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TODAY'S MAJOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACES... SANTA ANITA PARK 6th Race , Santa Anita Derby (TELEVISED LIVE ON NBC, BEGINNING AT 2PM PDT, 5PM EDT) Post Time: 2:40 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $750,000 Grade: 1 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=SA&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=6 ________________________________________________ HAWTHORNE 7th Race , Illinois Derby Post Time: 4:15 PM (local time) Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/8 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, Purse: $500,000 Grade: 2 FREE PAST PERFORMANCES FOR ILLINOIS DERBY: (direct link to pdf file from EQUIBASE -free/no catch)http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=HAW&rd=04/04/2009&cty=USA&de=D&rn=7 ________________________________________________...

2009 Derby Contenders:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contenders Contender PP's (Past Performances):Brisnet's weekly updated PDF past performance file of Kentucky Derby hopefuls:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contender-pps For more info at the site (http://www.kentuckyderby.com/), hover your mouse pointer/cursor over "Racing Information" and select from the drop-down menu. --------------------------------------------------------- Prep race schedule from mid-March to Derby Day, May 2ndMarch:Mar 14 2009: Louisiana Derby - Fair Grounds, Grade II, 1 1/16 miles, $600,000Mar 14 2009: San Felipe - Santa Anita, Grade II, 1 1/16 miles, $200,000Mar 14 2009: Rebel - Oaklawn, Grade II, 1 1/16 miles, $300,000Mar 14 2009: Tampa Bay Derby - Tampa Bay Downs, Grade III, 1 1/16 miles, $300,000Mar...

Here are a few must-have links for the upcoming Kentucky Derby... (there's even free video of prior races at the site) 2009 Derby Contenders:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contenders Contender PP's (Past Performances):Here is Brisnet's weekly updated PDF past performance file of Kentucky Derby hopefuls:http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/contender-pps Derby Prep Schedule: (major races leading to the Derby)http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/racing-information/preps-schedule For more info at the site (http://www.kentuckyderby.com/), hover your mouse pointer/cursor over "Racing Information" and select from the drop-down menu.

A photo taken during the early stages of the Belmont Stakes has revealed Big Brown was running with a loose shoe as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1979, Newsday reported Monday.

Secretariat is widening now.!....He is moving like a tremendous machine!........Secretariat by 12!.......Secretariat by 14 lengths on the turn!.......Video

NEW YORK -- Big Brown failed in his bid to become horse racing's 12th Triple Crown winner when he finished dead last to Da' Tara in the Belmont Stakes. Da' Tara went wire to wire to beat eight other thoroughbreds over 1½ miles, the longest and toughest of the three classics. "I had no horse," said Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux. All week long, Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr. said the horse's victory was "a foregone conclusion." He turned out be wrong. The bay colt's disappointing performance followed convincing victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. He failed on...

Big Brown, who will be seeking the coveted Triple Crown in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), has a "slight" quarter crack on the inside of his left front foot, trainer Rick Dutrow said Sunday, May 25. Dutrow said he noticed a small spot on the colt's foot Friday afternoon and notified hoof lameness specialist Ian McKinlay, who treated it. By Saturday, it had turned into a slight quarter crack, five-eighths of an inch long. McKinlay applied iodine solution and said he’s confident it is very minor. He will “lace it up,” and if everything is good, the colt...

Big Brown looks like a Tripe Crown cinch. He wasn't even challenged today. This horse is a monster. Visions of Secretariat.

Please note: this is NOT spam. It's just material I've gathered on my own to prepare for Saturday's Preakness (I'm a regular poster here). All of the tools below are absolutely free, including the PPs (Past Performances) and video. They usually let you download stuff like this for free for the major stake races. Official Past Performances for 2008 Preakness Stakes (on pdf file):http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=PIM&rd=05/17/2008&cty=USA&de=D&rn=12 Official website of the 2008 Preakness Stakes:http://www.preakness.com/ Videos of each of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown's 4 prior starts, including this incredible first-time-out shocker on the grass at 14-1! (they must have somehow hid his workouts...

Please note: this is NOT spam. It's just material I've gathered on my own to prepare for Saturday's Preakness (I'm a regular poster here). All of the tools below are absolutely free, including the PPs (Past Performances) and video. They often let you download stuff like this for free for the major stake races. Official Past Performances for 2008 Preakness Stakes (on pdf file):http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=PIM&rd=05/17/2008&cty=USA&de=D&rn=12 Official website of the 2008 Preakness Stakes:http://www.preakness.com/ Videos of each of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown's 4 prior starts, including this incredible first-time-out shocker on the grass at 14-1! (they must have somehow hid his workouts...

