory for Flat Out in only his third career start and enough to put him on the road to the 2009 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). But feet

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-31953546013206683412012-01-11T12:52:00.000-08:002012-01-11T12:52:59.063-08:00

With the recent announcement by trainer Bill Mott (photo right) that Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner Royal Delta will be pointed to the $10 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines, it appears the United States will again be well represented in the March 31 race. Earlier this month, trainer Graham Motion told Daily Racing Form that 2011 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-12639481768222895952012-01-09T14:19:00.000-08:002012-01-09T14:19:08.802-08:00

Happy New Year and my apologies for the late start. My wife and I got hit with some kind of cold/flu “this, that and the otheritis” and have been totally out of commission since Christmas. But now it's time to get started and return to the world of blogging about Thoroughbred racing and breeding. I’m predicting a good year for horse racing with the return of many stars and a sophomore class that

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-36047467177174543402011-12-14T16:07:00.000-08:002011-12-14T16:07:30.697-08:00

‘Twas the night before Christmas Inside the barn area fence Not a creature was stirring Not track maintenance. The hay nets were hung From the stall doors with care Hoping the guy with the sweet feed Soon would be there. The horses were all standing Asleep in their bedding While the grooms played the tunes Of the Spanish Helen Redding (Soy mujer, me oigo rugir!) With mama closing the tack

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-58226682263570407422011-12-12T13:01:00.000-08:002011-12-12T13:03:17.527-08:00

Our last look into the 2011 chrystal ball that is next year’s road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands presents itself Saturday in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. Run in the shadow of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the CashCall Futurity has neither the $1 million purse nor history of producing divisional champions like the more prestigious Juvenile, but they

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-40996213875852529962011-12-09T14:18:00.001-08:002011-12-09T20:12:51.209-08:00

Without getting into politics on a nice Friday before one of the final weekends of the Fall, but one phrase I find a bit insulting is “It is unpatriotic to criticize the President.” Forget the first amendment right of freedom of speech, I believe our government is built on a foundation strong enough to withstand challenge and at time thrive on criticism and change. That idea of improvement

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-63736805750350578452011-12-07T12:17:00.001-08:002011-12-07T12:54:05.012-08:00

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been ringing up endorsements of late with the likes of former Vice President Dan Quail and the Sioux City Journal offering support. However, Romney still trails front-runner New Gingrich by some 15 points in a recent Gallup Poll. Yesterday, Turf Paradise track announcer Michael Chamberlain wrote an endorsement on his blog They Are Off and today I

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-14220728934487467092011-12-05T12:58:00.001-08:002011-12-05T14:34:37.691-08:00

Dear Santa, First let me again say thank you for coming through so well last year. Havre de Grace and Blind Luck continued their rivalry, the new Santa Anita surface seems to be working, New York has their racinos up and running and Hollywood Park is still open. This year, I’m toning it down a little bit. Asking for less and hoping that less strain helps you again deliver the items on my wish

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-31994517693631096272011-12-02T14:03:00.001-08:002011-12-02T19:59:34.235-08:00

The $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park has never produced a Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands winner but Groovy still ranks third on the list of all-time fastest quarter and half-mile fractions in the Run for the Roses. After winning the inaugural Spectacular Bid Stakes in 1986, the Texas-bred Groovy lead for just about six furlongs before faltering and finishing last in

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-60115285380569805362011-11-18T14:43:00.001-08:002011-11-18T15:03:15.106-08:00

This weekend racing fans turn their attention to south Louisiana and the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot as ten 2-year-olds try to win the 1-1/16 race and boost their graded earnings. In just less than six months, entries will be taken for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands and the 20 horses with the most earnings in graded races will qualify. That makes the grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-14927314807805268672011-11-16T13:57:00.001-08:002011-11-16T21:29:03.656-08:00

I ran into Captain Obvious the other day at the track and as happens between many horse racing enthusiasts this time of year, 2-year-olds became the topic of discussion – specifically as they relate to the 2012 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands. As is the case most of the time with Obvious, I was not surprised which horses he was going to follow this winter, through the spring Derby prep

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-71484337056840692442011-11-14T15:46:00.001-08:002011-11-14T16:07:51.915-08:00

It has been a rough year for the Horse of the Year award. So troubled has the year been for those horses pursuing the golden Eclipse award, that I have pondered the dilemma for more than a week since the completion of the Breeders’ Cup, and still, I am not adamant about my selection. For disclosure, I do not vote for Horse of the Year. That honor has been bestowed upon the folks at Daily Racing

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-68596810205874578922011-11-11T13:56:00.001-08:002011-11-11T14:24:24.014-08:00

In what might be the greatest revenge in the stallion community since the success of Alydar over Affirmed, Stay Thirsty appears destined to do the same to Uncle Mo. The Uncle Mo/Stay Thirsty rivalry on the track does not compare to the battle tested years Affirmed and Alydar went at each other. Alydar and Affirmed (photo right) met five times as 2-year-olds and four more times at age three.

