Free Republic

It could be the farm itself, where Rice’s son Kevin and his wife Emily reside, and where Gail Rice stayed at foaling time in a camper by the driveway. The ecosystem itself can prove downright recuperative: dogs, goats, a week-old foal hanging next to the mare, chicks scrambling around in the grass, potbellied pigs named Chester and Walter. “He’s such a cool dude,” Rice said, patting Chester. “So I’m like, ‘God told me to get my butt home, right in time,’ ” Gail Rice said, “because the feet were coming out too far up and torn through, and so, it...

Tiz the Law remained unbeaten in three starts at age 3 with an authoritative win in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 20 at Belmont Park over runner-up Dr Post and third-place Max Player. The son of Constitution , trained by Barclay Tagg and owned by Sackatoga Stable, stalked the pace in third down the backstretch, as Tap It to Win went to the lead under pressure from Fore Left. Tiz the Law then assumed command and drew clear in the lane. He raced 1 1/8 miles under Manny Franco on a fast track in 1:46.53. He...

INMO War of Will suffered more severe interference than he did in the Derby. I didn't realize this as I watched the race live, but viewing the NBC video as I can now I think Jockey Rosario riding the eventual winner, Sir Winston, anticipated an opening as much or more than Saez did with Maximum Security in the Derby. Start watching the NBC Video at 2:28. There, War of Will is in the three path with Tacitus outside him in the four path. Sir Winston is just behind the leaders halfway between the one and two paths about even with...

If your vision is anything like mine, you'd probably want to put your reading glasses on in order to better see these graphics I've posted below. I could posted them in higher resolution but figured it would have slowed things down too much.

Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York. Irish War Cry and Meantime set the pace for much of the race. Tapwrit moved into second in the stretch and jockey Jose Ortiz moved him to the lead deep in the lane.

Secretariat awarded Preakness record at 1:53 after review The Maryland Racing Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to change the official time of the 1973 Preakness Stakes won by Secretariat from 1:54 2/5 to 1:53, a time that will give the two-time Horse of the Year the record in all three of the Triple Crown races. The commission approved the change after two hours of testimony at a meeting at Laurel Park, the sister track of Pimlico Race Course, where the Preakness is held. Penny Chenery, the late horse’s owner, requested the hearing on the basis of analyses conducted by companies...

1./ American Pharoah 3/C L Victor Espinoza 126 Bob Baffert 4/5 2./ Dortmund 3/C L Martin Garcia 126 Bob Baffert 7/2 3./ Mr Z. 3/C L Corey Nakatani 126 D. Wayne Lukas 20/1 4./ Danzig Moon 3/C L Julien Leparoux 126 Mark Casse 15/1 5./ Tale of Verve 3/C L Joel Rosario 126 Dallas Stewart 30/1 6./ Bodhisattva 3/C L Trevor McCarthy 126 Jose Corrales 20/1 7./ Divining Rod 3/C L Javier Castellano 126 Arnaud Delacour 12/1 8./ Firing Line 3/C L Gary Stevens 126 Simon Callaghan 4/1

2015 Preakness Stakes Distance:One Mile And Three Sixteenths - (Dirt) Pgm PP Horse Name (L) WT. Jockey/Trainer Owner M/L Odds 1 1 American Pharoah L 126 Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Zayat Stables, LLC 4-5 2 2 Dortmund L 126 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Kaleem Shah, Inc. 7-2 3 3 Mr. Z L 126 Corey S. Nakatani D. Wayne Lukas Calumet Farm 20-1 4 4 Danzig Moon L 126 Julien R. Leparoux Mark E. Casse John C. Oxley 15-1 5 5 Tale of Verve L 126 Joel Rosario Dallas Stewart Charles E. Fipke 30-1 6 6 Bodhisattva L 126 Trevor McCarthy...

PIMLICO RACE COURSE 2015 Preakness Stakes 13th Race Distance:One Mile And Three Sixteenths - (Dirt) Conditions:For three-year-olds, $15,000 to pass the entry box, starters to pay $15,000 additional. 60% of the purse to the winner, 20% to second, 11% to third, 6% to fourth and 3% to fifth. Weight 126 pounds for Colts and Geldings, 121 pounds for Fillies. A replica of the Woodlawn Vase will be presented to the winning owner to remain his or her personal property. Program Selections:1-2-8-7 Pgm PP Horse Name (L) WT. Jockey/Trainer Owner M/L Odds 1 1 American Pharoah L 126 Victor Espinoza Bob...

