Tiz the Law’s luck finally ran out. Rabbit’s foot rubbed raw. Held the wrong end of the wishbone. Drew the short straw. Too bad, Tiz the Law was on quite a roll. Held the dice all year; pass after pass, point after point. Finally, Saturday, in the Kentucky Derby ‘Tiz rolled a seven. During an […]
Read more
It figures. As soon as the package from Amazon hits the doorstep you realize you don’t need the product after all. At least not right now. That’s sort of how the folks at Churchill Downs feel. They ordered a brand-spanking new 20-stall starting gate, custom made especially for them, only to find out that this […]
Read more
Saturday Saratoga Late Pick 4 Analysis The final four Saturday Spa races provide a challenging sequence. Two Grade 1 stakes races—a loaded 7-furlong sprint and a collection of familiar faces going a mile and one-half—offer plenty of options to horseplayers. A maiden 2-year-old heat and a first level, state-bred allowance race, with 9 and 12 […]
Read more
Go ahead. You have permission. Feel free to create a Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Today. With less than 20 days until the race it’s reasonably clear who’s in and who’s out. Rank them in order of preference. We’ll help: Number 1 is Tiz the Law. There, now you only need to come up with […]
Read more
Last weekend, in this space, yours truly suggested that Uncle Chuck could make Tiz the Law cry ‘Uncle’ in the Travers. We were half-right. Although there was plenty of ‘Uncle’ crying, unfortunately, most of it was done by Uncle Chuck instead of Tiz the Law. The weeping actually began long before the million-dollar featured race. […]
Read moreTurning for home in last Saturday’s 151st running of the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga, it was odds-on favorite Tiz the Law who made Uncle Chuck “say uncle.” Tiz the Law put away Uncle Chuck at that stage of the race. Indeed, for all intents and purposes, the 2020 Travers then was over in […]
Read more
Last Saturday, at Del Mar, the Bob Baffert-trained Thousand Words took control of the Shared Belief Stakes and never let go. In his wake was the highly regarded and heavily favored Honor A. P. This Saturday, on the opposite coast, at Saratoga, a similar scenario could play out when Baffert saddles talented-but-untested Uncle Chuck against […]
Read more
The $100,000 Shared Belief, to be contested Saturday at Del Mar, has never been a prep for the Kentucky Derby. Makes sense. Del Mar’s meet normally extends from late-July through Labor Day and the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May. However, in case you haven’t noticed, nothing’s ‘normal’ this year. Not […]
Read more
Calling Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security’s career ‘interesting’ is like saying Babe Ruth hit some home runs. Both would be accurate but grossly inadequate descriptions. Maximum Security and Ruth actually have something in common. Both came from humble beginnings—Ruth was raised in an orphanage/reform school and Maximum Security’s parents were once discounted. Max’s sire New […]
Read more
Del Mar racing is cancelled this weekend because of a rash of jockey COVID 19-positives and a spectator-less Saratoga season is underway. So, what else is new? It’s just another crazy weekend in a pandemic world. No worries. There are numerous opportunities nationwide for players to cash Saturday and Monmouth’s Haskell-day card looms as most […]
Read more
Wait a minute. This can’t be right. Keeneland and Del Mar racing in the same afternoon? Oh, that be right, alright. We’re in the COVID 19 twilight zone where anything’s possible. Experience racing ‘As it was meant to be’ while playing ‘Where the Turf Meets the Surf’ all in the same afternoon. Thought you’d never […]
Read more
Saturday, Belmont serves up a graded stakes pick 4 feast racing fans and horseplayers should consume with delight. Portions aren’t overly generous—there are fields of 8-9-8-8 runners in races 8 through 11, respectively–but the quality is exceptional. Think fine dining versus all-you-can-eat buffet. Michelin stars not tires. The Grade 3 Poker pops the seal on […]
Read more
Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes Saturday like a good thing should. He comfortably stalked the early pace, moved up effortlessly, responded when asked in the lane and drew off to win decisively. He was much the best against a less than stellar bunch and there’s little reason to expect any of those foes […]
Read more
On any date, at any distance, we’re fortunate to have the Belmont Stakes this year. By the time the race is over, we may count ourselves fortunate in another aspect: We may get to see an eventual Triple Crown winner in action. We know, we know, it’s early, and if we do see a sweep […]
Read more
Now we know why the Kentucky Derby traditionally is run on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness two Saturday’s later and the Belmont on the first Saturday in June. Because that’s how long most 3-year-old stars that have been most successful since Jan. 1 are ripest. And not a moment longer. We were […]
Read more