All the preliminaries are over. Say farewell to 502uesday, Champions Day and (aghast) Thurby. The big time starts Friday with the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The stars will be out Friday, with a glistening undercard leading up to the 150th renewal of the Oaks. Worth $1.5 million and so much more, the Oaks attracted ... Read more The post Kentucky Oaks Day stakes picks appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

A week out from the 150th Kentucky Derby and the signs of spring are everywhere from coast to coast. Especially so here in the Bluegrass, where trees are in full bloom and grass already in need of a significant cut. Kroger, Liquor Barn and Total Wine are stocked with all the necessities, whether it be ... Read more The post The Saturday Special – April 27 appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

The last Saturday in April. As usual, the steeplechase season hits full speed and makes you wonder where it went and how we got here. Two stops – one a storied timber race, the other a roaring-back-to-prominence Virginia stalwart – make for a full day. Last week was busy and featured the best performance of ... Read more The post Foxfield, Md. Hunt Cup picks & preview appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

The big boys come out to play Saturday with the $75,000 Temple Gwathmey highlighting a nine-race card at Middleburg Spring over the historic Glenwood Park course in Virginia and Maryland timber toppers going out again at the Grand National in Butler. Both meets are live-streamed on the NSA website. Last week at Tryon, Go Poke ... Read more The post Stakes hurdlers clash at Middleburg appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Approaching the midpoint of April and just three weeks remaining until the historic 150th renewal of the Kentucky Derby. The Saturday Special covers the final “prep” for the Derby and we dig into the Grand National card from Aintree. A little of that, and plenty more for this week’s edition. Enjoy. Names of the DayAir ... Read more The post The Saturday Special – April 13 appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Let’s get this out of the way first. The TIHR handicapping team struck out last week at Old Dominion. Three NSA races, three punters, three goose eggs. Good thing there are more races this weekend. Two Saturday stops, My Lady’s Manor in Maryland and Tryon Block House in North Carolina, offer five races apiece. The ... Read more The post Road To Oz, Include It clash in Manor appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Bruce Miller said it so sincerely, like it mattered to him. Lonesome Glory, the trainer’s best horse and America’s top steeplechaser, pulled a muscle in his back days before he was supposed to fly to England for an attempt on the 1998 Cheltenham Gold Cup. “I’m sorry to disappoint a lot of people,” he told ... Read more The post Trainer Miller, 89, leaves behind more than wins appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Now we’re getting serious. Just four weeks until the 150th Kentucky Derby and with three key preps on the slate this weekend the makeup of the field figures to take shape. The Saturday Special previews those preps – from New York, Kentucky and California – recaps last weekend and offers some handicapping advice for those ... Read more The post The Saturday Special – April 6 appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Old Dominion. It’s a university, a beer, a trucking company, a music academy, a Nashville-based band. And, Saturday, a race meet. Technically a nickname for Virginia, since it was the first (and oldest) overseas dominion of the kings and queens of England, the title ends up on the racing because it’s organized by the Old ... Read more The post Old Dominion jump picks & preview appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more

Now this is a Saturday. Huge races all over the U.S. and overseas in Dubai, the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 – don’t miss Caitlin Clark – and the start of Major League Baseball. Truly the best time of the year. The racing won’t be lost in the shuffle and we’re ready for another big ... Read more The post The Saturday Special – March 30 appeared first on This is Horse Racing ..read more