Preakness-winning fillies: Is Swiss Skydiver the sixth, or the fourth?
When Swiss Skydiver outdueled Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic in an epic Preakness Stakes (G1), she was recognized as the sixth filly to defeat males in the classic. […]
Racing History
Royal Harmony: Ohio’s Iron Horse
An hour’s drive from the lush and fertile Bluegrass region of Kentucky, and across the eponymous river, lies Ohio. Better known on the national sporting scene for college football and the loyal but often dispirited […]
Celebrating a half-millennium of racing at Britain’s historic Chester
As British racing authorities map out plans to reschedule the classics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, other fixtures aren’t so fortunate. This week’s festival at Chester is the latest casualty. Although its classic trials – the […]
Classifying the Triple Crown winners: Four categories of champions
In addition to the blockbuster Arkansas Derby Day at Oaklawn Park, Saturday offers a virtual treat in the form of the “Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown.” The computer-simulated race, pitting the 13 Triple Crown champions […]
Remembering Alysheba’s resilient Derby win
Hear from Chris MacCarron and Mike Battaglia as James Scully reflects on Alysheba’s gutsy 1987 Kentucky Derby win. […]
Manila schooled his rivals when writing a new chapter in Churchill Downs history
Who was Manila and how did he come to dynamically impact the debut of Churchill Down’s Turf Course? […]
How Susan’s Girl laid the foundation for the Apple Blossom Handicap
Since its creation in 1974, Oaklawn Park’s Racing Festival of the South has been a magnet attracting many of the nation’s finest horses and horsemen to Hot Springs, Arkansas. And one of the crown jewels […]
Remembering Slew’s incredible Derby win
Seattle Slew – a front-running speedball, the powerful dark bay earned four Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors, and won 14-of-17 starts over three seasons. […]
Remembering Hall of Famer Bimelech
Had Keeneland’s spring meet gone forward, we might have seen unbeaten Maxfield launch his comeback in the Blue Grass (G2). Instead I’m finding refuge in the past, and a perusal of the Blue Grass honor roll led me to back to Hall of Famer Bimelech (1940). […]
Dubai World Cup night memories: Reilly’s Top 10 moments on turf
To fill the gaping hole in our calendar from the cancellation of the Dubai World Cup (G1), we’re taking solace in memories from old Nad al Sheba and its successor, Meydan. Monday’s feature recounted my […]