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The death of Buddy Holly on Feb. 3, 1959 was "the day the music died." April 14, 2007 was the day dirt racing in America died. That may sound harsh and premature, but if races like the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) are what we have to look forward to in the future, then we have indeed seen the beginning of the end of dirt racing as we know it.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007Unbeaten Curlin, a dazzling winner of the $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. II) on Saturday, emerged as a strong favorite over such accomplished rivals as 2006 2-year-old champion Street Sense and Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Nobiz Like Shobiz when betting drew to a close in the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Sunday, April 15, 2007The first five finishers in yesterday's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) -- Dominican, Street Sense, Zanjero, Teuflesberg and Great Hunter -- are all, according to their connections, pointing toward a start in the May 5 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Four of those five were separated by only a neck at the wire in yesterday's race.
Sunday, April 15, 2007Silverton Hill's Dominican moved into the Triple Crown picture when he came from well behind to nose Street Sense, last year's 2-year-old champion, on the wire of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) Saturday on the all-weather track at Keeneland.
Sunday, April 15, 2007Unbeaten Curlin, the morning line favorite for Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park, is a slight favorite over juvenile champion Street Sense and Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Scat Daddy as betting on the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager reached its midway point.
Saturday, April 14, 2007The silks of owner James B. Tafel will be prominent in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland in Lexington--and during Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend in California.
Thursday, April 12, 2007Well, this is it, the final major Derby prep weekend. After this, there is only the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) for horses hoping to hop aboard at the last minute. All eyes now turn to Street Sense, who can emerge from the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) as a solid Derby favorite. But he has to get by Great Hunter first.
Thursday, April 12, 2007Great Hunter and Street Sense face each other for the third time in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. Which one will come out on top? Or will either?
Thursday, April 12, 2007Street Sense drew post four for Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland. James Tafel's homebred champion was also made the 4-5 morning line favorite for the nine-furlong race. Great Hunter, the 9-5 second choice, will break from the outside seven post.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007James Tafel's Street Sense, a major contender for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) on May 5, tuned up for a run in Saturday's $750,000-added Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland with a five-furlong workout on Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007Trainers Darrin Miller, who has Dominican in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), and Bob Holthus, who has Officer Rocket in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II), discuss their chances as the Triple Crown trail continues.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007Juvenile champion Street Sense and grade I winner Nobiz Like Shobiz loom as the strong morning-line favorites heading into third and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007After the defection of Hard Spun, five horses remain as "probable" contenders for Saturday's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I), including Street Sense, Great Hunter, Zanjero, Dominican, and Teuflesberg. Starbase, from the stable of trainer D. Wayne Lukas, is also possible for the field.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007James Tafel's Street Sense, a major contender for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and the reigning 2-year-old champion of American racing, tuned up for a scheduled run in next week's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland with a sizzling five-furlong workout of :58 2/5 on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007James Tafel's homebred Street Sense, America's reigning 2-year-old champion, has returned to familiar surroundings at Churchill Downs, where he is to continue his preparations for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) on May 5.
Sunday, April 01, 2007Street Sense and Any Given Saturday, the respective 1-2 finishers in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), made the largest moves in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's weekly 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007Not even a change to green silks on St. Patrick's Day for Any Given Saturday could deny 2-year-old champ Street Sense a hard-earned victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III). Also on Saturday, rapidly emerging stars Cobalt Blue and Curlin burst on the Derby scene with impressive scores in their two-turn debuts.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007James B. Tafel's 2006 juvenile champion Street Sense returned to action in gutsy style Saturday when he defeated 7-10 favorite Any Given Saturday by a nose in a tremendous finish to the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III).
Saturday, March 17, 2007The Derby trail hits four fronts this weekend, with all eyes on Tampa Bay Downs, Oaklawn Park, Santa Anita, and Sunland Park. Although the races in general are more about potential stars than proven stars, that certainly doesn't apply to the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) which features the match-up of the year, so far.
Friday, March 16, 2007The March 17 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) has a long tradition of sending entrants to the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and other premier 3-year-old stakes. Heading the field this year appear to be Street Sense, who is making his 3-year-old debut and Sam F. Davis winner Any Given Saturday.
Thursday, March 15, 2007"NTRA Racing to the Kentucky Derby," a seven-show series on ABC and the ESPN networks that provides comprehensive coverage of Triple Crown prep races, kicks off its season March 17 from 7-8 p.m. (EST) with four races from coast-to-coast on ESPN.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007Carl Nafzger, who trains champion and Kentucky Derby contender Street Sense, will be the guest for Thursday's edition of bloodhorse.com's "Talkin' Horses" online chat.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007The second of three pools of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ended on Sunday with 'all others' a narrow favorite in a scramble with reigning 2-year-old champion Street Sense, Remsen (gr. II) and Holy Bull (gr. III) winner Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Louisiana Derby (gr. II) winner Circular Quay.
Sunday, March 11, 2007James Tafel's reigning 2-year-old champion Street Sense, winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), and Elizabeth Valando's Nobiz Like Shobiz, winner of the Remsen (gr. II) and the Holy Bull (gr. III), continued to share the role of favorite as pool 2 of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager reached its midway point.
