News

The big day is here. Welcome to the Kentucky Derby. America’s great institution turns 151 this year and certainly packs a punch. No chance of a full starting gate after a few 11th hour defections but that won’t dampen the enthusiasm of the monster crowd expected at Churchill Downs to see some of the world’s … Read more

The seventh week of the spring season. Already? Can that be right? Saratoga will be here before you know it. And, sure, the Colonial Cup, too. Time flies when you’re… The Virginia Gold Cup holds its traditional spot on the first Saturday in May while Winterthur crosses its calendar block on the first Sunday of … Read more

The weekend everyone waits for all winter and spring is here. Derby Week in Louisville – make sure you watch the weather and always bring a rain jacket – is like no other week of the year. Everyone’s an expert, or at least has some type of take. From restaurants to winners, opinions vary like … Read more

Steeplechase Saturday. A six-race menu at Foxfield and a one-race fete at the Maryland Hunt Cup offer a little of everything this weekend as the steeplechase tour hits high speed in the heat of the spring season. Last week, the Middleburg Spring Races provided one of those days when you’ll look back and say you … Read more

Easter Weekend means eggs, bunnies, basket, bonnets and – at least this year – a tripleheader of steeplechase action in Maryland and Virginia. Saturday showcases Maryland timber horses at the Grand National and major hurdle players in a deep card at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Va. Sunday heads to Morven Park in Leesburg, Va., for … Read more

A standard and a hybrid. My Lady’s Manor and Blue Ridge provide Saturday’s steeplechase menu. The former, a four-race card, serves yet again as the long-standing traditional opener to the Maryland timber circuit. The latter, a longtime point-to-point, has transformed into a hybrid meet with four NSA races and five unsanctioned races. Thank you to … Read more

Steeplechase action heads to Virginia this week for a three-race card at Old Dominion. Kate and Bernie Dalton aren’t going anywhere. And why would they? The Camden-based trainer/jockey duo won their second consecutive Carolina Cup Saturday. The home team won the novice stakes with Abaan last year. This year, China Beach upset the $75,000 stakes … Read more

Week one is in the books. Stephen Mulqueen burst back on the scene after breaking his hand in the fall to win two races on opening day at Aiken last weekend. He guided Porte Jaune to win the filly and mare maiden for Leipers Fork, Madaket and Layton Register and took the Imperial Cup aboard … Read more

Twenty-five years. Sounds like a long time. It’s been a flash. The Saratoga Special newspaper, little more than a tabletop/around-the-fire/long-drive discussion point for years, dives into its 25th season this summer at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. We hope you’ll come along for the ride, as a reader, an advertiser, a member of … Read more

Whoa, where did the time go? Seems like yesterday, the sport was celebrating the return of the Colonial Cup and crowning champions on the final day. It’s been 119 days, to be exact, between the final National Steeplechase Association stop of 2024 and the first of 2025. Thank you, Aiken Steeplechase, for both. The 58th … Read more