Brian Robin

Muck Rack profile
Concert Tour broke his maiden in impressive fashion last weekend at Santa Anita Park. That broke in the Bob Baffert-trained colt on both Circa Sports and William Hill Nevada's Derby futures boards. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Magic Words ‘Bob Baffert’ Bring Concert Tour, Bezos to Derby Futures

Concert Tour won his debut by 3-½ lengths at Santa Anita last Friday. Other than workouts, Bezos hasn’t entered a starting gate yet. So why are both horses now among the Kentucky Derby futures favorites? Two words: Bob Baffert. Yes, the magic words for 3-year-old Derby hopefuls cast its usual […]

Last time out, Shivaree set the Tampa Bay Downs stakes record en route to winning the Marion County Florida Sire Stakes. The runner-up in last year's Florida Derby returns to action Saturday in the Fred Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park. (Image: SV Photography)

The Pegasus Isn’t the Only Stakes Race This Weekend

Saturday brings us the first two Grade 1 stakes races of 2021: the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the Pegasus World Cup Turf, coming to you from Gulfstream Park. The Florida track captures this weekend’s stakes spotlight with those two high-profile races, along with five other graded stakes on its […]

Santa Anita morning line author Jon White made Justify (right) the 4/5 favorite in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby. The eventual Triple Crown winner beat Bolt d'Oro as the race favorite. White's morning line favorites become actual race favorites more than 70% of the time. (Image: Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star News)

Writing Santa Anita’s Morning Line Requires More than Chalk for White

By this point in his lengthy career in horse racing, which covers everything from steward to TV personality, Jon White’s skin is as tough as leather. He understands that most of you don’t understand what goes into making a racing morning line. But the saying, “Everyone’s a critic” means, well, […]

Winning the Breeders' Cup Classic two months after capturing the Kentucky Derby likely made Authentic the Horse of the Year. The 50th Eclipse Awards will be announced Jan. 28. (Image: Horsephotos.com)

Authentic, Improbable, Monomoy Girl Head Eclipse Awards Finalists

Horse of the Year candidates Authentic, Improbable, and Monomoy Girl headline the finalists for the 2020 Eclipse Awards, announced Saturday by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), and the Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards get their name from the iconic 18th-century racehorse and […]

Mandaloun brings a versatile running style into the closer's haven that is the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Into Mischief offspring is the 3/1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby prep. (Image: Coady Photography)

Lecomte Stakes: Kind to Closers, Anything but to Derby Prospects

The Lecomte Stakes takes center stage this week because it’s a Kentucky Derby prep, it’s a Kentucky Derby prep run in mid-January, and because there are some interesting candidates among its 11-horse field. Eventually, the wheat separates from the chaff, and races like the Grade 3 Lecomte start the Derby […]

Front-running Wells Bayou won the Louisiana Derby last year. He returns to Fair Grounds Saturday for the Louisiana Stakes, his first race in eight months. (Image: Amanda Hodges Weir/Hodges Photography)

Ex-Derby Hopeful Wells Bayou Finds Another Trail — the Comeback

Wells Bayou put himself on last year’s Kentucky Derby Trail with an electric, front-running style comprising equal parts promise and peril. Now, the reigning Louisiana Derby winner puts himself on the comeback trail in Saturday’s Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes. The $125,000 Louisiana is one of six stakes on Saturday’s Fair […]

Maximum Security emerged victorious from this stretch drive in the 2020 Saudi Cup. More than 100 horses from nine countries were nominated to the second edition of the $20 million race. (Image: Reuters)

Charlatan, Knicks Go, and Swiss Skydiver Headline Saudi Cup Nominees

Swiss Skydiver, Charlatan and Knicks Go are three names you’d expect to find in the world’s richest race – the $20 million Saudi Cup. And those three American stars headline a lengthy nominee list for the Feb. 20 Saudi Cup. The 1 1/8-mile Saudi Cup drew 109 nominees from nine […]

Mighty Heart's 7 1/2-length victory in the 2020 Queen's Plate came with the third-largest handle in event history. The 2021 event is Aug. 22. (Image: John Watkins)

Canada’s Queen’s Plate Moves to August, Stays in Late Summer

Banking on extended time allowing the COVID-19 pandemic to subside and spectators to return, Woodbine Entertainment announced the 162nd running of the Queen’s Plate will take place Sunday, Aug. 22 at Woodbine Racetrack. The first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $1 million Queen’s Plate is typically held at […]

Saudi Prince Khalid bin Abdullah created a breeding powerhouse on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the most respected owners and breeders in the world, Prince Khalid died Tuesday at 83. (Image: Trevor Meeks)

Powerhouse Owner, Breeder Prince Khalid bin Abdullah Dies at 83

Tributes from all over the racing world poured in Tuesday, remembering Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, who died Tuesday of undisclosed causes. The Saudi prince and nine-time Eclipse Award winner as owner and breeder was 83. A member of the Saudi Royal Family, Prince Khalid owned Juddmonte Farms, which announced the […]

California grape farmers Kosta (left) and younger brother Pete Hronis may have harvested a Kentucky Derby prospect in Rock Your World. He is (Image: Benoit Photo)

Kentucky Derby Futures: Playing the Trainer-Owner Partnership Game

Two weeks ago, we saw Kentucky Derby futures prospect Mutasaabeq impressively move from the turf to the dirt. The question this week is, can Rock Your World do the same thing? The Circa Sports Derby futures book seems to think so. It put 33/1 odds on the Candy Ride colt, […]