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-46576446813237429492011-11-10T13:52:00.001-08:002011-11-10T14:06:19.887-08:00

Editor's Note: Filmmakers Dan Rhema and Dave Henry have launched their new documentary project about Michael Blowen and the Thoroughbreds of Old Friends Farm. The Brock Talk blog and the Thoroughbred Blogger's Alliance are proud to support Old Friends Farm. The following is an introduction to the film by Producer Dan Rhema and Director David Henry. The grace and power of thoroughbred racehorses

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-42771824010917790182011-11-09T15:54:00.000-08:002011-11-09T15:54:32.797-08:00

The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is in the books and with it, the $1,080,000 in graded earnings that went to the winner, Hansen (inside horse photo right). Favorite Union Rags missed catching Hansen by just a head in the Juvenile, but still pulled down $360,000 for finishing second and pushing him over $800,000 in graded earnings - or money won in America’s most significant races for 2-

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-56386042281516543602011-11-07T15:23:00.000-08:002011-11-07T16:30:49.509-08:00

Well, Breeders’ Cup 2011 is in the books and there were some pretty-pretty-pretty big disappointments - pretty big disappointments at Churchill Downs this weekend. All-in-all it was another great two days of racing with plenty of champions and stories resulting. The story of jockey Joseph O’Brien winning the Turf aboard St. Nichols Abbey (IRE) for his father, trainer Aidan, ranks as one of the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-74255362206317555912011-11-05T08:30:00.000-07:002011-11-05T12:28:32.126-07:00

The Breeders' Cup continues today at Churchill Downs with the first Breeders' Cup race (the Marathon) set to break from the gate at 1:20 ET as race three. Seven races are on the docket today culminated by the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. We got the day off right with my Secret Choice, the most likely winner of the two-day event, taking the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint. I

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-78545559542225990072011-11-03T15:59:00.000-07:002011-11-03T16:00:31.103-07:00

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is always just a little bit more exciting than many of its counterparts. Sure the $2 million purse adds some additional prestige, but it is the potential of producing horse racing’s next super star that attracts us. Like the annual Senior Bowl in college football or high school’s McDonald’s All-American basketball game, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is that last showcase

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-2883324456770589942011-11-02T15:44:00.000-07:002011-11-02T17:21:42.957-07:00

There is money to be made betting on the Breeders’ Cup Classic this year. The large 13-horse field will create large pools and Uncle Mo, the popular Champion 2-Year-Old Male and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner from last year, is the very beatable morning line favorite at 5-2. Uncle Mo is by the respected sire Indian Charlie who commands a $70,000 fee from his home at Airdre Stud in Midway,

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-28769894892842191902011-11-02T10:07:00.000-07:002011-11-02T10:08:40.216-07:00

Click here to see my handicapping column for ThorFan as I address the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf to be run Friday at Churchill Downs. Our regular Wednesday blog will be posted later this afternoon as is normal. Click Here For ThoroFan Column

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-17121015237521877502011-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:002011-11-01T14:55:11.919-07:00

From Breeders' Cup Press Release Animal Spirits – The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contender walked the shedrow Tuesday morning in the same barn that housed 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said the 2yo son of Arch came out of his Monday morning work of 4f in 49 1/5 fine. “Being a younger horse with only two races under his belt, I put him in company with Trading

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-25311384099249253732011-10-31T15:38:00.000-07:002011-11-01T05:52:09.780-07:00

After the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series Friday night and the St. Louis Rams defeated the Saints Sunday, I found myself looking through the Breeders’ Cup past performances double-checking there were any Missouri-breds or Fairmont Park ship-ins I missed… Trying to watch the Breeders’ Cup draw reminded me of days holding horse after horse while they werebeing shod, proof reading and my

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-83229644729401448792011-10-28T14:33:00.000-07:002011-10-28T14:34:19.574-07:00

One week from today we’ll be enjoying the first day of Breeders’ Cup 2011. Churchill Downs’ Friday, Nov. 4 card has six Breeders’ Cup races beginning with the new $500,000 Sentient Jet Juvenile Sprint (gr. 1) and concluding with the $2 million Ladies Classic (gr. 1). Nine Breeders’ Cup races follow on the card Saturday, Nov. 5 highlighted by the $5 million Breeder Cup Classic (gr. 1). Perusing

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-86869191519839207622011-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:002011-10-27T13:55:04.767-07:00

by Travers Manley and Gary Yunt | Churchill Downs Communications Oct. 27, 2011 HUNT CROSSING INJURED, WILL MISS JUVENILE SPRINT – Hunt Crossing, runaway winner of the NATC Futurity at Monmouth Park, suffered an injury to his right knee during his most recent work at Churchill Downs and will miss the $500,000 Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. “He worked on Monday and then we noticed he

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-48941225486971207362011-10-26T14:30:00.000-07:002011-10-26T18:31:09.180-07:00

