HorseRacingNation.com NewsWire

Preakness 2013: The 40th Anniversary of Secretariat's Victory

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:44:04 GMT

The crowd gathered at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 1973 was abuzz with excitement, awaiting the ninety-eighth installment of the Preakness Stakes. Just six Thoroughbreds had aligned for the classic, but it was not the size of the field that mattered. It was the excitement surrounding the rematch of the one-two finishers of the Kentucky Derby (GI), contested just two weeks earlier: Sham and Secretariat.

The loud roar from the crowd as the bell clanged was a stark contrast from the actual break. Each horse had exited the gate cleanly, commencing their pursuit of the Woodlawn Vase in an uneventful manner. Secretariat trailed the field as the Preakness competitors galloped under the wire for the first time.

Glistening a deep red, the massive beast inhaled his rivals in a stunning move around the clubhouse turn, his face adorned in the mask of his blue and white checkered blinkers. In unusual, breathtaking fashion, Secretariat swallowed up his rivals in a fleeting moment, traveling from last to first in just a handful of his powerful strides. Spectators wer

Reflections on the 2013 Kentucky Derby

Sun, 05 May 2013 11:50:07 GMT

Moments after Orb dashed to victory in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), providing his classic connections – owners Stuart S. Janney, III and Phipps Stable and trainer Shug McGaughey – and jockey Joel Rosario with their first Derby triumph, nineteen Thoroughbreds were led back to the barns across the track from the grandstand. Each of them was camouflaged in mud, but only one of them had had the honor of standing within the Kentucky Derby winner’s enclosure with a luxurious blanket of red roses draped over his shoulders. Months of preparation had gone into this race and within a matter of two minutes, it was over and the victor was crowned.

After the Derby, most of the attention was focused on Orb, and rightfully so. The immensely talented colt had captured the race in authoritative manner, immediately generating Triple Crown talk. But a number of other contenders ran noteworthy races, although it is clear that the best horse won.

Take a look at eight honorable finishers of the Kentucky Derby:

1^st - Orb: The winner exited the gate well, though he came into contact wit

Kentucky Derby 2013: Where It All Began

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:21:52 GMT

There’s the Super Bowl. There’s the World Series. There’s the NBA Finals. There’s the Stanley Cup. There’s the Daytona 500. And there’s the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is American racing’s staple event. Attracting twenty elite three-year-old Thoroughbreds every year, the mile and one-quarter race – contested under Churchill Downs’ iconic twin spires – is the most esteemed of the year, creating a fortune of discussion and excitement. From the moment two-year-old races begin, anticipation for the next year’s Run for the Roses commences as racing enthusiasts strive to “discover” the next Derby winner.

Often, horses that break their maiden in remarkable fashion – typically by a large margin – at renowned tracks are those that find themselves on early Derby watch lists, especially those that win their debut. But a large portion of the horses in this year’s Derby field did not break their maiden in their initial trip to the races and few of them were overwhelmingly impressive in their maiden scores.

Take a look back at the beginnings of the careers of the twe

Remember Me Rescue's Fundraiser for OTTBs

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:06:40 GMT

The words majestic, fierce, and athletic are among the words that spring into one’s mind when trying to describe the Thoroughbred racehorse. Not skin and bones, malnourished, ill, and near-death. But when Donna Keen, founder of Remember Me Rescue, looked at the scene before her on a ranch in San Marcos, Texas in the fall of 2012, she saw an abundance of Thoroughbreds that fit the latter description.

Nine of these horses were transported to Remember Me Rescue about three hours away, where they were nursed back to health. While these horses stayed at Remember Me, Keen formed the idea of a training challenge for off-the-track Thoroughbreds, an idea inspired partially by the Extreme Mustang Makeover. And so it all began.

The idea blossomed into a huge planning process for an event that is now creating great waves of anticipation and excitement. With Remember Me’s development of an all-Thoroughbred horse show in the spring of 2013 already in the works, the training challenge was added to the horse show plans with the name “Battle of the X’s, OTTB Trainer Challen

Hydrotherapy: For the Good of the Horse

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:00:07 GMT

Well Armed’s story is an inspiring one, one that tugs on the heart strings by chronicling the journey of a real life hero who defied all odds and overcame great adversity to win the richest race in the world in record-breaking fashion. But had it not been for his loving owner and his dedication to rehabilitating the horse through hydrotherapy, Well Armed never would have had the chance to do so, as the horse would no longer be alive.

