Horse Racing

Prevalence captured this maiden race at Gulfstream Park by 8 1/2 lengths in January. He is a trendy Derby futures pick despite not running two turns or a stakes race in his two races. (Image: Horsephotos.com)

Prevalence Looks, Tastes Like Derby Flavor of the Week

It clearly illustrates the betting public’s thirst for trendy Kentucky Derby picks that Prevalence seized center stage last week for winning a one-mile allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park. Prevalence’s three-length win over the one-turn mile earned him an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. By contrast, Concert Tour’s 4 1/4-length […]

Silver State won his second race of 2021 in Saturday's Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park. He was the lone favorite to win any of the five Cross Country Pick 5 races. (Image: Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park)

Long Shot Carlos L Produces $108,475 Cross Country Pick 5 Win

By winning Oaklawn Park’s Temperence Hill Stakes on Saturday, 47/1 longshot Carlos L produced one single winner in Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5. That winning ticket earned its lucky and savvy holder a healthy $108,475 payoff from the regular Saturday multi-track, multi-race wager. Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 incorporated three […]

Swiss Skydiver had no company in deep stretch, winning Saturday's Grade 1 Beholder Mile by four lengths. (Image: Benoit Photo)

A Beautiful Finish Was in Swiss Skydiver’s Eye in the Beholder

Bring the jury in on Swiss Skydiver. Throw out whatever doubts you may have held on the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly impressing as a 4-year-old. Swiss Skydiver didn’t exactly pick up in 2021 where she left off in 2020 after stumbling out of the gate at the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Her […]

Flavien Prat is one of only four riders in Santa Anita's 85-year history to win six races in a single day twice. He tied Laffit Pincay's record of winning six consecutive races Friday. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Prat Ties Legendary Pincay’s Record With Six Consecutive Wins

Flavien Prat is fast making a disappearing act of the Santa Anita Park Winter/Spring Meet jockey title, which became clear when he tied a Santa Anita Park record Friday. Prat won six consecutive races Friday, finishing the feat aboard Disappearing Act in Santa Anita’s seventh race. Prat took Disappearing Act […]

Caddo River brings front-end speed, two-turn experience and Oaklawn familiarity to Saturday's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. (Image: Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park)

Expect Rebel Stakes to Flow Caddo River’s Way

The Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, which holds court as the lone Kentucky Derby prep of consequence this weekend, has a Grade 1 winner in its field. Bob Baffert doesn’t train 8/1 Get Her Number, the lone Grade 1 winner in Saturday’s Rebel at Oaklawn Park. Nor does Brad Cox. No, […]

Swiss Skydiver (right) solidified her Champion 3-Year-Old status with this thrilling Preakness victory over Authentic. What will this year's Preakness contenders to for an encore when the race returns to its customary May date? (Image: Skip Dickstein)

Preakness Meet Weekend at Pimlico Packs in 16 Stakes

The Preakness Stakes serves as the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, doubling as the crown jewel of a stacked Preakness Meet stakes weekend at Pimlico Race Course. The Baltimore race track plays host to 16 stakes – 10 of those graded – over the two-day Preakness weekend on May […]

This tongue-wagging victory at 17/1 in the Saudi Cup vaulted Mishriff to the No. 1 spot in the first 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings. (Image: Douglas DeFelice/Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)

Mishriff Takes Top Spot in Initial 2021 Longines Rankings

Led by Charlatan, American Thoroughbreds took three of the top eight spots, but it was Ireland’s Mishriff who seized the top spot in the 2021 first edition of Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. The John Gosden-trained 4-year-old earned a 122 rating from the racing officials and handicappers compiling the rankings […]

Laurel Park scratched its entire Friday card after an outbreak of equine herpesvirus (EHV) affected four of its barns. (Image: Maryland Racing)

Laurel Park Cancels Races, Continues Testing After EHV Outbreak

An equine herpesvirus (EHV) outbreak at Laurel Park in Maryland canceled Friday’s racing card and prompted travel restrictions on horses stabled at Laurel and its sister track, Pimlico Race Course. The Paulick Report identified the four barns in question as Laurel’s Barns 1, 4, 10, and 11. Those barns went […]

Concert Tour arrived at Oaklawn Park Tuesday for Saturday's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. He and Bob Baffert stablemate, Hozier, shipped in from Southern California. (Image: Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park)

Concert Tour’s Next Gig on Stardom Path: Rebel Stakes

If Concert Tour was your garden-variety band embarking on a, well, concert tour, he’d be one of those hot new groups from the underground. A group people have heard of, but don’t really know about. He may not have broken through to the main stage yet, but Concert Tour is […]

Churchill Downs plays host to more than the Kentucky Derby this spring. It's offering 40 stakes races worth a record $13.44 million in purses. (Image: Kentuckyderby.com/Churchill Downs)

Record Churchill Downs Spring Meet Purses Come Up Roses

Churchill Downs released its Spring Meet stakes schedule on Monday, led of course, by the May 1 Kentucky Derby. But, along with America’s most famous horse race, come 39 other stakes races worth a track-record $13.44 million. Churchill Downs opens its nine-week spring season on April 24. The 38-day meet […]

The betting bandwagon piled on Life Is Good after he and Mike Smith rolled to an eight-length victory in Saturday's San Felipe Stakes. He is as low as 2/1 on one Kentucky Derby futures board. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Kentucky Derby Futures: When is it Too Late to Jump In?