The Breeders’ Cup has now been run 27 times now. From the inaugural running at Hollywood Park in 1984 to the 2011 version next week (Nov. 4-5) at Churchill Downs, the Breeders’ Cup builds what all great sporting events have - history. And history means numbers. I don’t know if horse racing fans and bettors like numbers more than our baseball friends currently watching the World Series, but most

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-21435541371550113332011-10-25T13:25:00.000-07:002011-10-25T13:26:02.976-07:00

by Travers Manley and Gary Yunt | Churchill Downs Communications Sidney's Candy, headed for the TVG Mile, breezed a half-mile on turf under Annie Finney. (Reed Palmer, CD) PLETCHER SETTLES IN; SIDNEY’S CANDY WORKS ON TURF – Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled three of his six Breeders’ Cup winners at last year’s World Championships at Churchill Downs, began the process of improving on his

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-12916781473831301662011-10-24T14:34:00.000-07:002011-10-24T15:43:00.920-07:00

At one time this year - as recent as early October – the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic had the potential to be one for ages. The $2 million feature race on ESPN’s Friday night, Nov. 4 telecast, was to feature Havre de Grace and Blink Luck, two 4-year-old fillies that have produced one of the best rivalries of our generation over the last two years. During the 16 months, Havre de Grace and Blind

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-70545895067093864082011-10-21T13:24:00.000-07:002011-10-21T14:11:26.315-07:00

Read most any biography on Southern California trainer Barry Abrams (photo right), and one learns that he was born in Minsk, Russia, snuck into Poland on a freight train with his family at age five and eventually made it to the United States in 1963 via another stop in Israel. Despite his world travels as a child however, as a adult Abrams has been known more for his keen claims than his

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-48564866126074987362011-10-19T14:45:00.000-07:002011-10-19T19:41:18.049-07:00

Major League Baseball’s World Series begins tonight so I’m going to use a National Footbal League metaphor to illustrate a point about horse racing’s Breeders’ Cup. I’ll talk to my therapist about this during my next trip, but until then: bear with me. Like most American boys, I became a football fan long before I understood the game. My mother was a St. Louis native and that is where I spent

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-12744007559419095192011-10-18T16:15:00.000-07:002011-10-18T19:07:26.725-07:00

After Uncle Mo (photo) won the grade 1 Kelso Handicap during Belmont Park’s Super Saturday card Oct. 1, many assumed owner Mike Repole (photo below) would send the colt to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for his next race instead of the 10 furlong Breeders’ Cup Classic. After all, the Kelso was a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders' Cup Mile, meaning all entry fees for Uncle Mo would be

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-13544463999626566082011-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:002011-10-17T08:55:52.538-07:00

The Brock Talk will not be posted today due to circumstances beyond our control. I will post Tuesday, October 18 and resume our regular schedule thereafter. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for reading. Have a happy and lucky Monday. Brock Sheridan Author The Brock Talk

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-19405459694286998042011-10-14T13:43:00.000-07:002011-10-17T08:57:24.189-07:00

Even though the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic plays a bit of a second-fiddle to the Classic and at times even the Juvenile (gr. 1), it is a race that has given us many memorable moments – some filled with the greatness of some of the most famous female race horses in North American history. Like most Breeders’ Cup races, the Ladies Classic was first run in 1984 at Hollywood Park. Formerly known

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-4277203223215840112011-10-12T14:57:00.000-07:002011-10-12T14:58:28.221-07:00

The $2 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for 2-year-old colts and geldings has always separated itself from most of the other Breeders’ Cup races and it has been because of a number of reasons. When the inaugural Breeders’ Cup was held at Hollywood Park in 1984, it was Chief’s Crown that won the first race of the day, the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the first ever Breeders’

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-61154872558208150102011-10-10T15:58:00.000-07:002011-10-10T16:00:30.051-07:00

It may be difficult to determine when or where the road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) actually begins. Some might say it as early as the first Sunday of May (the day after the Derby). Others might say it starts with the first grade 1 races for 2-year-olds at the summer resorts tracks of Del Mar in Southern California and Saratoga in upstate New York. Others still says the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-56220335879372521082011-10-07T14:13:00.000-07:002011-10-07T14:14:15.972-07:00

Last Saturday, Belmont Park presented their prestigious Super Saturday which is also annually billed as the big East coast preview to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships – this year to be held at Churchill Downs in Kentucky on Nov. 5-6. Stars Uncle Mo (photo right), Havre De Grace, Stacelita and Cape Blanco all put in memorable victories as odds-on favorites and Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. 1)

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-81913487369982772562011-10-05T16:20:00.000-07:002011-10-05T16:20:55.083-07:00

Although they are a million dollars in preparation, the Jockey Cup Gold Cup (gr. 1) and Goodwood Stakes (gr. 1) have done far worse than one might expect in seeing their winners repeat in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. 1) . In fact, of the 49 winners of both races during the Breeders' Cup years beginning in 1984 (five horses have won either the Goodwood or Gold Cup twice), only six

