My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
The stands at Belmont might have been eerily empty today, but it didn’t stop Tiz the Law from laying down a spectacular run in the the 152nd Belmont Stakes. Sure, the race was shorter than usual, but Tiz the Law’s trainer, Barclay Tagg, was not one of the trainers who asked for that. His colt […]
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With the Belmont Stakes being run on Saturday, horse racing is again in the public eye. The use of whips has long been controversial. Now, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved new rules that limit the use of the whip, five days after the California Horse Racing Board adopted the most stringent whip-use regulations in […]
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Are you ready for the 2020 Belmont Stakes on Saturday? Because I’m not. Most years, the Belmont is the culmination of the Triple Crown season. With luck and good running, the nation might be poised on a potential Triple Crown win. Emotions would be running high. This year, I don’t even know which horse are […]
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Several jockeys at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., have collaborated with the organization Goggles for Docs to donate goggles to healthcare workers for protection as they treat COVID-19 patients around the country. Goggles for Docs has collected more than 45,000 pairs of goggles. The organization prefers, in some instances, jockey goggles because they are small, […]
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Arrogate, who won a record 17.42 million in his short career, was euthanized at age seven after a mystery illness. He retired as horse racing’s highest earner of all-time. Although Arrowgate didn’t start racing until April of his three-year-old season, he won seven out of eleven starts, including the 2016 Travers Stakes and the 2016 Breeders’ […]
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Horses are herd animals, not loners, but friends come in all shapes and sizes. My first horse, Bogie, loved the barn cat. He wasn’t crazy about other horses, but I often found the cat in his stall, happy as could be while my gelding nuzzled him. Freedom loves dogs. Occasionally, he’ll find a dog that […]
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Unlike the virtual Kentucky Derby, which was a run-off between past champions, the 2020 Virtual Aintree Grand National featured the 40 horses who were already entered. Tiger Roll, who won the last two Grand Nationals, had been due to seek an unprecedented third consecutive win until the race was canceled because of the coronavirus. I […]
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The betting public was 100% on the money: Secretariat won the Triple Crown Showdown with style. No real surprise, as Secretariat still holds the track record for the Derby at 1:59 2/5. The 1973 Triple Crown champion ran down 1977 champ and early leader Seattle Slew in the stretch. Citation, the 1948 Triple Crown winner, […]
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