Ride a Comet outdueled Casa Creed down the Gulfstream Park stretch to win the Tropical Turf last weekend. Duplicating that in the Grade 1 Pegasus Turf Invitational will be a much bigger ask for the 6-year-old. (Image: Lauren King/Coglianese Photos)

Independence Hall, Coastal Defense, Ride a Comet Grab Pegasus Invites

With Charlatan and Mucho Gusto passing up Pegasus invites, Independence Hall and Coastal Defense became the latest two invites for the Jan. 23, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. They’ve earned spots on the also-eligible list for the Grade 1 race. Along with that, Ride a Comet parlayed his victory […]

Charlatan's stretch romp in the Malibu Stakes last month produced one of the most impressive wins of the year. He likely will run next in Saudi Arabia in the world's richest race -- the $20 million Saudi Cup. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Baffert’s Charlatan Will Follow the Money to the Saudi Cup

In a clear case of following the money, Charlatan will pass on the Pegasus and likely set down at the Saudi Cup. That’s what trainer Bob Baffert told Santa Anita’s Ed Golden on Sunday. Following the money, in this case, takes the 4-year-old son of Speightstown to Saudi Arabia on […]

Louisiana native Eric Guillot won't be holding court at Saratoga like he was here in 2016. NYRA banned him from its tracks after he gave horse a racist name. Guillot said he is retired and the horse has another name. (Image: Skip Dickstein/Albany Times Union)

NYRA, TSG Ban Trainer Guillot Over Racist Horse Name, Twitter Reference

Both the New York Racing Association and The Stronach Group’s 1/ST Racing affiliate banned trainer Eric Guillot from racing any of his horses or reserving barn space at any of their tracks after Guillot tagged one of his horses with an apparent racially offensive name. The horse’s name was Grape […]

Just a Command (inside) keyed a record trifecta payout at Santa Anita Park Saturday afternoon. He won the maiden claiming race carrying 99/1 odds. (Image: Benoit Photo)

At 99/1, Just a Command Takes Charge of a Track Record Trifecta Payout

Just a Command was just moments away from being shipped to Arizona’s Turf Paradise. Instead, he ran into the Santa Anita Park record books as the key to the biggest trifecta payout in track history. Going off at 99/1 in Santa Anita’s sixth race Saturday, Just a Command scored a […]

Golden Gate Fields received the go-ahead to re-open after a COVID-19 epidemic ravaged the track's employees. The Northern California track closed for two months. (Image: Golden Gate Fields)

Golden Gate Fields Gets Go-Ahead to Restart After COVID-19 Outbreak

Golden Gate Fields, shut down in November after a COVID-19 breakout ravaged its workforce, will resume racing Jan. 15, according to track owners, The Stronach Group. That ends a two-month shutdown of the Northern California track imposed when 24 workers initially tested positive for COVID-19. In the wake of that, […]

After winning her second Breeders' Cup Distaff in three years last November, Monomoy Girl returns for her 6-year-old season Feb. 15 at the Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park. (Image: Coady Photography)

Monomoy Girl Starts Her ‘Monster’ Season at Oaklawn’s Bayakoa Stakes

Trainer Brad Cox called her “a monster,” but you probably know her as the best mare of her generation. Either way, Cox says you’ll see Monomoy Girl return Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park for the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes. The $250,000, 1-1/16-mile Bayakoa marks Monomoy Girl’s 2021 opener and a […]

The life-changing opportunities from 
 hitting a Pick 6 -- like this Saratoga one from September 2015 -- can be eye-watering. That explains why multi-race bets are the fastest-growing wagers in horseracing. (Image: TwinSpires)

Seeking Horseracing’s Fastest-Growing Wagers? Take Five or Pick Six

One of the eternal allures and constant truths about betting on horses is the ability to win a lot by wagering a little. And, when it came to the most popular and fastest-growing wager types in 2020, this eternal truth manifested itself in multiples. Multiples – as in multiple-race wagers. […]

Fighting Mad captured the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes last May over Hard Not To Love. The two meet again in Saturday's Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita Park. (Image: Benoit Photo)

The Older Set Takes Over the Stakes Spotlight at Santa Anita, Gulfstream

Last week, the sophomores stole the stage. Now, it’s the older horses’ turn to seize the stakes spotlight, dim as it may be this weekend. This weekend’s stakes schedule doesn’t scream “high profile.” After all, 2021’s first Grade 1s are still two weeks away. But, it does raise its voice […]

Oaklawn Park opens its 2021 season allowing an unspecified "limited" amount of spectators inside. (Image: Tom Ferry)

Oaklawn Park Will Allow Limited Spectators Inside for 2021 Meet

Oaklawn Park officials said Wednesday they plan on admitting limited spectators inside the gates for their 2021 meet, keeping in line with an Arkansas Department of Health directive allowing the move. The 57-day Oaklawn meet begins Jan. 22 and runs through May 1. Last year, Oaklawn was one of only […]

Mucho Gusto won one Grade 1 and finished second in two others in his 13-race career. He retired Tuesday after suffering a tendon injury. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Defending Pegasus Champ Mucho Gusto Suddenly Retired After Injury

Illustrating once again the fragile nature of modern Thoroughbred horses, defending Pegasus World Cup champion Mucho Gusto was suddenly retired Tuesday after suffering a soft tissue injury. Bob Baffert, Mucho Gusto’s trainer, said the injury happened Tuesday. He told Horse Racing Nation that due to the nature of the injury […]