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-9844992645775400442011-10-03T15:49:00.000-07:002011-10-21T22:16:39.982-07:00

Three impressive winners of grade 1 races Saturday are heading for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic according to their connections, and the trio will likely make up the top three favorites when they go to the post beneath the twin spires of Churchill Downs. One female superstar is among them while another won’t be going to Kentucky to renew the best rivalry in Thoroughbred racing in recent

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-10817344052945218672011-09-30T14:41:00.000-07:002011-09-30T14:43:04.546-07:00

With so many great races this weekend from Santa Anita to New York and Indiana in between, there is so much that can be written. So instead of spinning some epic saga… let’s pick some winners. The National Football League has their Play 60 program to encourage kids to exercise. The weekend horse racing has Play Saturday for adults. Indiana Derby (gr. 2), Hoosier Park, 3-year-olds, 1-1/16 miles,

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-36472300584288264152011-09-28T15:01:00.000-07:002011-09-28T15:02:36.153-07:00

Breeders’ Cup fever will reach new heights this Saturday as Belmont Park features their Super Saturday card and Santa Anita offers five stakes with Breeders’ Cup implications during their opening weekend. Super Saturday offers six graded stakes – five of them grade 1 – worth $2.7 million. All six of the races are “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs and will be telecast

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-6929422953955547362011-09-26T15:12:00.000-07:002011-09-26T15:16:34.641-07:00

As all who have been married before have experienced and will tell you, “You are not just marrying BLANK, you’re marring all of his/her stuff too.” After nine years of blissful wedlock, my wife and I are finally coming to terms with that advice. Between the two of us, we just have too much stuff. She has collections of Barbie dolls and I football, basketball and hockey cards. She has a

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-72707549429558913962011-09-23T16:07:00.000-07:002011-09-23T16:09:00.360-07:00

Parx Racing figures to be punching some of the final tickets Saturday for a trip to Churchill Downs in for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic to be run Nov. 5. While older horses will have their chances to prepare for the Classic in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park and the Goodward at Santa Anita, two grade 1 races to be run Oct. 2, the Pennsylvania Derby allows three-year olds an

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-23518356543299706832011-09-21T15:19:00.000-07:002011-09-21T15:22:10.516-07:00

The National Broadcasting Company Sports Group and the New York Racing Association have agreed to terms to extend the Summer at Saratoga live series through 2014. During it's first season this Summer, three of the hour-long programs were telecast were on NBC, with five others on the NBC Sports affiliate network Versus. Versus will become the NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2, 2012. The eight programs

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-78364525599131245332011-09-19T15:54:00.000-07:002011-09-19T15:57:38.768-07:00

Every now and then I’ll receive a tweet. “He’s entered.” Or I’ll get a message on Facebook: “Looks who running at Santa Anita/Monmouth/Belmont/Saratoga tomorrow.” At the suggestion of a friend on Twitter, I finally have him registered on my DRF.com Watch Mail. Got one the other day as a matter of fact. Brock is in the third race at Belmont Park Wednesday. The race does not have much noteworthy

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-40993601808246411162011-09-16T14:49:00.000-07:002011-09-16T14:51:33.294-07:00

This Sunday Woodbine presents three graded races that should each have an impact on the Breeders’ Cup. But the race with the automatic invitation to the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile for the winner and the $1 million purse is The Ricoh Woodbine Mile (CAN- 1T). Court Vision, winner of last year’s Woodbine Mile, has finished fourth in the last two Breeders’ Cup Miles and returns to defend his title in

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-17513899695619541542011-09-12T14:03:00.001-07:002011-09-12T14:50:32.446-07:00

Super Derby 32 was very slow. Miraculously, it was not as slow as last year's race when Apart overcame Manhattan like traffic to result in the slow time of 1:52.31. This year Prayer for Relief led the Super Derby from gate to wire, but at just over a galloping pace.Prayer for Relief has now consecutively won the Iowa Derby (gr. III), West Virginia Derby (gr. II) and the Super Derby as part of a

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-91466321262041038992011-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:002011-09-09T15:34:24.716-07:00

For years, the Super Derby (gr. II) had the perfect spot on the calendar. It was the last major Derby of the year. It was traditionally run four weeks after the grade 1 Travers Stakes in Saratoga and five weeks or so before the Breeders’ Cup at the site de l'année.Although the first Super Derby was run five years before the inaugural Breeders’ Cup, by the time Gate Dancer used the 1984 Super

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-71337195863108464622011-09-07T13:04:00.000-07:002011-09-07T14:49:06.819-07:00

If Quarter Horse racing had a Mount Rushmore, jockey Jacky Martin’s likeness would be well-placed. The 56-year-old Martin (photo right) has won the prestigious All American Futurity seven times and nearly 3,000 races. He is a member of the Ruidoso Downs Hall of Fame and considered to be among the legends of the sport.Martin suffered a career ending accident at Ruidoso Downs Friday, Sept. 2, when