1 - Mint Slewlep Jockey: Alan Garcia Trainer: Robbie Bailes Owner: Marshall E. Dowell 2 - Xchanger Jockey: Ramon Dominguez Trainer: Mark Shuman Owner: Domenico Zannino, Joseph Masone and Mark Shuman. 3 - Circular Quay Jockey: John Velazquez Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher Owner: Michael Tabor 4 - Curlin Jockey: Robby Albarado Trainer: Steve Asmussen Owner: Stonestreet Stables, Padua Stables, George Bolton and Midnight Cry Stable 5 - King of the Roxy Jockey: Garrett Gomez Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher Owner: Team Valor 6 - Flying First Class Jockey: Mark Guidry Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas Owner: Old English Rancho 7 -...

Smarty Jones Now a Father Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones now has another title: father. Three Chimneys Farm, Smarty's home, announced Tuesday that Smarty's first foal was born shortly after midnight. The bay filly, whose mother is Shoppingwithbetty, was born at Stone Farm, just outside Paris . "She's popped around, jumped around," said Arthur Hancock, owner of Stone Farm. "She's a very nice foal, and the mother's crazy about her. She just looks like a little athlete." Shoppingwithbetty, owned by Hancock and Tom Tatham of Oak Cliff Stables, was due to foal Jan. 19. Her father was Danzig, who...

Preakness Stakes 2005 (Approximate Odds as of May 21th at 9:53 AM) Post Position Silks Horse Name Trainer Jockey PP's Morning Line 1 MALIBU MOONSHINE King Leatherbury Steve Hamilton PP 10:1 2 HIGH FLY Nick Zito   Jerry Bailey  PP 5:1 3 NOBLE CAUSEWAY Nick Zito  Gary Stevens PP 13:1 4 GREELEY'S GALAXY Warren Stute  David Flores PP 10:1 5 SCRAPPY T Robbie Bailes  Ramon Dominguez PP 10:1 6 HAL'S IMAGE Barry Rose  Jose Santos PP 21:1 7 CLOSING ARGUMENT Kiaran McLaughlin Cornelio Velasquez PP 8:1 8 GALLOPING GROCER Dominick Schettino Joe Bravo PP 25:1 9 WILKO Craig Dollase  Corey Kakatani ...

Giacomo Draws Post 13 For Preakness; Afleex Alex Goes From Post 12 As Favorite Baltimore, MD. 05-18-05 --- John Shirreffs, trainer of Jerome and Ann Moss’ Giacomo, had little left to pick when he selected 13th in the Preakness draw Wednesday evening and chose Post 13 for his Kentucky Derby winner. Afleet Alex, who was installed the 5-2 morning line favorite, will go from Post 12 in the full field of 14. The field in post position order for the 130th running of the $1 million, mile and three-sixteenths second jewel of the Triple Crown, with jockeys and morning line...

The constant pounding Smarty Jones put on his hoofs in a brilliant racing career that brought him within one length of the Triple Crown, forced his retirement from the sport on Monday. Diagnosed with bone bruises in all four hoofs, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness will stand stud at Three Chimneys Farm, occupying the stall of Seattle Slew, the only undefeated Triple Crown winner in history. It's an appropriate spot for the red chestnut colt who recovered from a life-threatening accident early in his career and won every race until his last one when he was caught...

Glory, or heartbreak. I looked but did not see a thread. My apologies if someone else did one. I will post as many good racing links as I can find. The lineup: BirdstoneCaimanEddingtonMaster DavidPurgeRock Hard TenRoyal AssaultSmarty JonesTap Dancer

The Triple Crown, and Smarty Jones, can he do it?Move over Seabiscuit, we have Smarty Jones to keep us on the edge of our seats..Saturday June 5, Smarty Jones could become only the second horse in history to have a shot at being an undefeated Triple Crown winner behind the fabulous Seattle Slew. Even the threat of rain can't dampen the excitement of the Belmont Stakes, as Smarty Jones goes for the whole enchilada, the coveted Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is comprised of three annual horse races: the Kentucky Derby (held on the first Saturday in May), the Preakness...

I checked but didn't see another thread on this. And, no. It's not "too soon." Us horse racing fans are... well... fanatical. I'm excited, as it looks like my Kentucky Derby pick (the winnah), Smarty Jones, is headed in with a good chance. Here is the main link to the Maryland Jockey Club. Lots of good info can be found there. They also have a special Preakness Page. That's where you can find an archive of the daily stories, on the horses, up through today. Here's today's news: BALTIMORE, 5-14-04 --- SIR SHACKLETON/THE CLIFF’S EDGE – Trainer Nick Zito made...

