Kentucky Derby | Triple Crown Watch – The Florida Derby

April 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Betting favorite Tiz The Law dominated in the 2020 Florida Derby in front of no fans last Saturday.  Three runners went very wide around the first turn, including #9 Independence Hall.  Fountain Of Youth winner Et Indien was washed out badly pre-race.  H got over quickly from his outside post but dueled throughout with the eventual runner-up.  He was game to hang on for third in front of my top pick, Governeur Morris, who made a wide run turning for home.  If the latter gets up for second, I win an NHC berth, but alas, thanks a lot Governeur…

Huge longshot Shivaree took advantage of  his inside post and went right to the front.  The son of Awesome Of Course showed a lot by saving some late and outfinishing Et Indien down the lane.

There’s no denying that Sackatoga Stable, of Funny Cide fame, has another nice 3yo in this grandson of Tapit.  He has a great horseman in Barclay Tagg in his corner.  Gulstream Park’s recap of Tiz The Law’s big win in the Florida Derby.

“He is something special. It would be a lot of fun going to Kentucky in five weeks, but that’s not happening, obviously,” Owner Jack Knowlton said. “Now we get to run some more races. Maybe the Wood will come back in play. Maybe we can do a Travers-Derby double. Right now it’s a blank slate. Nobody knows what’s going to happen where or when with all that’s going on in the country.”

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Industry Profile: Jockey Frankie Dettori and his Incredible Year

December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

UK correspondent Edward Sadler has a sit-down interview with superstar jockey Frankie Dettori to look back on his incredible year in the saddle in 2019.

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Great Horse Racing Videos – RIP Randy Romero

August 29, 2019 by Leave a Comment

A great rider, and by all accounts, a great man, Hall of Fame rider Randy Romero passed away due to serious health issues.  He was the regular rider of Personal Ensign, one of the all-time greatest mares and one of the few undefeated champions in history.  This was very final race.

Rest in peace, Randy.

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R.I.P. Tim Conway, aka Jockey Lyle Dorf

May 14, 2019 by 1 Comment

The one-and-only Tim Conway passed away today at the age of 85.  He was best known for his role in the Carol Burnett television show, but for those of us in the horse racing industry, he was also jockey Lyle Dorf.  Here is his skit with Johnny Carson.

Here is a 1988 interview with track announcer Trevor Denman of Santa Anita.  Denman sits down for a conversation with comedian Tim Conway, a big fan of horse racing.  Conway gives a great tip for new fans at the 1:40 mark of the video.   Denman also provides some great insight that is the worth the listen for every horseplayer.

 

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Controversial 2019 KY Derby – Head On View

May 7, 2019 by Leave a Comment

This is the official head-on view of the 145th Kentucky Derby won by Maximum Security … and Country House.  Maximum Security was disqualified and place out of the money for interference on the turn for home.

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2019 Kentucky Derby Watch – Debut of Coliseum

November 22, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Trainer Bob Baffert has another beast in his barn with the flashy gray Coliseum.  It’s extremely hard for a first time starter to win going 7 furlongs, but this was simply a walk in the park for this freakish two year old owned by Godolphin.  Barely asked by jockey Joe Talamo, Coliseum exploded when nudged down the stretch run at Del Mar (Nov. 17, 2018) to demolish the competition.  It reminded me of Curlin’s incredible debut win at Gulfstream Park.

Coliseum is the son of super stallion Tapit and is out of the stakes winning mare Game Face.  She has produced three other winners but yet to have a stakes winner represented.  That will soon change if this one stays healthy.

This is currently our #1 horse for the 2019 Kentucky Derby Watch:

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Great Horse Racing Videos – 2018 Spinaway won by Sippican Harbor

September 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Sippican Harbor to train up to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Lee Pokoik’s Sippican Harbor is in good shape following her impressive last-to-first, two-length win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga, trainer Gary Contessa said Sunday morning.

The 2-year-old filly by Orb won her second straight start after breaking her maiden by 17 lengths on August 12 at Saratoga. The victory came after placing fifth in her debut on grass on July 22 at the Spa.

“She’s good. I’d say a little tired,” Contessa said. “We’re not going back to the turf anytime soon, but I do believe she’s just as good on the grass as she is on the dirt. So, the time may come where she does double duty.”

Sippican Harbor will head to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 4 at Churchill Downs and will train right up to the race.