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-3274942928040739442011-09-06T13:49:00.000-07:002011-09-06T14:55:54.304-07:00

Thanks to Havre de Grace (photo right) and her win over males in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Saturday, we finally have a front runner for Horse of the Year.With the Breeders’ Cup coming in 60 days or so, there are plenty of races left, especially since Havre de Grace can return to her division of fillies and mares with little else to prove. But without much doubt the Larry Jones-trained

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-34668786549362587162011-09-02T12:52:00.001-07:002011-09-02T13:09:03.163-07:00

Trainer Larry Jones is quite forthcoming about the motivation behind entering Havre de Grace in Saturday’s grade 1 Woodward Stakes against the boys. “We’re trying to do something to move her closer to a championship,” Jones told the Saratoga media department. “If she does beat the boys, it puts us back in front of the pack [among older fillies and mares] and into the hunt for Horse of the Year.

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-50092481511194838862011-08-31T13:58:00.000-07:002011-08-31T14:06:56.729-07:00

The Fasig-Tipton Texas Yearling Sale just keeps trudging along. Held in the stable area of Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, a track mired in Magma Entertainment mismanagement, bankruptcies and an elongated ownership change in recent years; and in a state where legislators who appear allergic to the horse racing and breeding industry; the sale has wavered little. Looking at the 2011 numbers after

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-36834977158172287192011-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:002011-08-29T15:12:14.022-07:00

The Fasig-Tipton Texas Summer Yearling Sale gets underway Tuesday at the company’s sale pavilion located inside the stable area of Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie. The Kentucky-based thoroughbred auction company has catalogued 372 yearlings with an additional 70 horses selling as part of the Heiligbrodt Racing Stable Dispersal immediately following. The Texas division of Fasig-Tipton Company has

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-41938638649973858452011-08-26T12:26:00.000-07:002011-08-26T13:51:58.082-07:00

Take every winner of a major 3-year-old race since the second leg of the Triple Crown and throw in the winners of Monmouth Park’s Long Branch and Woodbine’s Victoria Park Stakes, some long shots, and you have the recipe for the 142nd running of the grade 1 Travers Stakes Saturday at historic Saratoga Race Course. Winners of the Preakness (gr. 1), Belmont (gr. 1), Resorts Casino & Hotel Casino

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-17701956476836173232011-08-22T14:39:00.001-07:002011-08-22T15:21:27.965-07:00

The purpose of today’s blog is to give notice. I want everyone to have plenty of time to clear their calendars this weekend. If it’s too late to clear your calendar and you have something planned for either Saturday or Sunday, (and it is not going to the track or your favorite simulcast center), set the DVR to record. If you don’t know how to set the DVR , you have four days to figure it. If you

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-87672138243846013942011-08-19T14:41:00.000-07:002011-08-19T15:51:07.298-07:00

Like the Run-DMC song of the same title says, “It’s tricky to rock a rhyme that’s right on time. It’s Tricky.” For the 3-year-old thoroughbred filly by the same name, It’s Tricky will have to rock a rhyme that’s right on time in $500,000 TVG Alabama Stakes (gr. 1) at Saratoga Saturday. Should It’s Tricky be right on time and win the Alabama, she may not reach the popularity and influence of the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-28560265649472914752011-08-17T15:28:00.000-07:002011-08-17T15:55:42.957-07:00

Few thoroughbred races in North America have the history of the Betfair TVG Alabama Stakes (gr. 1). The $500,000 race for three-year-old fillies will be run for the 131st time Saturday at Saratoga and is behind only the $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct, as the second oldest race for fillies and mares in North America. Along with the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Mother Goose, the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-17177194835579813312011-08-15T15:36:00.000-07:002011-08-15T16:14:33.357-07:00

Chicago-based television “superstation” >WGN America dove into the world of horse racing Saturday with their first live telecast of the Arlington Million from Arlington Park. WGN America, formerly known as “Superstation WGN,” has for decades featured live telecasts of other major sporting events, most notably as the longtime host station of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball and the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-71733085056138558172011-08-05T14:30:00.000-07:002011-08-05T14:56:21.121-07:00

From a wagering standpoint, the 2011 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) is Hall of Fame material. Eleven older horses are set to go 1-1/8 miles at Saratoga in the Whitney with the favorite at 4-1 odds in the morning line. The second choice is at 5-1 and three others have been given the third choice odds at 6-1.Although a long shot winner in the Whitney would push an already confusing division into near

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-51044216273876943982011-08-03T15:11:00.001-07:002011-08-03T16:00:06.835-07:00

This year horse racing couldn’t find a star colt, gelding or horse with a with a spy satellite and a bag of sweet feed.In both male divisions, any talk of season-ending Eclipse awards is usually guided by the “What have you done for me lately” standard. Recent graded stakes winners Stay Thirsty, Coil and First Dude are at least mentioned when the topic turns to champions, even though Coil and

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-59190665219495594582011-08-01T14:48:00.001-07:002011-08-01T15:59:21.634-07:00

