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
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?
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
World-class Thoroughbred racing returned to Tampa Bay Downs today, (11/19). The Opening Day card of the 2025-2026 meet kicked off the tracks 100th year of operation! Tampa Bay Downs is the only Thoroughbred racetrack on the West Coast of Florida and is known as one of America’s oldest and most well-maintained racetracks. Tampa Bay Downs first opened its doors in 1926 under the name of Tampa Downs and … Continue reading Tampa Bay Downs Live Racing
Live racing returns to Fairgrounds on Thursday (11/20) as the New Orleans racetrack hosts its 154th season. The 2025-26 meet will encompass 70 race days that run through March 22nd. As always, the winter session at Fairgrounds offers racing fans and handicappers some of the best wagering to be found. The track will unveil a renovated paddock area for the 2025-26 meet as well as a new lounge overlooking … Continue reading NOLA Racing Resumes
Over four decades (can that be right?) removed from his sensational jockey career, Steve Cauthen lives the life of a typical Thoroughbred insider in his hometown of Verona in Northern Kentucky. Best known for capturing the 1978 Triple Crown aboard AFFIRMED, Cauthen had established himself as a potential superstar in his first full year as a jockey in 1977. He was honored for that season with three Eclipse Awards—outstanding apprentice and journeyman … Continue reading What A Ride For ‘The Kid’
Veterans Day was yesterday (11/11). But the thinking at the Daily Racing Blog is that it’s okay to honor those that served, regardless of the date on a calendar. Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is observed annually on November 11th to honor military veterans. Perhaps the most largely unrecognized, and sometimes altogether forgotten veterans are the horses that served alongside the soldiers. Throughout the United … Continue reading Honored Veteran
Most horse racing enthusiasts of a certain age recognize that SECRETARIAT was one of the best — if not THE best — racehorses of all time. Over fifty years later Big Red’s career still resonates with some of the most unforgettable performances in the history of the sport. During the 1973 Triple Crown, SECRETARIAT had a rivalry with a talented colt in his own right, SHAM. A … Continue reading Overshadowed SHAM
The Daily Racing Blog would like to wish a big old hedge-skimming Happy birthday to Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel ! A Louisiana native, Borel became the first rider to win the Kentucky Derby three times in a four-year span when he piloted STREET SENSE (2007), MINE THAT BIRD (2009), and SUPER SAVER (2010) to victory in the Run for the Roses. His … Continue reading HBD Calvin Borel
Today the Daily Racing Blog is going to take a look at the fun, inexpensive, and sometimes prosperous wager called the Superfecta. It’s unique among exotic bets in that it can be played for as little as 10 cents at most tracks. The objective of a Superfecta is to pick the top four finishers in a race. There must be at least five wagering interests in a … Continue reading Fun With Superfectas
