November 2006 Archives

After a long day of covering the best horses in the country, its time for the blog to sleep. But check back tommorow for full articles on all of the Breeders' Cup races and entrants, and all of the latest news and happenings in the Breeders' Cup. Hurry up only 51 weeks until the 2007 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Monmouth Park.

>> Continue reading: Goodnight all

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The room was quiet at the Breeders' Cup World Championship draw on Wednesday. That was until ESPN's Randy Moss who was hosting the event announced the name of classic entrant, Invasor. He boisteriously shouted IIIINNNNNVVAAAAAASOOOOOOORRR. The horse drew the 11 post and as they say the rest is history.

>> Continue reading: I-N-V-A-S-O-R

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On a day that several believed would belong to great 3-year-olds winning Breeders' Cup races, there was only one whose connections were able to raise some hardware. J. Paul Reddam's Red Rocks an Irish bred colt was victorious in the $3-million John Deere Turf.

>> Continue reading: Red Rocks Rocks Turf

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In the record six times that Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships they have always been met by a wonderful turnout of fans and press. This year was no different with the official total crowd listed as 75,132 at Churchill Downs and their sister facility Trackside combined.

>> Continue reading: Attendance Eclipses 75,000

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While a slew of unfortuante incidents were occuring behind them, jockey Edgar Prado and his filly Round Pound kept battling and impressively won the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Saturday afternoon.

>> Continue reading: Amid controversy Round Pound puts Derby winning trainer Matz back in winners circle

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Trainer Marty Wolfson has 28 horses in training at his Calder Race Course base in Florida. 8 of them belong to Pine Oak Stable, how they get there is an interesting story. And now, one that led to a Breeders' Cup Mile Championship.

>> Continue reading: All I want for Christmas

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Fleet Indian who was the heavy betting favorite in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, was injured near the beginning of the race, and was pulled up on the backstretch, suffering injuries to both suspensory branches in her front leg. She has her leg in a Kimey splint and will be re-evaluated Sunday morning. It was at first reported as a condyler fracture but x-rays and other tests resolved the questions. She is expected to have a full recovery and came...

>> Continue reading: Fleet Indian injured

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After sustaining a dislocated front fetlock joint (ankle) along with multiple fractions and soft tissue injury in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Phipps Stable Pine Island was euthanized shortly after being vanned off the track. She ends her career with 4 wins and 2 seconds in 7 lifetime starts for earnings of $666,800. She finished first in the Gazelle and Alabama Stakes in her last two starts, both Grade 1 events. She also finished second in the ...

>> Continue reading: Pine Island Euthanized

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The Breeders' Cup Sprint went to the horse who had run the least this year, but had been training the best. When Thor's Echo was at Keeneland, nobody would have paid attention to him, except for his stall. He was stabled next to Grade 1 winner Great Hunter and top older horse Lava Man. On this day, when he returns to his stall, it will be Lava Man and Great Hunter stabled next to the Breeders' Cup Sprint winner, Thor's Echo.

>> Continue reading: Mighty Thor hear him Roar

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Ouija Board became just the fifth horse to win multiple Breeders' Cup races adding her to the historic list of: Miesque; Lure; Tiznow; Da Hoss. Her victory was dynamic and deserving.

>> Continue reading: 2 for Ouija Board

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The Lane's End Futurity at Keeneland on October 7 ended up being the most important prep race on the road to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. How important, everyone would realize after the race was over.

>> Continue reading: Street Sense Shocks Juvenile

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Whenever you have a big horse race -- any horse race, whether it be the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders' Cup -- you meet all kinds at The Downs. It's a magnet not only for celebrities, talking heads and the upper classes, but also for artists, the curious and the downright weird.

>> Continue reading: BREEDERS 101: The Places You Go; The People You Meet

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Jockey Rene Douglass could have treated this week like it was any other. Trainer Wayne Catalno has good excercise riders and most jockey only sit on the horses when they ride them for the race. But Douglass knew this day could be something special.

>> Continue reading: Rene Rene

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We have had fun with trainer Wayne Catalano over the last few weeks and his brash and confident attitude. He told us he would win today. Even telling us that Lewis Michael could not lose the Breeders' Cup Mile. When it came to Anna, he was mum. She was a nice filly from the beginning that was known, she was after all a full sister to Lewis Michael.
I watched Dreaming of Anna complete her final preperations for today's race, last Sunday ...

>> Continue reading: My Man Wayne

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The weather was cooperating...The fans were here...The tv crews were live...Yet, one thing was not behaving. Her Majsesty a filly who had raced only twice before, did not want to run today. For five minutes she held up start by refusing to go in...Finally she went in, and the race began. She did not run much though.

>> Continue reading: Trouble early

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Over the last 24 hours we have seen some very fishy things...Things that may shortly lead to one shaking thier heads saying to themselves...'I Should have seen that coming.'

>> Continue reading: Welcome to the Twilight Zone??

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The horses are on the track for the first race of the day...the anticipation is growing...I can hardly wait

>> Continue reading: Almost here

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Hey, Eric Crawford!

Yeah, Eric Crawford of The Courier-Journal? You out there? I just wanted to let you know I stole your seat.

You know, your seat in the new press box? On the Sixth Floor of the main Churchill Downs building? Seat K10? I'm sitting in it right now...munching on tacos and rice and sipping on some kind of citrus soft drink I can't remember the name of.

>> Continue reading: BREEDERS 101: Memo to Eric Crawford of The Courier-Journal...

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As a journalist, I've been in some pretty uncomfortable predicaments.

I've stood on farms surrounded by dozens of chicken carcasses as nearby residents explain how they lost much of their livestock to floods. I've gotten up at 3:00 o'clock in the morning to brave heavy snows and icy interstates so we could get the news to sleepy viewers tucked safely away at home in their beds. I've covered (or helped cover) murder trials, natural dis...

>> Continue reading: BREEDERS 101: Don't Forget to Bring Batteries...

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On a bright sunny Thursday morning at Churchill Downs, Bernardini stepped on to the track and galloped a sprightly mile and a quarter, the same distance he will run in earnest on Saturday.
And the evaluation of trainer Tom Albertrani may have sent shivers through the rest of the Breeders' Cup Classic Field.
Our man on the backside, Chad Summers, says the trainer believes Bernardini is working better than ever. And that raises...

>> Continue reading: Can Bernardini Possibly Improve?

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