Here is your Kentucky Derby futures reminder that the typical Derby favorite opens around 5/2 or 3/1 when Mike Battaglia issues the Churchill Downs morning line come Derby Week. We issue this reminder because right now – nearly eight weeks before the May 1 Derby – Life Is Good sits […]

Life Is Good led at every call for the third consecutive race. His eight-length San Felipe Stakes victory brought him 50 Kentucky Derby points and depressed futures odds. (Image: Benoit Photography)

Life Is Good Shows He’s Eight Lengths Good in San Felipe Romp

The hardest part of analyzing Life Is Good’s dismantling of Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes field at Santa Anita Park is determining what was the most impressive element of his victory. Was it the eight-length victory? The legitimate fractions of 23.63 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 46.83 for the first […]

Maxfield makes his first trip west of the Mississippi for Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. He's the 8/5 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/4-mile "Big 'Cap." (Image: Ernie Belmonte)

Maxfield Puts Maximum Attention on Santa Anita Handicap

The Santa Anita Handicap was the race that put Seabiscuit into the Depression-era public conscience. It was the first race offering a $100,000 purse, earning it the nickname “The Hundred Grander,” back when that was real money. Now, Maxfield is putting the Santa Anita Handicap back on the racing map. […]

Mike Smith and Life Is Good are your odds-on favorites to win Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. (Image: Benoit Photo)

San Felipe Stakes: Where Life Is Good to Bob Baffert

The Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes marks the point of the year where Bob Baffert’s endless 3-year-old depth finally makes him compete with himself. Yes, he’s sent out Life Is Good and Medina Spirit in the Sham. Yes, we saw Concert Tour nip Freedom Fighter in the San Vicente. But […]

Candy Man Rocket held on for a length victory in last month's Sam F. Davis Stakes. He'll need a better finishing kick to prevail in Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby. (Image: SV Photography)

Tampa Bay Derby Seeks a Sweet Path Out of Derby Prep Shadows

The Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby is one of those Kentucky Derby preps that often gets lost in the shuffle. Part of that is the giant shadow Tampa Bay Downs fights from its southern Florida neighbor, Gulfstream Park. Part of that is the fact only two horses emerged from the […]

Jackie's Warrior's victory in last fall's Champagne Stakes staked him as the top Kentucky Derby prospect. But two-turns proved a bridge too far for the colt, who will bypass the Derby for an undercard event. (Image: Janet Garaguso/Coglianese Photo)

Two Turns are a Turn Too Far for Former Derby Darling Jackie’s Warrior

At the beginning of November, Jackie’s Warrior was the favorite to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Now, at the beginning of March, the one-time Derby favorite is off the Derby trail. The Maclean’s Music colt will be at Churchill Downs on May 1 – Derby Day — but he’ll run […]

Del Mar opens its 2021 summer season July 17. The San Diego-area track offers 34 stakes races worth $6.75 million. (Image: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club)

Del Mar Continues Purse-Boosting Binge, Announces Stakes Slate

With the Breeders’ Cup providing the year’s finishing touch for the first time since 2017, Del Mar announced a 2021 summer stakes schedule featuring a 30% purse increase over 2020. Some of the purse boost comes from two stakes returning from a 2020 hiatus – the Grade 3 Cougar II […]

Tiger Roll won't revisit the Grand National winner's circle. Not after his owners pulled him from the famous steeplechase over a weight handicap disagreement. (Image: Paul Grover)

Tiger Roll Won’t Chase Grand National History After Withdrawal

Tiger Roll’s date with history was canceled this week, when owners for the two-time Grand National champion pulled the 11-year-old out of this year’s April 10 event at Aintree. Gigginstown House Stud, which owns Tiger Roll, announced the horse won’t get his chance for a three-peat in the world’s most […]

Highly Motivated set the 6 1/2-furlong Keeneland track record with this victory in the Nyquist Stakes. He opens his 3-year-old season Saturday in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. (Image: Coady Photography)

Highly Motivated Finds His Motivation Returning for Gotham

While the rest of the front-page Kentucky Derby futures favorites spent the winter winning races from California to Florida – and all points in between — Highly Motivated spent his winter hanging out in New York. This was Highly Motivated’s winter: working out here and there, watching stablemate Risk Taking […]

Yes, Essential Quality is No. 1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Pool 4. The Tapit colt opens at 7/2 when the KDFW's Pool 4 begins Friday. (Image: Coady Photography)

No Surprise: Essential Quality Opens as 7/2 Favorite in KDFW Pool 4

Essential Quality turned his Southwest Stakes victory on Saturday into 7/2 favored status for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 4. The KDFW’s Pool 4 runs concurrently with the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager’s sole pool. Clariere opens as the 5/1 favorite for that pool. The KDFW opens Friday at […]