Saturday, March 10, 2007Champion Street Sense and Nobiz Like Shobiz each closed at odds of 9-2 during the first of four days of betting in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2. The mutuel field, the betting interest that includes all 3-year-olds other than the 23 individual horses in Pool 2 and the 4-1 morning line favorite for the pool, stood as the 10-1 third choice at the end of the first day of betting.
Friday, March 09, 2007The "all others" bet remains the morning line favorite for the second of three pools of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW"), which launches its four-day run March 8.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007James Tafel's Street Sense, winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and champion 2-year-old colt, and Elizabeth Valando's Nobiz Like Shobiz, who captured the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) in his season debut, lead a list of 179 3-year-olds nominated to Keeneland's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Wednesday, February 28, 2007Carl Nafzger, who had been considering the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-old champ Street Sense, says the colt is not ready for a hard sprint and will make his debut in either the Tampa Bay Derby Derby (gr. III) or Rushaway Stakes before having his final Derby prep in the Toyoya Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Friday, February 23, 2007When outnumbered, retreat. Times are no doubt changing, and with so many leading contenders looking at only two preps before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), perhaps it is time to loosen our tight grip on the history books and accept the fact that one of these years some horse is going to write its own chapter.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007With no graded races for 3-year-olds over the Feb. 24-25 weekend, champion filly Dreaming of Anna remained at the top of the list in graded stakes earnings among horses nominated to the Triple Crown during the early nomination period.
Friday, February 16, 2007The mutuel field completed the opening four-day pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager as a strong favorite at odds of 5-2.
Sunday, February 11, 2007Individual stars such as juvenile champion Street Sense and Nobiz Like Shobiz continued to receive strong support, but the wagering interest that includes "all other 3-year-olds" remained the favorite at the mid-point of Pool 1 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Saturday, February 10, 2007Individual stars such as juvenile champion Street Sense and Nobiz Like Shobiz continued to receive strong support, but the wagering interest that includes "all other 3-year-olds" remained the favorite at the mid-point of Pool 1 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Saturday, February 10, 2007The betting interest that includes "all others" is expected to be the fan favorite in Pool 1 of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its four-day run at noon (all times EST) Feb. 8.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007Now that we've got the first major coast-to-coast weekend out of the way, this is as good a time as any to look at the top contenders and see just how the Derby trail is shaping up.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007With 2006 Eclipse Award and Breeders' Cup winners Street Sense and Dreaming of Anna headlining the list, a record 450 horses have been nominated early to Thoroughbred racing's 2007 Triple Crown.
Sunday, February 04, 2007Many times when looking back on the career of a Kentucky Derby winner, you can find one defining race or defining moment within a race that stamps the horse as a legitimate classic contender. This is the first of several attempts this winter to find such moments.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007Street Sense, 10-length winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), received the high weight assignment of 127 pounds on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap, released today by The Jockey Club.
Thursday, January 25, 2007Turning for home in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), Street Sense seemed to materialize on the lead from out of nowhere with a move so explosive, even the normally eagle-eyed race caller Trevor Denman missed it.
Monday, January 22, 2007The Eclipse Awards, honoring achievement in American racing in 2006, will be announced later today when the annual awards dinner is held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The winners in each category will be announced at bloodhorse.com immediately after each award is presented
Monday, January 22, 2007Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense tops Steve Haskin's first list of leading contenders for this year's May 5 Kentucky Derby.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007The partnership that owns the weanling half-sister to recent Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Street Sense bought back the Distorted Humor filly for $850,000 Friday during the fifth session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington.
Friday, November 10, 2006By Dan Liebman - Despite the fact they added "world" to the name of the event several years ago, most people still simply call it the Breeders' Cup. But the 23rd edition, run Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs for a record sixth time, had a worldly feel to it.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006Bernardini, who took command of the 3-year-old division starting with an overpowering victory in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), has been retired from racing for stallion duty at Sheikh Mohammed's Darley at Jonabell near Lexington.
Monday, November 06, 2006The owners and trainers of the 2006 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships winners turned out in full force to share their thoughts and plans for the future at the annual press breakfast Nov. 5.
Sunday, November 05, 2006Tracking a hotly contested pace early, Street Sense came up the rail and ran away with the $1,832,000 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) by 10 lengths at Churchill Downs Nov. 4.
Saturday, November 04, 2006Everyone had been saying the field for the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) was evenly matched. Obviously Mike Battaglia, who makes the morning line at Churchill Downs, agreed.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006Although a steady rain fell throughout the early morning, the main track at Churchill Downs was labeled fast Oct. 26 when James B. Tafel's Street Sense breezed five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in preparation for the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
Thursday, October 26, 2006Great Hunter, shipped east from California by trainer Doug O'Neill, won the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Saturday at Keeneland, upsetting odds-on favorite and previously unbeaten Circular Quay.
Saturday, October 07, 2006Officer Rocket and Got the Last Laugh hooked up inside the sixteenth pole and finished dead even in the $200,000 Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (gr. I) for 2-year-olds at rainy Arlington Park Sunday.
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