“We’re just going to work, I’m not going to run her again [until Churchill],” said Contessa. “She deserves a break. I ran her 20 days apart to get her ready. Two months to get her to the Breeders’ Cup? Piece of cake.

“I’m definitely excited. I was crushed when she lost on the turf, I didn’t think she could possibly lose, that’s how much I loved her,” he added. “I thought she was phenomenal. Everything she’s ever done, she’s done like a super horse. There’s a little bit of a stigma attached to Orb that he’s throwing grass horses, so I just went with it, and thought ‘oh we got a turf horse here,’ but her dirt works and her turf works were sensational. It’s thrilling to be in this position. It makes getting up in the morning a lot easier.”

The performance by Sippican Harbor was exactly what Contessa said he was hoping to see from his young filly. Now, with two impressive victories from three starts, the questions about her talent have been answered.

“We went to the champagne room and it [race replay] just kept playing and playing and playing. I love the call where he [race-caller Larry Collmus] said ‘and she’s the real deal!’ I love that because that’s exactly what I was thinking at that point. She’s the real deal because going in, I wasn’t positive. You could take a really good boxer and he beats up a chump and he looks really good doing it, but when you throw him in with Mike Tyson and he’s knocked out in the first round. We had to see this to believe it.”

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Great Horse Racing Videos – Watch a horse and jockey take a terrifying tumble

June 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Then See What Happens!

Watch a horse and jockey take a terrifying tumble and go on to ….

Horse falls but jockey Aaron Kuru remounts … and wins steeplechase Independent Community Newspaper Full coverage

Source: Watch a horse and jockey take a terrifying tumble and go on to win the race

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Great Horse Racing Videos – 2018 Kentucky Derby won by Justify

May 8, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Kentucky Derby 144 was captured in smashing fashion by superstar Justify.  Good Magic ran a big race to hold second, just over the rail-skimming, fast closing Audible.  Here is the NBC Coverage of Justify’s win and jockey Mike Smith’s 2nd Kentucky Derby victory.  Does trainer Bob Baffert have another Triple Crown winner in his barn?

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Great Horse Racing Videos – Hall of Fame Inductee Heavenly Prize

May 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

You may have heard.  Eclipse Award-winning filly Heavenly Prize has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The lone contemporary selection from the 10 finalists chosen by the Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee, Heavenly Prize will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m. at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is open to the public and free to attend.

New inductees in categories selected by separate processes will also be announced soon. The Historic Review Committee choices for the Hall of Fame will be revealed on May 9 and the Pillars of the Turf Committee’s Hall of Fame selections will be announced on May 23.

Heavenly Prize was elected by a nationwide voting panel comprised of 166 racing writers, broadcasters, industry officials and historians. Finalists are required to receive majority approval (50.1 percent) from the voting panel to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

A bay filly bred in Kentucky by owner Ogden Phipps, Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold—Oh What a Dance, by Nijinsky II) won the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 1994. She was a Grade 1 winner at ages 2, 3 and 4. Trained by Hall of Famer Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III, Heavenly Prize won the Grade 1 Frizette at age 2 and three consecutive Grade 1s as a 3-year-old: the Alabama, Gazelle and Beldame.

As a 4-year-old, she won four Grade 1s in a row: the Apple Blossom Handicap, Hempstead Handicap, Go for Wand Stakes and John A. Morris Handicap. Heavenly Prize also finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in both 1994 and 1995. She raced once as a 5-year-old, finishing third in the Donn Handicap, which was won by Hall of Famer Cigar.

Heavenly Prize was retired with a career record of 9-6-3 from 18 starts and earnings of $1,825,940. Throughout her career, she defeated the likes of Hall of Famers Paseana and Sky Beauty, as well as multiple graded stakes winners Lakeway, Halo America and Classy Mirage, among others. Eight of Heavenly Prize’s nine career victories were in Grade 1 events. Heavenly Prize was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for her first eight starts and by Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day for her final nine races.

As a broodmare, Heavenly Prize produced seven winners from eight starters, including the multiple Grade 1-winning turf standout Good Reward. She is also the dam of Grade 2 winner and successful sire Pure Prize. Heavenly Prize also produced stakes winner Cosmic; stakes-placed Distinctively; and Just Reward, whose daughter Persistently upset Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign.

Heavenly Prize died in 2013 at the age of 22 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky.

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