Why spend a million dollars on an untried yearling when you can buy a piece of history? We're not talking just any piece of history, but items that represent three superstars of The Turf, Secretariat, Dr. Fager, and Arts and Letters.
Steve Haskin takes a look at the pros and cons of 11 prospective Travers horses as they head into the all-important race that could nail down an Eclipse Award.
Because it is futile to dwell on something we most likely will never get to the bottom of, we can only look ahead and wonder if there is anything Arrogate can do to restore his reputation.
Let’s make a horse racing movie. You know, the kind they used to make in the 1940s and ‘50s. It doesn’t matter if the plot is implausible. People love this kind of stuff.
Waiting for a horse like this is something Sol Kumin and Jay Hanley no longer will do. For as many top-class horses as they own and will own, they know in their heart they will never again have a horse like Lady Eli. Nor will anyone else.
If John Henry had one positive trait, it was his ability to touch people's lives. Of course, everyone knows how John affected the lives of Ron McAnally and Sam Rubin, but no one's life was affected more by the horse than Phil Marino's.
I have posted photos of Secretariat over the years, but never all of them in one place. I figured it was time to put all these photos together in a single blog, just to have them archived and easily accessible.
Despite the emergence of numerous equine superstars and three more Triple Crown winners, Secretariat is still the gift that keeps giving. More than four decades later, his name still is part of our vernacular and in many ways of our culture.
When Diane Nelson passed away at age 54, her days riding regularly on the tough New York circuit were long forgotten by many. But those who followed racing in the Big Apple remember her as a top rider.
Could it be that we actually saw the Travers winner, or at least a major threat in the Midsummer Derby, compete on Saturday?
The more Arrogate accomplishes, the more we want to see if he can top it. Unlike the vast majority of today's champions, we want to know just how high a ceiling our champions have.
It didn't take the M.C. Hammer long to make a major impact on the sport with the exciting filly Lite Light, who surged into national prominence by capturing the Las Virgenes Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, Fantasy Stakes, and the Kentucky Oaks.
While it is still too early to get a clear picture of who is going where, one thing is for certain: the Haskell, Jim Dandy, and Travers are going to be extremely competitive and entertaining events, from which a solid 3-year-old leader should emerge.
When Royal Ascot ended its five-day meet, there was a sense of sadness, as if something beautiful, yet comforting, was taken away after filling four and a half hours each morning with a kaleidoscope of images and colors and unbridled emotion.
Here we are once again following yet another John Nerud coup. He is now responsible this year alone for Arrogate, Always Dreaming, Tapwrit, Gun Runner, Classic Empire, and after today, Lady Aurelia.
Humans and animals overcoming physical handicaps and going on to achieve great things has always been a sure way to bring out the sentimental side of people, who admire grit and resolve in the face of adversity.
The fairy tale journey of Mucho Macho Man and trainer Kathy Ritvo that began on Father's Day 2008.
To set the stage for Hansel's Belmont victory, one must go back to Churchill Downs, where the colt had thrown in an inexplicably bad performance in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 10th after looking like a winner at the top of the stretch.
Tonalist...Frosted...Creator...Tapwrit. If not for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah defeating Frosted in 2015, Tapwrit would have been Tapit's fourth consecutive Belmont Stakes winner.
Here we are at the end of the road--the often unpredictable Belmont Stakes, without the Kentucky Derby or Preakness winner, without the favorite Classic Empire, and with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the head of the Japanese invader Epicharis.
Steve Haskin reflects on the legacy of 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull.
Let's start off by saying what has happened in the past often has no bearing on what is going to happen in the future. In Thoroughbred racing, they call them past performances for a reason.
There was no doubt that A.P. Indy would be a heavy favorite in the Belmont Stakes. All that was left was for the colt to have his all-important major work. Unfortunately. the night before it poured at Belmont, turning the track into a quagmire.
If you want to get a bit more adventurous and take a shot on a horse who not only could win the Belmont, he could win in impressive fashion, then why not take a good hard look at the Japanese invader Epicharis.
Damascus went into the August 5 American Derby having already run 10 times as a 3-year-old, including victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Steve Haskin reflects on Cloud Computing's victory in the 2017 Preakness Stakes.
If you enjoyed the Kentucky Derby dream, no sense waking up now. You might as well keep dreaming until you are jolted back to reality, if and when that ever occurs.
Of all the stakes to change to the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, none would have made the Hall of Fame trainer happier than the King's Bishop.
Todd Pletcher and old-school training have never exactly been synonymous. Pletcher is known for being a conservative trainer, preferring long periods of time between races.
As I have done the past several years, I thought it would be interesting to go back week by week and re-live the observations, race reports, workout reports, and any news regarding the eventual Kentucky Derby winner.
Steve shares stories about the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming.
Steve announces his final selections and wagers for the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
The final Derby Dozen for 2017. Do you agree with Steve's list? How would you rank them?
Racing fans who were not around before the 1980s may find it difficult to appreciate just how much the dynamics of the Kentucky Derby have changed since then and how much more difficult the race is to win.
A BloodHorse magazine (issue of May 9, 2015) recap of American Pharoah's 2015 Kentucky Derby victory. The story carried the headline, "A Part of History, American Pharoah allows Ahmed Zayat to enter the Derby winner’s circle."
The details in the Dozen make the difference as the Derby draws near.
The 1992 Run for the Roses will always be remembered for the phenomenon known as Arazimania.
How did the Arkansas Derby impact the Derby Dozen? Was Classic Empire's performance enough to propel him back to the top.
Steve Haskin shares memories of covering the Kentucky Derby
How did the weekend stakes results impact the Derby Dozen? Did Blue Grass winner Irap make the cut?
With Awesome Gem arriving at his new home at Old Friends April 7 I thought it would be an appropriate time to reprint a column I wrote in 2010 on this old warrior and the person whose life he changed.
There's a new number one in the Derby Dozen, and the return of an old face at number 12
John Nerud's influence can be found in both the male and female family of Arrogate, the sensational Travers, Breeders' Cup Classic, and Pegasus World Cup winner who set off a frenzy of superlatives with his incredible victory in the Dubai World Cup.
Arrogate is as great as each individual perceives him, and it has nothing to do with competition or longevity. Years from now, Arrogate's Hall of Fame plaque will be there among the others, and nowhere will it mention the quality of his competition.
Does the new addition to Derby Dozen prove that Steve Haskin is always dreaming?
It’s almost as if Arrogate has taken on the best qualities of different great horses in each of his four stakes victories.
Classic Empire follows in a long line of misbehavers amongst talented Thoroughbreds
Was Malagacy's Rebel performance enough to secure a place in the Derby Dozen?
Mastery's injury and weekend results impact the Derby Dozen, which features the return of some old faces.
With season one a major success, NYRA has announced an expanded partnership with Fox Sports that will result in additional live shows. 46 live shows are scheduled to be shown on Fox Sports2 covering racing from Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga.
