Who Wins The Gun Runner Stakes?

Saturday is the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. The 2-year-old Stakes contest is the first of four Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds. The mile & 1/16th Gun Runner will offer a total of 21 Derby qualifying points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers. Here is a brief look at Saturday’s field: 1. MESQUITE [ML 9-2] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Cherie … Continue reading Who Wins The Gun Runner Stakes?

The Gun Runner Stakes

A new addition to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series of races is the Gun Runner Stakes. The mile & 1/16th contest at Fair Grounds was inaugurated in 2021. The race is named in honor of GUN RUNNER, the 2017 American Horse of the Year and a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee. The 5th edition of the Gun Runner is Saturday and is the first in a series … Continue reading The Gun Runner Stakes

The Majestic Thoroughbred

It matters not if they achieve Triple Crown glory or never take stride on a racetrack- every thoroughbred racehorse begins life as a foal at a breeding farm. These farms represent the best of the best in foal care, with proven methodologies for raising the strongest and healthiest athletes possible. Once foaled, the curious little ones are up and walking within an hour and within a week … Continue reading The Majestic Thoroughbred

Oaklawn Park Set To Open

Some of the winter season’s best dirt racing returns to the Midwest with the start of 2025-26 campaign at Oaklawn Park. This Friday (12/12) the winter/spring meet at the Hot Springs, Arkansas facility gets underway. Oaklawn racing boasts big fields, which make for good betting races for handicappers. They feature an excellent Stakes program, along with very strong purses throughout its 64-raceday season that will continue … Continue reading Oaklawn Park Set To Open

A Great Gift Idea For The Horse Lover

The holiday season is upon us; Christmas is less than three weeks away. So, if you or someone you know, loves horseracing and/or delicious tasting coffee, the Daily Racing Blog highly recommends Saratoga Cool Beans Coffee. Saratoga Cool Beans is a nifty online coffee shop that caters to horse loving, coffee drinkers. It’s a fun website and you needn’t love horses to enjoy the artisan, gourmet … Continue reading A Great Gift Idea For The Horse Lover

Who Wins The Cigar Mile?

It appears the New York jockey colony and NYRA have, at least for the moment, reached an accord as racing resumed at Aqueduct Park on Thursday. Saturday at Aqueduct brings us the 2025 edition of the $500,000, Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap. Held around one turn, the Cigar Mile has long been an important race in the dirt mile division since its inaugural running in 1988 … Continue reading Who Wins The Cigar Mile?

Who Wins The Remsen Stakes?

If NYRA and the New York jockey colony can reach some form of an accord on Thursday, Aqueduct Park has a good card come Saturday. One of the feature races is the Grade 2, $250,000 dollar Remsen Stakes. 2-year-olds will be tested around two turns at a 1 1/8-mile distance with the top five finishers being awarded Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Here is a brief … Continue reading Who Wins The Remsen Stakes?

Another Blackeye For NYRA

It was a short card at Aqueduct on Sunday. The New York jockey colony refused to ride after the first race because of a number of recent problems they have said they were having with NYRA management. The latest episode occurred around the time of the first race when the jockeys learned that NYRA Assistant Clerk of Scales Brian Pochman was told to leave work … Continue reading Another Blackeye For NYRA

Who’s Riding Who?

Rarely will a thoroughbred racehorse have the same jockey in the saddle from their first start through their last. There are many reasons for this, but the core principle is simple: horse owners are small businesspeople, most of them with a CEO mindset, while jockeys in North America are independent contractors in charge of making their own employment decisions. This allows for a great amount … Continue reading Who’s Riding Who?

It Was A Happy & Fast Thanksgiving

Trainer Max Hirsch was a titan in the sport of horse racing.  He won the 1934 Travers Stakes with OBSERVANT.  He trained 1936 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner BOLD VENTURE.  He was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.  In 1934 he had recently become the trainer for the King Ranch, which would soon be one of the most successful stables in America. That year Hirsch’s … Continue reading It Was A Happy & Fast Thanksgiving