The Triple Crown races pretty-much dominate the headlines in regard to 3-year-old racehorses every spring. But cozied up between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes is the Peter Pan Stakes. The 1 1/8-mile, $200,000 dollar Peter Pan warrants some attention as it’s an important race in the Stakes division and often acts as a pathway to the Belmont Stakes for the horses that did … Continue reading Who Wins The Peter Pan Stakes?
It’s been a bit of a dry spell since the Wood Memorial Stakes last produced a Kentucky Derby Winner. Some might even call it a drought. It was 2003 when FUNNY CIDE ran 2nd in the Wood, (to EMPIRE MAKER) and then went on to Win the Run for the Roses. That said, does Saturday’s Wood Memorial Winner- RODRIGUEZ have what it takes to make … Continue reading Can RODRIGUEZ Win The Derby?
The $750,000-dollar, Wood Memorial Stakes is Saturday at Aqueduct Park. The weather forecast calls for an 84% chance of rain with the precipitation expected to begin at about 10 a.m. The Wood is a 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Derby qualifying race that offers points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. So, the results (on what might very well be a sloppy track) will dictate … Continue reading Is There A Mudder In The Wood?
The 100th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 dollar Wood Memorial is this Saturday at Aqueduct Park. Having begun in 1925, the Wood Memorial has long been an important proving ground for Kentucky Derby contenders. Originally contested at a mile and 70 yards (and later 1 1/16 miles) at Jamaica Race Course, the Wood Memorial is named in memory of the late Eugene D. Wood, … Continue reading Don’t Knock The Wood
Saturday is the $415,000, Grade 2, Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Some of the top 3-year-olds in the country will do battle in this 1 1/16-mile contest. The Fountain of Youth is named after the mythical spring that attracted explorers to Florida in the 16th Century. The race was first held in 1945, and has been run every year since 1953. In 1973, it … Continue reading Youth Is Served
Prior to 2013 the traditional qualifying factor for horses wanting to participate in the Kentucky Derby was total Graded Stakes purse earnings- the more money an eligible horse Won, the increased chance of entering the starting gate. But beginning in 2013 Churchill Downs refined the classic earnings method in favor of a points based system which revamped the traditional prep races. These prep races were officially … Continue reading Ease On Down The Road (To The Kentucky Derby)
The Grade 2 Remsen Stakes is Saturday at Aqueduct Park. Due to some recent achievements the Remsen seems a reliable indicator of Triple Crown success. DORNOCH took last years Remsen and then went on to Win the Belmont Stakes as well as the Haskell Stakes. SIERRA LEONE ran 2nd to DORNOCH in last years contest. He lost the Kentucky Derby by a nose and came … Continue reading The Remsen Stakes
Summertime racing allows for fun in the sun…most of the time. The fall/winter racing season in the northeast will occasionally bring inclement weather. Unlike baseball, Horse Racing usually goes on before, during, and after a rain/snow storm. That said, there are some general handicapping concepts that you should keep on hand for… a rainy, off-track kind of day. First, keep in mind that racetracks can … Continue reading Making Money In The Mud
Saturday is the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Park. Ten 2-year-olds will compete in the one mile contest on the main track. The race is a Win and You’re In Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Stakes, giving the Winner a spot in the November 1st Juvenile at Del Mar, as well the majority portion of the $500,000 dollar purse. Here is a look at the field: 1. J … Continue reading Who Wins The Champagne Stakes?
The one-mile Tapeta track currently under construction at Belmont Park will become the exclusive winter racing surface on the New York Racing Association circuit when the Long Island facility reopens in 2026, NYRA has announced. The change will result in approximately three months of racing exclusively on an all-weather surface with the shift from dirt to the all-weather in the winter months. This is expected … Continue reading NYRA Improving Surfaces
