With the 150th Kentucky Derby in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville with Preakness 149 right around the corner. That’s right, the jumpers head to Tennessee for the spring’s biggest meet and we have all the picks and a preview right here. We’re a week out from … Read more
Brian Hernandez Jr. walked onto the grounds of Churchill Downs Friday morning, cameraman in tow and following every move, and reached the door to the stairs leading the jockeys’ room. With no security nearby, Hernandez grabbed the handle, swung open the door and headed in, almost anonymously as the early arrivals filed in for the … Read more
Here we go, the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. America’s oldest continuously run sporting event always packs a punch and the 2024 renewal figures to follow suit with a loaded field featuring nearly all of the major prep winners. The gang is mostly all here, in Louisville, to soak up mint juleps, sing My … Read more
Welcome to May. If you’re like the team here at TIHR, this week is when your friends ask you for Kentucky Derby opinions. It’s the nation’s most famous race for a reason. That reason may or may not be because your friends pay attention to it before getting on with the rest of their spring/summer. … Read more
All the preliminaries are over. Say farewell to 502uesday, Champions Day and (aghast) Thurby. The big time starts Friday with the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The stars will be out Friday, with a glistening undercard leading up to the 150th renewal of the Oaks. Worth $1.5 million and so much more, the Oaks attracted … Read more
A week out from the 150th Kentucky Derby and the signs of spring are everywhere from coast to coast. Especially so here in the Bluegrass, where trees are in full bloom and grass already in need of a significant cut. Kroger, Liquor Barn and Total Wine are stocked with all the necessities, whether it be … Read more
The last Saturday in April. As usual, the steeplechase season hits full speed and makes you wonder where it went and how we got here. Two stops – one a storied timber race, the other a roaring-back-to-prominence Virginia stalwart – make for a full day. Last week was busy and featured the best performance of … Read more
Here we go. Into the final countdown we go with phrases like “penultimate work” and “just what we wanted” thrown about as Kentucky Derby contenders go through their final paces at home or at Churchill Downs. We’re two weeks out from Kentucky Derby 150 and all eyes on Louisville. The Special rolls along, too, prepping … Read more
The big boys come out to play Saturday with the $75,000 Temple Gwathmey highlighting a nine-race card at Middleburg Spring over the historic Glenwood Park course in Virginia and Maryland timber toppers going out again at the Grand National in Butler. Both meets are live-streamed on the NSA website. Last week at Tryon, Go Poke … Read more
Approaching the midpoint of April and just three weeks remaining until the historic 150th renewal of the Kentucky Derby. The Saturday Special covers the final “prep” for the Derby and we dig into the Grand National card from Aintree. A little of that, and plenty more for this week’s edition. Enjoy. Names of the DayAir … Read more
Let’s get this out of the way first. The TIHR handicapping team struck out last week at Old Dominion. Three NSA races, three punters, three goose eggs. Good thing there are more races this weekend. Two Saturday stops, My Lady’s Manor in Maryland and Tryon Block House in North Carolina, offer five races apiece. The … Read more
