BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

Sunland Derby a Success Story

Being graded for the first time in 2010, the Sunland Derby, the second richest Derby prep in North America, takes on added importance.

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Todd's Time?

Todd Pletcher has been one of racing's leading trainers the past decade, though the sport's biggest prize, the Derby, has eluded him. This could be his year.

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Come to Papa

Though he was bred in Kentucky, Papa Clem is a Californian.

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Zenyatta vs. Rachel: How About May 2?

Can you imagine the publicity if the two great distaffers met the day after the Kentucky Derby?

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What's Going On Here: Lending Influence

We need the help of banks. And we need people like Ahmed Zayat.

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What's Going On Here: States of Confusion

The horse industry in NY, Kentucky, and Maryland is suffering because of politicians.

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Breeders' Cup Not a World Championship

The Breeders' Cup is a great event but it is not really a world championship of anything.

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What's Going On Here: So Long Synthetic

Dan Liebman addresses Santa Anita's decision to remove its synthetic surface and replace it with dirt.

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Commentary: Healing the Wounds

by Dan Liebman - There were 417 races run on the flat in North America May 3, but only one captured the attention of the public.

Commentary: It Just Is

by Joel B. Turner - It is what we owners and breeders fear the most. A call from a farm employee, trainer, or vet with that oddly familiar, awkward tone foretelling the bad news we have lost one of our horses.

Commentary: The Sound of Silence

by Dan Liebman - After winning the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 2, Airdrie Stud owner Brereton Jones talked of the relationship his family has developed with trainer Larry Jones and his wife, Cindy.

Commentary: Dear John

by Dan Liebman - One night during the 2007 Keeneland November sale, Eoin Harty was enjoying a leisurely dinner when the topic turned to horses, in particular those in his Southern California stable.

Commentary: Just Like Yesterday

by Dan Liebman - There are moments along the Triple Crown trail that remain forever etched in our minds. For this writer, one of those was April 27, 1978.

Commentary: Sales Sold

by Dan Liebman - Few have the resources to do anything they want in the Thoroughbred industry. Sheikh Mohammed would be one of the exceptions.

Commentary: The Next Steps

by Dan Liebman - Alice Chandler has no intention of shooting craps in a fancy, glitzy casino. Wouldn't be the same. Now 82, she harkens back to her youth when she would try to make her point in a tack room with the men on her dad's Beaumont Farm.

Commentary: Losing Gamble

By Dan Liebman - Wallace Wilkinson did what the voters asked him to do. Steve Beshear did not.

Commentary: Detox

By Dan Liebman - Imagine using something in your profession for 25 years because you believe it to be beneficial, and then having regulators take it away from you.

Commentary: Right to Know

By Dan Liebman - It leaves a bad taste in the collective mouths of the betting public when it believes it has been misled.

Commentary: More Horsemanship

By Eric Mitchell - The drumbeat to regulate steroids in sale horses is loud and growing. But if the industry only implements a ban on steroids and moves on, then it's missed an opportunity to address other important issues.

Commentary: Insert Coin Here

By Evan Hammonds - The casino bill's chances in Kentucky aren't necessarily a longshot, but aren't exactly 2-5, either.

Commentary: When Is Diligence Due?

You can bet there are those pushing for a return to a dirt surface at Santa Anita

Commentary: Fresh Start

By Dan Liebman - The franchise extension is only the beginning. NYRA has many hurdles to return to profitability.

Commentary: Half Empty

By Dan Liebman - The Breeders' Cup should be a win-win for the organization and the host track.

Commentary: 'Roid Rage

By Dan Liebman - The industry has one chance to get it right or the federal government may intervene.

Commentary: Hall Worthy

By Dan Liebman - Years after Kent Hollingsworth's death, many issues he wrote about are still at the forefront.

Commentary:Beyond Past Performances

By Dan Liebman - There are no rules for Eclipse Awards voters, and maybe that is as it should be.

Commentary: Holding Court

By Dan Liebman - A contemporary of Bob Courtney's was asked how he would best describe the 86-year-old owner of Crestfield Farm, who retired from selling horses following the Keeneland January sale. "If you asked 100 people who the most honest guy in the sale pavilion is, all 100 would say Bob Courtney," he said.

Commentary: Broad Cast

By Dan Liebman - During dinner with colleagues the night of Dec. 29, a member of the party returned to the table and mentioned how the New York Giants were leading the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter. A television in an adjacent room was showing the game on CBS.

Commentary: Hall of a Career

By - Dan Liebman - I never met Dale Baird. In fact, I never even saw one of his horses win in person. But in 2005 I voted for him to gain inclusion in racing's Hall of Fame.