Well Armed at Bill Casner's ranch - Photo by Terri Cage

Victor of the 2009 Dubai World Cup (gr. I), a race Well Armed captured in record-breaking fashion when galloping to a 14-length triumph, Well Armed is one of the most beloved racehorses in recent years. But before Well Armed ever achieved his greatest victory, his life was on the line. L

Two-Year-Old Sales Season Gearing Up

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:56:30 GMT

As the Triple Crown trail continues to gain more momentum, the possible stars of next year's trail gear up for two-year-old sales season. Throughout the spring, an abundance of quality auctions for juvenile Thoroughbreds can be found throughout the nation. Leading sales companies like Barretts, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and Ocala Breeders' Sales (OBS) all present at least one annual two-year-old sale, with sale season commencing with the Barretts Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale on March 4.

In order to provide buyers with the best tools to find a future champion, sales companies hold under tack shows, or breeze shows, in which the cataloged juveniles perform brisk breezes. These works typically are performed at the distance of one furlong, though juveniles sometimes breeze a quarter-mile or even three furlongs. While viewing these works, possible buyers are able to attempt to measure the potential in the cataloged two-year-olds, judging not only the time in which the breezes are executed, but the manner in which the horses travel. Other means o

Cerro: Michael Phelps' Splash Into Racing

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:13:48 GMT

Michael Phelps will forever be viewed as one of the greatest athletes of all-time. The Maryland native is the most decorated Olympian ever, having an incredible 22 Olympic metals to his credit, 18 of which are gold – also a record. Following the 2012 London Olympics, from which he took home 4 gold and 2 silver metals, Phelps officially retired from swimming.

But Phelps remains in the realm of sports, but not as a competitor. Phelps, alongside his longtime friend and coach Bob Bowman, is among the Team Valor group that owns Cerro, a blossoming three-year-old colt in the barn of Graham Motion. And just as he did during his swimming career, Phelps is aiming for the pinnacle. Cerro could be on the path to the Kentucky Derby.

The Irish-bred colt began his career in Italy, winning his debut on the turf. Catching the eye of founder and CEO of Team Valor International, Barry Irwin, Cerro was purchased by Team Valor and brought to the United States.

The colt made his North American debut in the Pilgrim Stakes (gr. III) on the yielding turf at Belmont, but crossed the wire a disappoin

Rescue Groups Striving to Rescue Louisiana Horses

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:56:06 GMT

Contains graphic photos

In January 2012, a mass rescue effort, including teams from Remember Me Rescue and the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association, helped rescue dozens of starving thoroughbreds – though it was too late to save several horses – from terrible living conditions in Many, Louisiana. A year later, the town has changed, but the situation is similar, if not more horrific.

Currently, a large number of starving horses are suffering at Ryder River Ridge Farm in Natchitoches, Louisiana – about 40 minutes northeast of Many. Ryder River Ridge Farm is owned by Firal Ryder, a man who greatly loves his horses, but due to ill health, is in a nursing home. His son, Clay Ryder, is now in control of farm operations.

Remember Me Rescue and the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association have attempted to help these horses and when Donna Keen of RMR was prohibited from entering the property, she promptly arranged for a helicopter to fly her over the farm. While in the helicopter, Keen photographed the horrific scenes below on the farm, which included not only

It's All About Luck: Blind Luck's First Foal

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:59:24 GMT

Her race record wasn't perfect. Her conformation wasn't perfect. Her action wasn't
perfect. But the combination of charismatic qualities Blind Luck possessed was perfect.

She ran with unbelievable, grit, determination, and heart. She performed with the most thrilling racing style there is: closing in the final strides, a guaranteed way to cause near-heart attacks for devoted fans. And of course, she had a rags to riches story that made her remarkable career all the more captivating.

Blind Luck began her racing career with a romp in a maiden claiming at Calder, which caught the eye of many prospective buyers. She landed in the stable of Jerry Hollendorfer in California and quickly, Blind Luck began to prove that she was something special. The chestnut’s career spanned twenty-two races, highlighted by six grade one victories – including an electrifying triumph in the 2010 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) – and her sensational rivalry with 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

Among the most distinguished wins in the collection of exciting victories Blind

Joha: Full of Potential

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:07:53 GMT

Auctions present an opportunity for those involved in the Thoroughbred industry to find a future superstar, whether it be on the racing scene or in the breeding business. Bidding on a horse is one of the biggest risks one can take in the Thoroughbred world, but if one is fortunate enough to purchase a special horse, sales can also serve as one of the best launching pads for those seeking success in the business. Considering how large of a chance is taken when one bids on a horse at public auction, it must be nice to take that chance on a racing prospect that already has a grade one victory to its credit. Such a horse clearly already has experience and class, thus leaving the biggest chance to be the amount of money a buyer is willing to spend.

Prospective buyers nearly had the chance to spend a large sum of money on perhaps the most exciting horse that had been entered in the upcoming Keeneland January Horses of All-Ages Sale: Joha, who captured the 2012 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I). The Keeneland January Horses of All-Ages Sale inaugurated in 1956, and beginning in 1961,