With effortless looking but ground devouring strikes, Animal Kingdom crushed his competition in the 18th running of the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 30. Sponsored by Emirates Airline, the $10 million Dubai World Cup offers the largest single-event purse in horse sport, and is part of the world’s “richest day in racing,” with […]
“Many people new to racing are unfamiliar with the name of Jean Cruguet, and this is a pity. No, make that a sin,” began a 2009 Saratoga horse racing blog entry. Well, I saw this image, and loved it so much I had to get the story behind it. Look how the horse is lifting […]
As a man, he was as unforgettable as the images he created with his camera. Passionate, imaginative, highly technical and unfailingly original — all apply to the picture as well as to photographer Michael J. Marten, who this year died at age 54. A two-time Eclipse Award-winner for his work in Thoroughbred racing, Marten was […]
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and is pulling out all the stops to make it extra-special for racing fans and members of the local community who visit during the 2012 season, July 18-Sept. 5. A total of $7.775 million will be awarded for races including seven Grade I stakes […]
HBO has canceled the horse racing series “Luck” after only one season on the air. The decision was made after a third horse died in the filming of the show, from Hollywood heavyweights David Milch and Michael Mann. R.T. Fitch, author of the blog “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”, on Tuesday broke the news that […]
Filmed at Santa Anita Park and locations around Los Angeles, HBO’s new series “Luck” tells the story of track rats hoping for a rocket ride to glory on the backs of their magnificent Thoroughbreds. The series’ premiere season kicked-off Jan. 29 and runs through April 22. [Editor’s note: HBO on March 14 announced the cancellation […]
Santa Anita Park’s 2011 Autumn Meeting begins Sept. 30, with 13 graded stakes, including six Grade I events to be run as part of Santa Anita’s Breeders’ Cup prep program that encompasses the first two weekends of the 24-day race meeting. The 2011 Breeders’ Cup will for the first time take place at Churchill Downs […]
It was a moment right out of a Hollywood movie: 90-year-old man throws himself in front of a stampeding Thoroughbred to push a six-year-old girl to safety. But it happened for real, March 12 at Santa Anita Park, when paddock guard John Shear acted in the call of duty to maintain safety in the walking […]
It was a wire-to-wire victory for Acclamation at the 21st running of Del Mar’s $1 Million Pacific Classic on Aug. 28. The five-year-old California-bred horse was ridden by Patrick Valenzuela. “He’s a great horse. And it doesn’t matter – grass or dirt of Poly. He’s just a runner,” Valenzuela said. Overall, Acclamation’s stellar performance at […]
Jockey Chantal Sutherland veered from tradition when she decided to work the Del Mar meet this summer, rather than heading back to her native Canada to ride at Woodbine. But Sutherland isn’t one for following formulas. The only thing she likes to be predictable at is winning. “When you pick a meet, you kind of […]
