News

It’s Kentucky Derby Day. Everybody knows that and you can certainly follow along with all the goings on at Churchill Downs – if you can keep up – but the steeplechase schedule rolls (jumps?) on with the Virginia Gold Cup at Great Meadow Saturday afternoon and a timber meet at Winterthur in Delaware Sunday. The seven-race … Read more

Need a little betting advice for this year’s Kentucky Derby? This Is Horse Racing contributor and native Kentuckian John Cox might have just the trick. Check out John’s strategy … Happy Derby Week! I wanted to share with friends a Kentucky Derby bet I fire on every year, which is a set of $1 exactas. … Read more

Want picks? We’ve got some picks. The handicapping teams from The Saratoga Special and This Is Horse Racing are back for another Triple Crown season and kick things off with Friday’s 149th running of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The Oaks leads off the “season” that will feature the Friday-Saturday stakes programs at Churchill, … Read more

Twenty-three and us. The Saratoga Special enters its 23rd season as the can’t-miss racing newspaper at Saratoga Race Course this summer with a 20-edition publishing calendar starting on Opening Day, July 13. From there, The Special will be published on Saturdays and Wednesdays through the eight-week racing season with a six-day run of consecutive editions … Read more

Pack the traps, wrap the halters, load up the trucks and trailers and hit the road. Literally, that sentence was typed as “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson played via WXPN’s birthday tribute to the legendary singer/songwriter. Happy 90th birthday, Willie. We should all listen a little more. The steeplechase circuit hits the road … Read more

Two-time Horse of the Year and divisional champion and dual classic winner California Chrome headlines a class of eight elected into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for 2023. California Chrome is one of three new Hall of Famers elected in their first year of eligibility, along with champions Songbird and Arrogate. … Read more

The final countdown is seriously on now. A mere two weeks to go until the first Saturday in May and the 149th Kentucky Derby. All the prep races are done and now it’s time for the final workouts. Be wary of those touting who looks good and who looks bad. Wait, nobody ever seems to … Read more

The acceleration continues. Saturday’s two-stop steeplechase lineup includes the first open hurdle stakes of the year, a key timber test, classy allowance hurdlers and plenty to see at two meets. Start in Virginia with the Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park. If you’ve never been, get there someday. Glenwood, which hosts racing in the spring … Read more

It was March 16. Jack Fisher talked about the four gray cats – not 17 like the rescue organization wanted him to take because he’s not “a crazy cat woman” – who just joined the roster at the barn and finally, with some prodding, turned to the topic at hand. “He had his first work … Read more

Paul Halloran made his first trip to the Lexington area last week to work on a book project. He did that, and so much more. Halloran, a lead correspondent for The Saratoga Special and This Is Horse Racing since 2019, took in the scene at Keeneland Race Course, visited personal favorites Catholic Boy and Curlin, … Read more