There hasn’t been a class like this since Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Literally. Not since 1982, when Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli said “Aloha” to Ray Walston’s Mr. Hand in the California teen-culture classic movie, has there been no 3-year-old with more than one grade 1 win at 1-1/8 miles or further on the main track this late in the year.This schedule of grade 1 races begins just before the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-28170801928284084982011-07-29T15:44:00.000-07:002011-07-30T09:08:57.104-07:00

NBC Sports Group’s Summer at Saratoga series got off to a rousing start last Saturday with the one-hour telecast of the $250,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. 1), one of horse racing’s premier races exclusively for 3-year-old fillies. For the first time in several years, the historic track located in the upstate New York town of Saratoga was featured on network television and they made the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-35037456278477053352011-07-27T14:56:00.000-07:002011-07-27T15:08:46.448-07:00

This weekend has traditionally been one my favorite weekends on the horse racing calendar each year. It is when the top 3-year-olds return to racing after the long, seven weeks between the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in the first week of June; and the Jim Dandy (gr. II) and Resorts Casino and Hotel Haskell Invitational (gr. I) this Saturday. It is the weekend when Triple Crown runners typically begin

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-37450421708856815932011-07-06T14:01:00.000-07:002011-07-06T14:58:39.095-07:00

Just about this time every year the dog days of summer begin as daily triple digit temperatures become the baking norm for some while humidity joins heat to beat down others. If you not just closing your umbrella and taking off you sweater in Seattle, bouncing on a boat in Lake Superior or hiking around Colorado at about 6,000 feet elevation, these are the days when weather is no longer a topic

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-70203505324082790572011-07-01T13:39:00.000-07:002011-07-01T20:49:59.205-07:00

After twelve days of battling the massive army of Mexican general Santa Anna, on March 6, 1836 the small garrison of men defending the Alamo Mission near modern-day San Antonio were defeated. Less than 200 Texians battled the estimated 1,500 Mexican soldiers but were eventually over run in the bloody and cruel battle.Only two Texians survived to tell of the horrors of the battle, but their

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-22306848693114141932011-06-29T13:19:00.000-07:002011-06-29T14:03:37.587-07:00

Approaching the six-month mark in 2011 and nobody has a hint as to who might be Horse of the Year. There are plenty of possibilities with perhaps even more predictions, but at the half-way mark of this second or third year of the decade depending on how you look at it - nobody has come to the forefront in the run for the golden Eclipse Award.Three different horses won the Kentucky Derby presented

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-50440592244855251082011-06-24T13:14:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:06:25.505-07:00

Yesterday was my 52nd birthday. I don’t say that insolently looking for more happy birthday wishes. I say that to make a point.Race trackers are a good lot.If you’re reading this blog, you probably consider yourself a race-tracker. Whether you are a groom, trainer, jockey, owner or just fan, you’re a race-tracker. If you don’t consider yourself a race-tracker,… I suggest you consider it seriously

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-13898996096106025232011-06-22T14:09:00.000-07:002011-06-22T14:49:04.682-07:00

With the special State legislative session in Texas drawing to a close, it appears there is little hope of slot machines at Texas horse and greyhound tracks in the near future. State lawmakers again have ignored the horse industries that are supposedly such a large part of the Texas culture and have again failed to give Texas citizens the right to voice their stance by vote. State Senator Jane

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-38579945687410191912011-06-17T13:11:00.000-07:002011-06-17T13:29:08.828-07:00

One of the best cures for post Triple Crown blues happens Saturday at Churchill Downs as the Stephen Foster Handicap presented by Abu Dhabi (gr. 1) acts as the unofficial kick-off to the second-half of the season for older males and many times, the race for the covenanted Horse of the Year Award. While only Curlin (photo left) in 2008, St. Liam (’05) and Black Tie Affair in 1991 have been named

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-18154598915060975372011-06-15T14:01:00.000-07:002011-06-15T14:57:17.064-07:00

With the less than star power talent of the thoroughbred colts and geldings class of 2011, it seems the times are ripe for perhaps a late season run by a non-winner of a Triple Crown race for year-end championship honors.Three horses have been named the champion 3-year-old male in the last 30 years without winning the Kentucky Derby (gr. 1), Preakness (gr. 1) or Belmont Stakes (gr. 1). Tiznow was

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-48988851005451351202011-06-13T14:08:00.000-07:002011-06-13T14:15:49.377-07:00

So there is not a Triple Crown winner. We knew that three weeks ago. Nope. No rivalry between Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) champion Shackleford either. And another long shot (Ruler On Ice) wins a grade 1 race for 3-year-old colts (The Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in 2011. And I am less wealthy because I didn’t listen to Captain

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-69358420273938339182011-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:002011-06-10T15:59:30.072-07:00

There is perhaps one basic question regarding the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes (gr. 1) Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Even though there is no Triple Crown winner to be crowned in the third jewel of the classic American series, the 1-1/2 mile Test of Champions has plenty of opportunity for definition in 2011. But will this crop of 3-year-old thoroughbreds have a stand out - a

