Here's where you can find links to all my Breeders' Cup work! My race previews, in detail, are over at Picks and Ponderings. There are separate pieces for Friday and Saturday; between them, I discuss every race. I also discuss my thoughts on several of the races, and several of the more general themes of... Continue Reading →
building Catholic Boy’s foundation
When I think of Catholic Boy, I think of the unheralded hard work that goes into building a great horse's foundation. I think of running in circles, measured circles, incessant circles. In the week and a half leading up to the Breeders' Cup last year, I spent the mornings trackside, radio clipped to my side,... Continue Reading →
Thoroughbred Insider: Gun Runner and the Big Gray Shadow
In my first full-length piece for Thoroughbred Insider, I discuss some unexpected feelings I had at the end of the Breeders' Cup Classic. I expected to feel unbridled glee given how long I've been a fan of Gun Runner, but it was far more complicated than that.
final NTRA poll thoughts
I voted in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll for the first time this year. Some weeks were more difficult than others, but this week's was the most brain-busting of all. I had assumed all year that it would be the easiest. After all, Breeders' Cup is the big ending, and it's the last poll of... Continue Reading →
Good Magic for Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
I would never have expected Curlin's first Breeders' Cup winner (or any, for that matter...) to come in a two-year-old race. Not only did Curlin never race at two, but he has not emerged as a two-year-old sire so much as a sire of Classic horses and older horses. Even so, Curlin has had a... Continue Reading →
Picks and Ponderings: 2017 Breeders’ Cup Saturday Preview
Welcome to Day Two of the 2017 Breeders' Cup! Picks and Ponderings previewed Friday's four Breeders' Cup races in a separate piece. Here, we look at Saturday's nine Breeders' Cup races, headlined by Arrogate's attempt to join Tiznow among two-time winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic. The day features several links to the local circuit -- many of which,... Continue Reading →
Horseplayer Monthly: Breeders’ Cup Q&A!
Every year, Horseplayer Monthly does a Breeders' Cup Q&A, a series in which they ask a host of smart and experienced handicappers some of the tough questions about handicapping the BC. It's always a great read -- and this year, for the first time, I'm honoured to be a part of it! My Q&A starts... Continue Reading →
Picks and Ponderings: 2017 Breeders’ Cup Friday Preview
It's that time of the year once more: the best horses in the world have descended on one place to settle their scores in the Breeders' Cup. For the first time, it takes place at beautiful Del Mar. Also for the first time, Picks and Ponderings is there, so make sure to follow us on Twitter for photos, video,... Continue Reading →
two bucks on Keen Ice
On the way out from Hawthorne today, after the Breeders' Cup Classic, I saw a ticket tossed onto a stair. Whoever played that ticket had a kind of faith I only wish I could have found. The thought to put $2 on Keen Ice's nose flashed through my head about five minutes before post. After... Continue Reading →
2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic Preview and Saturday Analysis
Over at Picks and Ponderings, Paul Mazur and I have gone horse by horse through the field, discussing our picks, our place chances, and our tosses. Head over to Picks and Ponderings and watch it! In addition, don't forget that my Saturday Breeders' Cup analysis is available in the following places: At Picks and Ponderings,... Continue Reading →
Curlin babies at the Breeders’ Cup!
The Breeders' Cup gets underway tomorrow. Just like every year since 2013, when Palace Malice ran in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Curlin is represented. In this year's Breeders' Cup, scheduled for November 4-5 at Santa Anita, five Curlin babies are slated to run. Curlin is still looking for his first Breeders' Cup winner. He came... Continue Reading →
Breeders’ Cup previews on Horses for Courses
William Kedjanyi invited me to be a guest on the Horses for Courses podcast this week, and we talked Breeders' Cup in depth! We recorded two Breeders' Cup episodes: one detailing Friday's racing, and another detailing Saturday's action. The show notes on each episode identify where we discuss each race, so you can zoom in... Continue Reading →
2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Preview
Over at ShapperDaCapper, I covered the Breeders' Cup Turf. Earlier this week, I wrote about a few of the patterns. Today, my selections and analysis for the Breeders' Cup Turf are published. I have a strong opinion on top who won't likely be the betting favourite, a short-priced horse to oppose, and a couple of... Continue Reading →
2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Preview
The Breeders' Cup preview action continues over at Danonymous Racing, where I have previewed this year's competitive rendition of the Turf Sprint (GI)! The Turf Sprint down the hill is a rara avis: a unique race on a unique course that often confounds true turf dash types. With that being the case, it is a... Continue Reading →
ThoroFan: Marathon Stakes Preview
Over at the ThoroFan Handicapper's Corner, I take a look at one of my favourite races of the weekend: tomorrow's Marathon Stakes (GII)! Though the Marathon has not been a Breeders' Cup race since 2013, they have kept it as a fixture of the Friday card. This year, it drew well: a better quality field... Continue Reading →