Commentary: By the Numbers

By - Dan Liebman - Usually, if sales of young horses are up, so too are sales of broodmares and broodmare prospects. As this issue devoted to the auction market shows, 2007 was a bit different.

Commentary: Pitching In

By - Dan Liebman - Compile a list of important issues facing the Thoroughbred industry in 2008 and integrity would surely be included. Well, racing is not alone.

Commentary: Another World

By - Dan Liebman - On Dec. 9, the Cathay Pacific International Races were held in Hong Kong. The following day, the Breeders' Cup announced it was adding three new races to its World Championships program. The terms "international" and "world" may imply the same thing, but there is little that is similar about the two events.

Commentary: Step Lively

By - Dan Liebman - In 2007, at least one Thoroughbred flat race was run at 129 different racetracks in North America (another 24 ran steeplechase races only). Of those racetracks, nine now have a synthetic track surface.

Commentary: Rough Ride

By - Dan Liebman - In some ways, jockeys are no different than coal miners, oil-rig workers, and police and firemen. There is inherent risk in their everyday job. But you can't think about the risk. To dwell on it would make the job impossible to perform.

Commentary: Performance-based

By - Dan Liebman - In a perfect world, professional athletes would all have one-year contracts. The results of their previous season would determine whether or not they would receive a raise for the following year.

Commentary: One Small Step

By - Dan Liebman - It was an item that didn't draw many headlines. But, as Neil Armstrong so eloquently said about one small step, it can lead to a giant leap.

Commentary: To Market

By - Dan Liebman - There were many longtime industry participants at Monmouth Park Oct. 26-27 for the first Breeders' Cup World Championships spread over two days. But perhaps more importantly, there was a newcomer to the sport intently watching the goings on.

Commentary: Have Courage

By - Dan Liebman It was a routine early December night in Kentucky, when suddenly residents of South Frankfort were startled by late night fireworks. The pyrotechnics display from near the state capitol could mean only one thing -- Kentucky's first female governor had closed the deal to land the Toyota manufacturing plant.

Commentary: New Chief

By Stacy Bearse - It is my privilege to introduce Dan Liebman as the editor-in-chief of The Blood-Horse. Dan is the sixth chief editor in the long history of this publication.

Commentary: The Hearty Boys

By Evan I. Hammonds - The Triple Crown races of the spring are in the books, and the summer races at Saratoga and Monmouth have been run. The true test of sophomore runners comes in the fall, when they take on older horses for the first time.

Commentary: Spending Time With The Old Man

By Eric Mitchell - It's been almost 20 years since I'd seen the Old Man, and the first time for Matthew. You know how time gets away. The Old Man's health has not been too good lately so a visit was essential.

Commentary: Substandard

By Dan Liebman - For baby boomers, 60 is the new 40; for airlines, 6 a.m. is the new 8 a.m.; and, according to a recent advertisement in The Blood-Horse, for the Thoroughbred industry, 6% stakes winners from foals is the new "gold standard."

Commentary: Surfers and Sellers

By Evan I. Hammonds - One thing we should already know about next year's round of yearling sales is that there will be changes to the conditions of sale. The Sales Integrity Task Force has until the end of the year to come up with recommendations to the Kentucky legislature to address several issues involving the sale of horses in the Bluegrass State.

Commentary: Three Weeks of September

By Eric Mitchell - In many ways, Keeneland September has already established itself as an event. Why else would consignors continue to offer more horses there? They have to believe they are selling at the epicenter, and that there is no better place to be.

Commentary: Running Start

By Dan Liebman - Thankfully, someone at the time did have an interest in standing Danzig, Storm Cat, and Mr. Prospector, respectively. And, our breed has been changed forever because of their decisions.

Commentary: Battle Lines

By Evan I. Hammonds - Advance deposit wagering, which most sources agree accounts for about 10% of handle on Thoroughbred racing, is the sport's latest battleground.

Commentary: The Mr. D Way

By Ray Paulick - Duchossois offers a special brand of hospitality to the racing fans and horsemen.

Commentary: Low Maintenance

By Ray Paulick - The only master that should count is the horse and his safety.

Commentary: Scandalous

By Ray Paulick - Racing has no commissioner, so when a substance, possibly cobra venom, was found in a trainer's barn a month ago, there is no swift and decisive action, only inaction.

Commentary: Now's The Time

By Ray Paulick - Unlike existing news products delivered once a day, BloodhorseNOW.com will be a vibrant, constantly updated online resource pulling in the latest information from racetracks, auction rings, and breeding sheds.