Tag: Art Collector

Wigoberto Ramos celebrates a 99/1 upset aboard Emblem Road in the Saudi Cup. He may follow Americans Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon to the Dubai World Cup in March. (Image: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mathea Kelley

Dubai the Next Destination for Country Grammer, Midnight Bourbon

It’s off to Dubai for Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon, back to the US for Mandaloun and Art Collector and a roving question mark for Emblem Road and Mishriff. This is the post-Saudi Cup itinerary for several of the principals of the third edition of the world’s richest horse race, according to […]

Mandaloun, seen here holding off rival Midnight Bourbon to win January's Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds, is the 5/2 favorite to win the third running of the Group 1 Saudi Cup, the world's richest race. (Image: Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir)

Horseplayers Get Plenty of Familiarity In This Year’s Saudi Cup

When handicapping the Saudi Cup, your typical first inclination is to lock in on the familiar. After all, it’s a race offering the unfamiliar in an unfamiliar-to-North American-bettors site. Two years ago, in the first iteration of the $20 million race, it was the familiar site of Maximum Security crossing […]

After winning last year's Saudi Cup, Mishriff can set a career earnings record with a victory in Saturday's Group 1 $20 million race. (Image: Coady Photography)

Mishriff Returns to Saudi Cup With Eyes On a Monster Prize

Should Mishriff conquer his outside post, the formidable presence of Mandaloun and the 12 other rivals stalking shares of the $20 million Saudi Cup purse, he’ll become the highest earning horse in Thoroughbred racing history. Read that sentence back. Should Mishriff defend his Saudi Cup title, the 5-year-old Irish-bred, British-trained […]

A familiar sight: Pursuers vainly chasing Knicks Go. The 5-year-old beat sophomores Medina Spirit, Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie to win the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday at Del Mar. (Image: AP Photo)

Breeders’ Cup Day 2: Land of Knicks Go, Rising Sun and Falling Favorites

Now that the Breeders’ Cup Classic performed its designated coronation, you can start engraving Knicks Go’s name on the Horse of the Year trophy now. Avoid the rush, which Knicks Go splendidly did at Del Mar Saturday evening. He broke out to his patented early lead and turned aside all […]

Knicks Go breezed to victory in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He takes 5/2 morning-line favorite status for Saturday's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic against a wealth of tougher contenders. (Image: Horsephotos)

Breeders’ Cup Classic: An All-Star Field With Numerous Possibilities

The first thing worth understanding about the Breeders’ Cup Classic is that it’s not kind to favorites. Unless you qualify for legend status, like Ferdinand, Alysheba, A.P. Indy, Cigar, Skip Away, Ghostzapper, Zenyatta and American Pharoah do. Last year’s winner, Authentic, was 5/1. Your favorite, meanwhile, was 3.20/1 Tiz the […]

Knicks Go used this Lukas Classic victory as a tune-up for the Breeders' Cup Classic, where his speed figures top his competitors on two scales. (Image: Coady Photography)

Breeders’ Cup Speed Figures: Classic Questions, Possibilities Abound

Hot Rod Charlie, Art Collector, Medina Spirit and Stilleto Boy all come into the Breeders’ Cup Classic off career-best speed figures on all three barometers. Essential Quality and Max Player enter the fray off career-best marks on two tables. So what to make of this year’s 10-horse field in what […]

Art Collector and jockey Luis Saez's gutsy victory in the Charles Town Classic sets them up for Saturday's Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. Art Collector is the 3/1 third-favorite to win his first Grade 1. (Image: Coady Photography)

Woodward Stakes Returns to Belmont Park With Wide Open Field

The Grade 1 Woodward Stakes returns to Belmont Park for the first time since 2005, bringing with it a field full of intriguing characters at varying points in their careers. And all seeking validation for where they are in those varying points. One of two Grade 1s on Belmont Park’s […]

One-time A-list 3-year-old Art Collector won the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga for his first win in nearly a year. He travels to West Virginia ,where he's the 5/2 favorite for Friday's Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. (Image: NYRA)

Art Collector Leads the Redemption Brigade into Charles Town Classic

Art Collector is the 5/2 morning-line favorite for Friday’s Grade 2 Charles Town Classic at Hollywood Casino at Charles Races. And yes, it’s strange to read one of 2020’s top 3-year-olds is running in West Virginia and not in Saratoga this weekend. Art Collector’s path to the starting gate for […]

Letruska and jockey Jose Ortiz wired the field in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps earlier this month. The pair just became the favorites for Saturday's Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. (Image: Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

Red Hot Mare Letruska Will Run Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs

Trainer Fausto Gutierrez turned Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet closing day from impressive to electric when he told the Daily Racing Form on Sunday that his star mare, Letruska, will run the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes. That turns the already-deep, 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis into a Grade 1-worthy […]

Art Collector and regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. worked out four times at Churchill Downs. The one-time Triple Crown race threat returns for his 4-year-old campaign in the June 25 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. (Image: Coady Photography)

