Blame, Goldikova, Zenyatta Head List of Eclipse Finalists

By Mike Dempsey

The 2010 Horse of the Year will come down to Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, Classic runner up Zenyatta, and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova.

With Goldikova only making one start in the U.S., the real battle for Horse of the Year will come down to Blame vs. Zenyatta, and early indications are the voting was close.

The Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park

By Aaron Huber

The Spectacular Bid is a six-furlong dash run at the beginning of the Gulfstream Park meet each year. It’s always a great race to watch because it is one of the first stakes of the season for 3-year-olds and features a wide assortment of horses – who will go on to race at both sprint and classic distances.

Winning Teams at Fair Grounds

By Joey Adams

Anyone can walk into the racetrack, pick up a program, and instantly identify the leading trainers and jockeys at the meet. Far fewer are serious enough to do the homework required to see how the trainer and jockey information intersect. In other words, what’s better – knowing simply that a trainer leads the meet with six wins from twenty starters, or knowing that all six of those wins came with a particular jockey?

Lexington-based Horse Racing Radio Network wins Eclipse Award

Lexington-based Horse Racing Radio Network has earned the 2010 media Eclipse Award in the audio/multi-media internet category for its 10 hours of live coverage of this year’s Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs, it was announced Thursday.

The Rich Get Richer

By Joey Adams

According to Equibase, more than 7,500 trainers sent horses to post in 2010. The list includes household names like Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, and Bob Baffert. It also includes names such as Clifford Dobson and Rene Odom. The list includes trainers who saddled hundreds, sometimes thousands of starters, and trainers who enjoyed slapping the saddle on just once.

Looking for a Hot Trainer? Look No Further Than Englehart

By Mike Dempsey

Horseplayers are always looking for that hot jockey or trainer, and if you happen to be on the Chris Englehart bandwagon the past week, you are cashing plenty of tickets.

The New York based trainer has now won seven races in a row at Aqueduct after winning with both of his starters on Sunday.

Santa comes to Santa Anita

By Joey Adams

Nearly everyone in the U.S. gets a brief vacation for the Christmas holiday, and horseplayers are no different – whether they actually want the vacation or not. The only thoroughbred track in the U.S. conducting racing on Friday (Christmas Eve) is Parx Racing in Philadelphia. Horseplayers desperate for action may also turn to Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico or to Quarter Horse action at Hialeah Park. Christmas Day you’re on your own – no live thoroughbred racing in the U.S.

Synthetics are Safer – Now There’s Proof

By Joey Adams

There has been widespread, and heated, debate about the benefits (and pitfalls) of synthetic racing surfaces since they made their first appearance in North America several years ago. This debate has not only included owners and trainers, but bettors – many of whom claim the synthetic surfaces are highly irregular as they relate to standard handicapping methods. Some serious horseplayers have even gone as far as to stop playing any racetrack with a synthetic surface.

Gulfstream Park to Offer Horseplayer Friendly Wagering

By Mike Dempsey

Gulfstream Park opens for business on Jan. 5, and horseplayers throughout the nation will be happy to see the new betting menu, which is complete with new lower increments and decreased takeout.

While Santa Anita opens up on Dec. 26 with a hike in exactas and daily doubles from 20.68% to 22.68%, and the takeout in trifectas and superfectas is going up 3% to 23.68%, Gulfstream Park is going in the other direction, offering lower takeout in a number of exotic wagers.

Fair Grounds Preview – Thursday, December 16, 2010

By Joey Adams

The turf course at Fair Grounds is put to good use throughout its thoroughbred meet, and these races over the grass often present good betting opportunities for the horseplayer. They tend to offer large, competitive fields, and Race 8 on Thursday is no exception.