The 2019 trail to the Kentucky Derby heats up coast to coast this Saturday as three Prep Races are being contested. Aqueduct Park has the Grade 3 Withers Stakes.  It is the second stop on New York’s road to the 2019 Kentucky Derby.  Saturday’s race carries a $250,000 purse and KD qualifying points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale. The mile and an eighth distance represents a challenge for most … Continue reading 13 Weeks Out

If you plan to make handicapping and betting horse races a long-term hobby, you’ll gradually realize that it’s an endeavor that challenges you to constantly learn and adapt.  Such is the nature of gambling against your peers in the Pari-Mutuel wagering system. The founders of the Daily Racing Blog have been betting Thoroughbred Horse Racing since  high school.  Annual trips to Saratoga were as much a part … Continue reading Bet Smart

It is quite literally a rich day of racing at Gulstream Park on Saturday, as it will feature six Graded Stakes with total prize money equaling $16.7 million dollars.  Culminating with the 12th and final race of the day, the 3rd annual Pegasus World Cup Invitational with a purse of $9 million.  Here then is how the Daily Racing Blog sees that race: Clearly CITY OF LIGHT and ACCELERATE are the stand-outs (rightfully so), but unfortunately … Continue reading Pegasus Preferences

The Pegasus World Cup had its inaugural running on January 28, 2017 at Gulfstream Park.  It is run on the dirt course at a distance of ​1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) and is open to horses four years old and up.  With a purse of $12 million in 2017, the Pegasus World Cup surpassed the Dubai World Cup as the richest horse race in the world.  The purse was subsequently increased to … Continue reading The Pegasus World Cup

Javier J. Castellano’s  list of accomplishments, in a relatively short period of time are simply staggering. For instance: Castellano is one of only two jockeys to win four consecutive Eclipse Awards; he owns the single-year record for purse earnings;  he has won eight Breeders’ Cup races and a record six editions of the Travers Stakes;  he is closing in on 4,700 career wins and ranks fifth … Continue reading JJ Castellano

The Lecomte Stakes is Race 12 at The Fairgrounds on Saturday, January 19th.  It is for three year-olds, run at a distance of one mile and seventy yards on the dirt.  It is a Grade 3, with a purse of $200,000 dollars.  The winning horse also earns ten qualifying points towards a spot in the starting gate at this years Kentucky Derby. There are 14 entrants in what seems to … Continue reading Race Of The Week

Last time out the Daily Racing Blog explained (and debunked) a few of the myths surrounding thoroughbred horse racing.  Today we serve up a few fun facts regarding the equine athletes. 1. All racehorses celebrate their birthday on the same day.  Regardless of what date they were born on, each Thoroughbred turns a year older on January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere or Aug. 1 in the Southern … Continue reading Fun Facts

The Daily Racing Blog, in an effort to make horse racing more understandable to the casual fan would like to dispel a couple of myths about our beloved sport.  We’ll address two myths today, that while not shocking, are interesting and helpful. All Jockeys Are Short Not so.  While many jockeys are about five feet tall, there is no restriction on how tall a jockey can be.  … Continue reading Horse Racing Myths

One of the most accomplished and respected jockeys in the history of the sport, John Velazquez was still in the prime of his remarkable career when he was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2012. After attending jockey school in his native land of Puerto Rico, the 18-year-old Velazquez journeyed to the United States in March of 1990.  His natural … Continue reading Johnny V.