Art Collector Set for 2021 Debut at Kelly’s Landing Stakes

Art Collector, one of last year’s most heralded 3-year-olds, will make his 4-year-old debut in the Black-Type Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. The June 25 Kelly’s Landing is one of eight stakes on Churchill Downs’ closing weekend for its Spring Meet. It sends its competitors seven furlongs on […]

Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Improbable to his second of three Grade 
wins at August's The Whitney. His current form makes him the favorite in Circa Sports' Breeders' Cup Classic futures betting. (Image: Daily Gazette)

Circa Sports Makes Improbable the Breeders’ Cup Classic Futures Favorite

One day after opening the first domestic Breeders’ Cup Classic futures board, Circa Sports puts Improbable as the favorite to capture the $6 million Breeders’ Cup’s marquee event on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Improbable opened at +380, then moved up slightly to +410. His best odds overseas are 4/1. The […]

Swiss Skydiver trainer Kenny McPeek congratulates jockey Robby Albarado for winning the 145th Preakness Stakes. That complicates McPeek's Breeders' Cup plans for his star filly. (Image: Mitch Stringer/USA TODAY)

Winning Preakness Complicates Swiss Skydiver’s Breeders’ Cup Plans

She’s run with the boys. Now, with her Preakness victory last Saturday, Swiss Skydiver beat the boys. So what’s the next challenge for one of the great North American fillies of her generation? That would be the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. That much, we know. But what are […]

Swiss Skydiver got her head in front of 3/2 favorite Authentic to win a Preakness Stakes stretch duel for the ages. (Image: Nick Wass/AP Photo)

Swiss Skydiver Wins Epic 2020 Preakness Stakes Amid Plunging Handle

Not even one of the most exciting Preakness finishes in memory prevented a 48.7% drop in betting handle from 2019’s record figure, according to Equibase. Pimlico’s 12-race Preakness handle checked in at $51,252,631, a nearly 50% drop from last year’s $99,852,653 record handle. That 2019 handle came on a 14-race […]

The venerable Pimlico Race Course clubhouse will play host to a small group of owners for Saturday's 145th Preakness Stakes. (Image: Getty)

The Triple Crown Ends Here: Breaking Down the 2020 Preakness Stakes

It’s October 2020, which in this bizarre of all bizarre years, means it’s Preakness Stakes time. That there is no Triple Crown at stake does not mean there is nothing at stake in the third and final jewel of a wild, 15-week Triple Crown campaign. The 2020 American Classics trail […]

Art Collector has taken trainer Tommy Drury Jr. on the ride of his life this year. He's the 5/2 second choice in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. (Image: Wendy Wooley)

Trainer Tommy Drury Takes Big Picture View with Art Collector

Art Collector was the biggest “what-if” surrounding this year’s Kentucky Derby. “What if” the multi-dimensional speedster ran the Derby? Would Authentic have run first at every call, like he did en route to his victory? Would he have had run first at the most important call of all – the […]

Authentic and John Velazquez found the Kentucky Derby winner's circle. They are the 9/5 favorite to find the Pimlico winner's circle in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. (Image: MyRacehorse.com)

Preakness Stakes Draw: Derby Winner Authentic Takes Favorite Spot

While Preakness Stakes favorite Authentic was wrapping up his final pre-race workout, the 9/5 favorite for Saturday’s 145th Preakness drew post 9 at Monday morning’s post draw in Baltimore. In what’s already been a wild and unpredictable Triple Crown season, at least one reliable standby remains true. The Kentucky Derby […]

Swiss Skydiver will be the first filly running the Preakness Stakes in six years. (Image: Coady Photography)

It’s Official: Swiss Skydiver Jumps into Preakness Stakes

Swiss Skydiver’s trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Saturday his star filly will take on the boys in next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. McPeek told the Daily Racing Form that the decision to run Swiss Skydiver in the final Triple Crown race of 2020 “was one of the toughest decisions of my career.” […]

Finishing second in the Kentucky Derby took more out of Tiz the Law than his victories did. He'll skip the Preakness Stakes and focus on the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 7. (Image: Jamie Squire/Getty)

Tiz the Law Passes on Preakness, Bound for Breeders’ Cup

To the surprise of few, standout 3-year-old Tiz the Law will bypass the Preakness Stakes and train for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, according to his primary owner, Jack Knowlton. The managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, the Saratoga Springs-area consortium which owns Tiz the Law, Knowlton confirmed his prize colt will […]

Kentucky Derby winner Authentic opens as the +225 favorite on Circa Sports Preakness futures board. (Image: MyRacehorse/Coady Photography)

Authentic Captures Top Spot on Circa’s Opening Preakness Futures Board

Circa Sports in Las Vegas unveiled its Preakness Stakes futures odds this weekend and, not surprisingly, Kentucky Derby winner Authentic finds himself the opening favorite at +225. This is better than what the foreign books offer. The best odds offered overseas are 3/2. Meanwhile, Authentic celebrated his futures board-topping debut […]