Author Archives: admin

A Pinhooking Tale: Florida Derby Contender Bourbon War & His Little Sister

The lag time between submitting your horse for a public auction’s catalogue and the printing and distribution of the sales catalogue can create some interesting issues for buyers and sellers alike. When the Keeneland November, 2017, sale took place, its opening day was November 7, and a Tapit weanling out of the Grade 1 winning mare, My Conquestadory, brought $775,000, a huge investment on a weanling.

We Love You Victor Espinoza & Don’t Worry! The Strongest & Smartest Riders Like You Will Benefit Most From California’s Whip Ban

In an article from the Thoroughbred Daily News, the hugely popular rider of American Pharoah and California Chrome, Victor Espinoza commented on the imminent rule changes regarding the whip in California. Riders are going to be told that they can only use their whips for corrective and safety purposes – for instance to keep a wayward horse from lugging sideways, impeding other runners, or attempting to run out or jump the rail etc..

Pedigree Review – Roses Will Look Beautiful On His Battleship Gray Coat

Given my love for the great mares, the Blue Hens of thoroughbred breeding, it should come as no surprise that my Kentucky Derby horse is the blue-blooded, Juddmonte-bred Tacitus, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby this year. The Juddmonte breeding program has a tradition of boldness, and its inbreeding and ground breaking are second to none. Tacitus is by Tapit, the leading stallion of our time, and himself a treasure trove of wondrous DNA…

Horseracing Integrity Act Reintroduced, ‘Back In The Starting Gate’ For Congress

U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Andy Barr (R-KY), who represent two of the meccas of American Thoroughbred racing – Saratoga Springs and Lexington – have introduced the Horseracing Integrity Act to create a uniform national standard for drug testing that would be overseen by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“My team and I have been chomping at the bit to get the Horseracing Integrity Act back in the starting gate for the 116th Congress,” said Rep. Paul Tonko. “We set a fast pace last session, garnering more cosponsors down the stretch than ever before in our efforts to get this bill across the finish line.

Scat Daddy – A Successful Sire On Tapeta Too

Scat Daddy was a great sire, gone way too soon. Once considered a one-dimensional patriarch of sprinters on grass, his last few crops have featured a Triple Crown winner, Justify, able to get a distance on dirt, clearly. Not to mention many others, on turf, dirt and synthetic surfaces, at any distance, most recently the winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate, Anothertwistafate, running off by seven lengths on the Tapeta surface.

Track Breakdowns – Are Ten Ton Tractors Compressing The Problem?

In light of the Santa Anita breakdowns, a Thoroughbred People fan has ventured that  “Vehicular traffic (tractor and ambulance) is highly destructive to the cushion. Horse drawn harrows and gate have great advantages.” Watching the tractors tow the harrows between races, I have also wondered how the compression of narrow lanes of the track by a multi-ton John Deere tractor vehicle effects the track. Whether it adds to the track inconsistency or not, what a nice sight it would be for racing fans to see the harrows towed by plough horses instead.