Author Archives: admin

Hall of Fame Nominees: Ladies and Gentlemen…The Supremes! (Plus That Guy)

The annual Hall of Fame nominees were announced, and they really did resemble that fabulous girl group from Motown, ages ago—gorgeous, harmonic, stellar. They were three time Champion and winner of six Grade One races, Royal Delta (Empire Maker); Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam); her frequent nemesis (you’ve got to have rivalries in girl groups), Champion Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision); and the only filly to ever win the Belmont S.-G1 (and two other prestigious Grade One races for fillies), beating leading sire Curlin in the process in an unforgettable stretch duel, Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy).

Simon Callaghan Owns Saturday at Santa Anita!

This being awards season for movies, it would be appropriate for big winners to thank everyone in the world who ever helped him or her get anything done. The length of lists can be appalling. On Saturday, February 9, 2019, however, when John Sadler won the San Marcos S.-G2 at Santa Anita with his Galileo colt Platinum Warrior, he would only have had to thank one person: Simon Callaghan, for not entering a horse in the race.

Thoroughbred People: Jockey Austin Solis

Name: Austin Solis  

Occupation: Jockey

Location: Monrovia, CA

What are your earliest memories of big races or/and horses? My first memories of horse racing starts the day I was born. I grew up into horse racing. My dad is Hall of Fame rider Alex Solis. I was lucky to watch him race across the world winning big races.

Pedigree Column: Tax and Harvey Wallbanger

With all the great racing on Saturday, February 2, 2019, you’d expect a variety of pedigrees to begin appearing on the Kentucky Derby Trail. You’d be wrong. Harvey Wallbanger, who won the Holy Bull S.-G2 for trainer Kenny McPeek, and Tax, who won the Withers S.-G3, off a brilliant claim by trainer Danny Gargan, have so many similarities in their pedigrees that it would appear they may have been separated at birth, like the triplets movie CNN won’t stop advertising.

Stud Notes: A Seismic Shift in The New Year’s Leaders

2019 is still a very young year, but the leading sires of three-year-olds, thus far, is worth examining. The usual suspects have changed, at least enough to remark upon. After a couple of stellar weekends in which his youngsters won nearly everything, stakes and maiden special weights, Violence leads the pack. Though his stud fee, at Hill ‘n’ Dale in Lexington, has rightly been upped to $40,000, it’s still unusual for a stallion with such a relatively low stud fee to be number one.

Thoroughbred People: Breeder Roberta Smoodin

Name: Roberta Smoodin  

Occupation: Breeder

Location: Wilds of Northern New Mexico

What are your earliest memories of big races or/and horses?

The first horse I fell in love with was Secretariat, of course. His personality, his playing to the camera, and of course, his Belmont. I remember Silky Sullivan from early childhood, because like my beloved Zenyatta much later, he came from behind to win when he seemed utterly without hope.

Thoroughbred People: Exercise Rider Kody Kellenberger

Name: Kody Kellenberger   Occupation: Exercise Rider
Location: Lexington, KY What are your earliest memories of big races or/and horses? Watching California Chrome and American Pharoah.
How did you get involved in horse racing? I started working at RimRoc farm as a groom in Lexington KY moving from Upstate NY where I worked with show horses. Mostly reiners and then hunter jumpers. My first riding job was at Kenny Mcpeek’s Magdalena farm breaking babies.