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-48138524769836924142011-06-08T15:55:00.000-07:002011-06-08T16:25:19.493-07:00

With the post positions now set and the morning line made for the 143rd Belmont Stakes (gr. I) Saturday, handicappers and prognosticators can now get underway. But before speed figures are studied and past performances perused, perhaps defining what it takes to win the Belmont Stakes is in order. After all, with the 1-1/2 mile distance, the sandy Belmont main track, the wide sweeping turns and it

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-18499921471857199552011-06-06T15:07:00.000-07:002011-06-06T15:43:43.232-07:00

Since Shackleford dug in on his left lead in the final strides of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) two weeks ago, holding off Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Animal Kingdom, we’ve known there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2011. It will be 33 years to the day Friday, since Affirmed and the young jockey Steve Cauthen captured the attention of America by holding off the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-61692356019900924612011-06-03T10:44:00.000-07:002011-06-03T14:33:55.102-07:00

Since before the day I Are Sharp and jockey Marlon St. Julien won the first race ever run at Lone Star Park in 1997, Gary West has been a member of the local media. Before that, he was a fixture in horse racing in the southwest for the better part of three decades. The history of the Grand Prairie, Texas track and much of Texas racing can be found in the archives of his columns, articles and

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-58923238472261152612011-05-25T13:43:00.000-07:002011-05-25T14:01:25.065-07:00

Now that we don’t have a Triple Crown winner for the thirty-third consecutive year, what can we hope for from this much maligned crop of 3-year-old thoroughbreds?One, we can hope for a rivalry to develop between Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness (gr. I) winner Shackleford. It would be wonderful to see both come back in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I)

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-8233370702762957152011-05-23T15:53:00.001-07:002011-05-23T16:13:25.112-07:00

You have to give credit to trainer Dale Romans and owners Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge. Yes, they deserve all the prestige and riches that come with winning an American sports classic like the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with their Shackleford. But they should get some additional recognition for the tenacity and faith that they’ve shown through what has been a bumpy Winter and Spring campaign

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-63211358381382911702011-05-20T13:12:00.001-07:002011-05-20T14:20:53.557-07:00

If we have learned one thing from the 3-year-old Thoroughbred class of 2011, is that they are full of surprises. They might not be that talented compared to other classes of years past either. That's two things.Therefore, it is difficult to interpret the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) victory by Animal Kingdom two weeks ago. Is Animal Kingdom a horse that has suddenly blossomed

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-53514383045734189892011-05-18T14:45:00.000-07:002011-05-18T15:34:49.050-07:00

It is without doubt the least glamorous of the Triple Crown races. The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) of course is the among America’s most classic sports events – the Run for the Roses – the most exciting two minutes in sports. The Belmont is the Test of Champions. All others things being equal, that moniker stands prominently, perhaps even more so than the Derby glamour, when

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-18190445634321450862011-05-16T14:39:00.000-07:002011-05-16T15:03:42.637-07:00

Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Animal Kingdom will likely face a full field of challengers in the Preakness (gr. I) as it appears that at least 14 are pointing toward the second leg of the Triple Crown.It will be the first time the Preakness starting gate will be filled with 14 starters since 2005 when 50-1 Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby. Prior to that, it was in 1992 when

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-8140908665394725602011-05-13T13:59:00.001-07:002011-05-13T14:21:11.269-07:00

The New York Racing Association has returned the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. 2) to their schedule of added-money events after a one year hiatus, and I for one, am happy about it. Long regarded as the local prep race for the Belmont Stakes (gr. 1), the 1-1/8 mile Peter Pan has a very interesting history and an 11-horse field Saturday trying to add to lore.It has been some time since A.P. Indy (photo

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-36328555750917294402011-05-11T14:03:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:39:02.687-07:00

Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands winner Animal Kingdom has arrived at trainer Graham Motion’s base at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland. There he will prepare for the Preakness Stakes (gr. 1) to be run at Pimlico Race Course in nearby Baltimore, May 21. Animal Kingdom jogged one mile Tuesday morning and Motion said he will likely jog for a few days before beginning a daily

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-56718651121204974262011-05-09T13:22:00.000-07:002011-05-09T13:47:05.752-07:00

A couple of rattlings before pondering the Preakness…You won’t be alone if you don’t expect Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) winner Animal Kingdom to win the Preakness (gr. 1) and Belmont Stakes (gr. 1) and become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1977. But is too much for horse racing to want to see a Kentucky Derby victor win a a race after the big win at Churchill

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-71222230300249208272011-05-06T12:18:00.000-07:002011-05-06T12:33:59.495-07:00

Its time to step up to the plate and swing away at the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands. Here’s my picks.#13 – Mucho Macho Man: Has been among the most consistent and competitive this year while technically racing at a young age. While all thoroughbreds birthday is officially January 1, Mucho Macho Man wasn’t born until June. Which means he may be just primed to

