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Saratoga in the fall. The locals will debate that it’s the best time of the year in the upstate New York city. They’d probably put June in the mix, too. Both have their positives – occasional summerlike weather without the swelter of July, vibrant energy throughout town without the occasional obnoxiousness of tourists. Think less … Read more

John Sadler – and so many others – can’t say it enough when it comes to Flightline. “Brilliant is his normal,” Sadler said this week as the days became hours leading up to the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course. Naysayers discounted the statement, made as the unbeaten 4-year-old son of … Read more

The 39th Breeders’ Cup World Championships kicked off in style on a summer-like day Friday and continues in earnest Saturday with the main event at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington. Championship Saturday features nine Breeders’ Cup races, headlined by the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Flightline headlines the headliner, looking to make it 6-for-6 in … Read more

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher walked out of the winner’s circle with Irad Ortiz Jr. after they teamed to win Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Forte and joked with the likely-one-day Hall of Fame jockey. “That was good but let’s see how you do from the 13 post,” Pletcher told the three-time … Read more

The leaves have changed, the sun sets before 6 p.m., the horses might even be starting to grow winter coats – yes, the steeplechase calendar has reached its thin days and the second-last weekend of the year features three meets in Georgia, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The crowded schedule – two meets Saturday, one Sunday – … Read more

The wait is over. The Breeders’ Cup is here. At least the start of the Breeders’ Cup, with a stacked Future Stars Friday card at Keeneland Race Course amidst glorious fall weather that feels more like early summer in the Bluegrass. Five Breeders’ Cup races are on tap and we’ve again enlisted the services of … Read more

Back in the Carolinas. It’s been awhile, and it must be autumn (don’t say fall around the steeplechase people) because the NSA circuit goes south for Saturday’s Aiken Steeplechase in Aiken, S.C. It’ll be the second trip around the new course used in March for the first time, and the first fall meet in town … Read more

It was 3:30 a.m. on Christmas Day 2020 and Jessica Paquette wasn’t home sleeping or wrapping presents. She was actually working, in an office building in Wakefield, Mass., for Trakus – the computer system that provides the exact location of each horse in a race at all times – monitoring races from Turkey. At 3:30 … Read more

A week removed from the richest race meet on the circuit at Far Hills – and some kind of performance by Irish star Hewick – the circus picks up and heads to Virginia’s International Gold Cup meet at Great Meadow. The card goes eight deep and features $75,000 stakes over hurdles and timber. Post time is … Read more

Here we are. It’s time for the Far Hills Races, American jump racing’s annual highlight with big purses, historic races, international competition, pari-mutuel wagering, television coverage and all the rest. Saturday’s card, as usual, packs a punch. The $250,000 American Grand National – a race first run at Westchester County track Morris Park in 1899 … Read more