It looks as though President Obama found some time to take the Triple Crown before going on to win the NBA Finals, at least according to his former senior adviser, Dan Pfeiffer. Dan Pfeiffer ‎@danpfeiffer Another accomplishment -- Obama first President to have a Triple Crown winner since Carter Astounding. A nation thanks you. Reality check, please.

ELMONT, New York - American Pharoah entered the pantheon of US thoroughbred racing's all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become the first horse to capture the coveted Triple Crown in nearly four decades. In winning his seventh straight race, American Pharoah becomes the 12th horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes and the first since Affirmed in 1978. According to JTA, a win was a triumphant stand for Ahmed Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Egypt who has become one of the biggest forces in horse racing but has mostly tasted bitter defeat...

American Pharoah became the first horse in over three decades Saturday to earn the Triple Crown, placing 1st in the Belmont Stakes after winning the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby earlier in the season. In one of the sporting world's rarest feats, the bay colt with the unusually short tail defeated seven rivals in the grueling 1 1/2-mile race, covering the distance in 2:26.65 to end the longest stretch without a Triple Crown champion in history. American Pharoah is the 12th horse and first since Affirmed in 1978 to win three races on different tracks at varying distances over a...

As American Pharoah came out of the far turn and squared his shoulders to let his rider, Victor Espinoza, stare down the long withering stretch of Belmont Park, a sense of inevitability surged through this mammoth old grandstand. The fans in a capacity crowd strained on their tiptoes and let out a roar from deep in their souls. It was going to end, finally — this 37-year search for a great racehorse. No, a battered old sport was looking for an immortal thoroughbred, one worthy to stand alongside Sir Barton and Assault, War Admiral and Whirlaway, Count Fleet and Citation,...

Like Any Great Athlete, Triple Crown Hopeful Has His Peculiarities ___ Like a lot of athletes, American Pharoah has his quirks. The brown colt is easy to pick out on the racetrack: he’s the one with the shortest tail. American Pharoah will try to become horse racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner and first since Affirmed in 1978 when he runs in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. California Chrome failed in his bid last year. Trainer Bob Baffert describes the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner as “a really kind, sweet horse.” That’s an unusual temperament among racehorses, most of which are...

American Pharoah accomplished one of the rare feats in sport Saturday, becoming the first horse in 37 years and just the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown. Related Stories Favored American Pharoah draws fifth post for Belmont AFP The Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing, explained SB Nation 'Pharoah' takes on history in Triple Crown bid at Belmont AFP Distance, rivals challenge American Pharoah's Triple try The Associated Press Belmont Stakes 2015 schedule: American Pharoah races for history SB Nation The heavily favored colt completed the quest by running away from seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes, three weeks...

Wow. Flat-out, nearly wire to wire. What a runner.

Scheduled race time: 6:50pm (ET)

For the third time in four years, Belmont Park will play host to a Triple Crown hopeful when American Pharoah attempts to add the 147th running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 6, the final and most demanding leg of the series, to his victories in the Kentucky Derby and in yesterday's rain-drenched Preakness. It will mark the 14th time since Affirmed swept all three races in 1978 that a horse has had a chance to join the 11 Triple Crown champions; none have succeeded. Three of those attempts have been by American Pharoah's Hall of...

From about 1885 until 1915, pacers and trotters were racing royalty in America, the popularity of these standardbred horses greater than that of any baseball star or other spectator sport. When the immortal pacer Dan Patch fell ill in 1904, news of his malady traveled across the nation as racing fans and the public at large anxiously sought out the slightest scrap of information about his condition. Of course, at a time when Ty Cobb, the country’s highest paid baseball player made $12,000 per year, Dan Patch was earning $1 million! And stories of Dan’s successes on the track were...

A racehorse with connections to Albany's Golden Gate Fields is looking to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 this weekend. Jean Elle reports.A racehorse with connections to Albany's Golden Gate Fields is looking to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 this weekend. California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby on May 3 and the Preakness Stakes on May 17 and is slated to compete in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Watch California Chrome race for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7, starting at 1:30 p.m. on NBC. The horse has been undefeated...