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-35267996849195877722011-05-04T15:03:00.000-07:002011-05-04T15:42:55.660-07:00

Is there a formula for winning the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1)?Certainly, there is no proven recipe for breeders to produce a Kentucky Derby winner. The last ten Kentucky Derby winners have been sired by nine different stallions. The Maria’s Mon is the only stallion during that span to have sired two winners having sired 2001 Derby winner Monarchos and last year’s winner Super

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-85962415594089243832011-05-02T16:11:00.000-07:002011-05-02T16:34:12.329-07:00

The group of 3-year-old colts contesting this year’s Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) is a puzzling one indeed and will present a tall task to those who will try to handicap them and find a winner. Dialed In and Archarcharch are the only two starters with more than one graded stakes victory this year. Dialed In won the Holy Bull (gr. 3) in February and the Florida Derby in (gr. 1)

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-65253395308833451452011-04-29T10:00:00.000-07:002011-04-29T13:20:46.769-07:00

One really should enjoy the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands with a Mint Julep. And just because you won't be singing "My Old Kentucky Home" beneath the twin spires of Churchill Downs, doesn't mean you can't sip on the official drink of the Run for the Roses or serve them to your Derby party guests with mini hot brown appetizers.Just in time to make this week's shopping list, a recipe for

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-67890562975883356272011-04-27T13:02:00.000-07:002011-04-27T20:06:46.796-07:00

Getting an early start on any project can sometimes be the key definition between success and failure. “The early bird gets the worm” as the old saying goes. Trying to apply that benefit to betting on the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands – or horse betting on any other race for that matter – can sometimes add to confusion of an already challenging task. Because in horse racing, significant

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-22140735855207322092011-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:002011-04-25T15:25:59.693-07:00

As the Spring season of prep races for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands comes to a close (it officially ends with the Derby Trial (gr. 3) at Churchill Downs, Saturday, before Apr. 30) it has been no secret that this group of 3-year-old thoroughbreds have been difficult to decipher and will be equally, if not more challenging to handicap on the first Saturday in May.Dialed In will

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-2856676802266947322011-04-22T12:44:00.000-07:002011-04-22T14:09:09.296-07:00

Upsets in nearly all of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) prep races this Spring will without doubt make this one of the most difficult crops to decipher on the first Saturday in May.We are all left wondering if Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial (gr. 1) winner Toby’s Corner is a one hit wonder.Is Santa Anita Derby (gr. 1) upset winner Midnight Interlude so much on the

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-48648857824560582072011-04-20T13:14:00.000-07:002011-04-20T14:36:12.868-07:00

While Keeneland’s Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. 2) has not produced the number of Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) winners as its fellow grade 1 stakes leading up to the Run for the Roses, its graduates have been heard from later in the Triple Crown.In the previous 40 runnings of the Lexington, only 1999 winner Charismatic has gone on to adorn the blanket of roses at Churchill

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-51772768473657012902011-04-18T12:45:00.000-07:002011-04-18T13:21:12.003-07:00

Now that the majority of the prep races leading up to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands have been run, each full of surprises and disappointments, it’s time to start putting the puzzle pieces together. As Axel Rose once sang in Sweet Child O’ Mine: “Where do we go now?”There is still the Coolmore Lexigton Stakes (gr. 3) this Saturday at Keeneland, but the $200,000 purse and $120,000

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-58267173825238609942011-04-15T14:15:00.000-07:002011-04-15T14:57:52.868-07:00

The 2011 class of 3-year-olds vying for fame in Kentucky, Maryland and beyond might be a maligned a bit for their talents thus far, but one has to congratulate the group on giving fans competitive races this spring.Since the March 5 Gotham Stakes (gr. 2) at Aqueduct when Stay Thirsty won as the favorite, only The Factor has won a major Kentucky Derby prep race as the most popular betting choice

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-23933480055820749962011-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:002011-04-13T14:35:34.270-07:00

It has not been a good season for favorites in the grade 1 prep races leading up to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands.Most notably, Uncle Mo finished third in Saturday’s Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial (gr. 1) Saturday at Aqueduct in what was described by track announcer Tom Durkin as the biggest upset since Secretariat. Further south, Soldat finished a dismal fifth as the 3

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While watching The Master golf tournament Sunday, I began to notice some similarities and parallels between golf’s major event at Augusta National Golf Club and this year’s road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1). Like the last three grade 1 prep races for the Run for the Roses, (Florida Derby, New York Casino Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby), the last nine holes of The

Brock Sheridanhttps://profiles.google.com/110690806205072814181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1342286300338050514.post-14382738207697308642011-04-08T13:55:00.000-07:002011-04-08T14:35:48.716-07:00

If they hadn’t run the Florida Derby (g.r 1) last weekend, this Santa Anita Derby (gr. 1) would not look as enticing as perhaps it is now. But they did run the Florida Derby, and three of the four most promising contenders on the east coast threw in clunker efforts in Gulfstream Park’s marquee event and main prep race for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands. The highly regarded To Honor

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