[snip]Given that the TV ratings for the Derby also were much higher than last year, I wonder if NBC will pressure Churchill Downs to install lights and run the Derby at night, in prime-time. The Derby may be ready for prime-time TV coverage.[snip]

Thoroughbred Spectacular Bid Dies at 27 40 minutes ago Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo! By JOHN KEKIS, AP Sports Writer UNADILLA, N.Y. - Spectacular Bid, a steel gray colt whose drive to win the Triple Crown in 1979 was derailed by a safety pin on the day of the Belmont Stakes, died at 27. AP Photo<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>   He died of a heart attack Monday at Milfer Farm in upstate New York. The thoroughbred will be buried at the farm in Unadilla, 65 miles southeast of Syracuse, according to the owner of the farm where he still...

Race Time: 5:38 p.m. Central time. NBC will televise. Pre-race show on ESPN now Funny Cide Runs For History Despite Rainy Belmont Stakes By Bruno Zalubil| June 7, 2003 2003 Belmont Stakes   photo by Rick Schmitt       D espite rains that have drenched thousands of faithful fans, Funny Cide will run for Visa Triple Crown immortality when he goes to post today for the 135th running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes (Gr. 1) at 6:38 p.m. EDT at Belmont Park. Track conditions for Belmont Stakes Day have slowly deteriorated throughout the day. The main track was...

ELMONT, N.Y.- Secretariat set track records in his Triple Crown races. Seattle Slew was the first, and only, winner of the Triple Crown while still undefeated. Affirmed beat an archrival who might have won the Triple Crown most any other year...

There's a not so funny side to the thoroughbred who could win The Triple Crown. AP Photo Unlike Secretariat and other superstar sires, Funny Cide is a gelding. That means he can't reproduce, costing his owners millions of dollars in stud fees and ending a champion's lineage. But a scientist who recent helped clone a racing mule believes Funny Cide could probably buck the odds right now. "I feel quite confident that technically it can be done. It will be a natural extension now that we've cloned the mule," said Dirk Vanderwall, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and...

ELMONT, N.Y.-No horse has won the Triple Crown in 25 years, a streak Funny Cide will try to end in Saturday's 135th Blemont Stakes. He is the eith horse since Affirmed to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness stakes, the fifth in the last eight years. None- not Pleasent Colony, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, nor War Emblem -could complete the sweep. The Herculean task awaiting Funny Cide, is something his trainer Barclay Tagg, has been reminded of repeatedly...

Lukas rips grueling spring rite The trainer thinks the Triple Crown races are too taxing. By Joe Logan Inquirer Staff Writer BALTIMORE - OK, Triple Crown fans, how about a quick test: Other than Funny Cide, upset winner in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, name the nine other horses in tomorrow's 128th Preakness. Can't do it? Can't name even four or five? You're not alone. "Call the best guy you know in racing and ask him to name the 10 horses running here," D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Scrimshaw (5-1) and Ten Cents a Shine (15-1), said yesterday, throwing...

Jose Santos earns personal redemption riding Funny Cide to smashing Preakness win EVEN THOUGH it was rumbling deep within his belly Jose Santos did not let it out. He had work to do first.Reaching back, he popped Funny Cide with his whip in his right hand and then deftly shifted the stick to his left hand for another crack. Although he could not detect the hoofbeats of the other horses in the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 17 because they were too far behind him, a chant that rose from the Pimlico Race course infield chimmed in his ears. "Ole, ole,...

Do we want his money after Rudy already said he didn't want the other 10 million before.Not sure if Rudy or Hillary will be on the podium for the presentation.

BELMONT, N.Y. -- Victor Espinoza turned 30 a few days after the Preakness Stakes last month. But to many he still is the young kid who has burst upon the jockey scene in the last couple of years. If that is the case, the whole world might see him grow up Saturday afternoon. Espinoza, whose career started humbly as the driver of a bus in his native Mexico City before he found steering horses more to his liking, will sit atop War Emblem in the 134th Belmont Stakes with history, more so than the 10 other horses, in his sights....

Seattle Slew dies on 25th anniversary of Derby win Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Seattle Slew, who won the 1977 Triple Crown and became one of racing's greatest sires, died in his stall Tuesday at the relatively advanced age of 28. The big, black stallion's death came on the 25th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby victory. He followed by winning the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to sweep the sport's most prestigious series. Seattle Slew was the only living Triple Crown winner. Affirmed, who became the 11th and last Triple Crown winner in 1978, died in January 2001 at...