Horse Racing archive

By Steve Davidowitz | Beautiful Keeneland Racecourse opened on Friday, April 6 and as the centerpiece of a stakes-rich 15-day spring meet it is set to host the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes next Saturday, the focus this weekend has to be elsewhere…

Bet on the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at Bovada's online racebook.
Don't have a Bovada account? Join NOW.

In Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby we will see CREATIVE CAUSE go to the post against a relatively deep field of 3-year-olds who need to upset Creative Cause to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby on May 5. Across the American continent on the same afternoon, the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct racetrack in New York will make or break the chances of undefeated GEMOLOGIST to make the Derby starting field.

As most know, the field for the 1-1/4 mile annual spring classic at Churchill Downs is limited to 20 starters and the deciding factor is linked directly to lifetime earnings in Graded Stakes. Right now, Gemologist has Graded earnings of $103, 855 by virtue of his Grade-2 win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall. Right now—before we know the results of the Wood, the Santa Anita Derby and even the $500,000 Illinois Derby on Saturday — Gemologist sits in 35th place and frankly that means he probably has to run at least second (worth $200,000) to get safely into the Derby Top 20.

Bovada's got the odds to win the Illinois Derby, the odds to win the Wood Memorial -- and more!

The 20th horse on the list is REVERON—with $220,000 after finishing second to TAKE CHARGE INDY in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream last Sunday. The list is so tight that 14 horses already have at least $300,000 in Graded earnings while 23 more horses have earned at least $100,000 or more. With a winner’s purse of $600,000 in the Wood, horses with zero Graded earnings such as THE LUMBER GUY, STREET LIFE, TEETH OF THE DOG and CASUAL TRICK could leap right all but the top nine on the list with an upset victory. Several others, including the aforementioned Gemologist, are on the proverbial bubble and might only need a second or third place finish in this rich race to secure a Derby post position.

Looking for horse racing props and futures? Bovada's got those, too.

Alpha, the second choice in the Wood morning line did win two stakes at Aqueduct this winter, including the Grade-3 Withers. But Alpha only can claim 23rd place on the list with his $180,000 in Graded earnings and he probably will need at least a third place finish (worth $100,000) in the Wood to get out of the woods. Frankly, with eight Graded Stakes for 3-year-olds still to be run worth an aggregate $4.6 million, no one really knows how much in Graded earnings will be required to make the field.

Here is the remaining Graded Stakes schedule leading up to the Kentucky Derby:

Apr. 7:
$750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G-1)
$1 million Wood Memorial, Aqueduct (G-1)
$500,000 Illinois Derby, Hawthorne, (G-3)

Apr. 14:
$750,000Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, (G-1)
$1 million Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park, (G-1)

Apr. 21:
$200,000 Lexington Stakes, Keeneland (G-3)
$200,000 Jerome, Aqueduct (G-2)

Apr. 30:
$200,000 Derby Trial Stakes, Churchill Downs, (G-3).

That’s a lot of Graded Stakes money yet to be distributed between now and the Kentucky Derby post position draw scheduled for Wednesday, May 2 at Churchill Downs. Given that so many of the horses under consideration for these eight Graded stakes must win or run second, a major shakeup seems quite likely to occur after the results are officially posted. While I like Gemologist to handle Alpha in the Wood; Creative Cause will be facing a deeper group of lightly raced Derby possibilities in the SA Derby and I see at least three rapidly developing horses in the field who have hinted at considerable upside.

Can Creative Cause win? Yes, of course; but I would suggest taking a hard look at the promising maiden BROTHER FRANCIS, who has $120,000 in Graded earnings (and I would not toss the very fast Bob Baffert trained maiden race winner PAYNTER), who has not yet won a dime in Graded Stakes. I also can make a case for the improving MIDNIGHT TRANSFER, who only has $36,000 in his Graded Stakes portfolio.

Each of the above three young horses have much more at stake than Creative Cause. Fact is, Creative Cause does not have to finish in the top three to make the Derby and he does not have to prove he is the best 3-year-old in California either. Yet he probably needs to run well enough to indicate that he still is in form and has a whole lot more energy left in his tank for the main event next month.

Next Saturday, we will see two more deep fields of Derby prospects compete in the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby. I will of course cover both of these Derby preps in more detail in this space on April 13.

While all of these races offer fine wagering opportunities, looking further down the long winding road to Louisville, it makes as much sense to find the strongest finishers who seem to be in great health as they move forward towards generating a peak performance in the one race every owner, trainer, breeder, jockey and horseplayer most wants to win.

Get Ready for the Kentucky Derby at Bovada.
Bovada Racebook has all your Triple Crown betting info -- including Kentucky Derby contenders and Derby results.

Gov. Dave Heineman vetoed LB 806, a bill that would expand gambling to allow wagers on previously-run races on electronic gaming machines.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has vetoed a
bill that would allow machine bets on previously run horse races,
saying it would create to a new form of gambling.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Republican governor said Monday that the measure contradicts the spirit of live horse racing that has been approved by Nebraska
voters.

Heineman says in his veto message that the bill would expand gambling beyond what the state constitution currently allows. He says that a horse racing exception in the constitution has always
been construed to apply only to live races.

The bill's sponsor, Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh, has said the measure would save jobs in the struggling horse racing industry.

Lawmakers approved the bill 26-18 - four votes short of the support needed to override Heineman's veto.


Read More: Heineman Vetoes Horse Gambling Bill

Bovada Racebook has everything you need to bet on the Kentucky Derby.
Don't have a Bovada account? Join NOW.

Derby Dozen Update:

1. HANSEN: Last year's 2-year-old champion has looked very good in his latest workouts for the Blue Grass Stakes and he certainly has shown that hre can rate a bit off the pace when he easily won the 1-1/16 mile Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct despite a wide post draw and a wide run around both turns. But he figures to have stiff competition in the Blue Grass on the Keeneland Polytrack because there is so much early speed signed up and because there are a few promising stretch runners in the field. Win or lose, if he comes out of the race healthy, he still will be a legit Derby contender.

2. GEMOLOGIST: After ALGORITHMS went down to an injury and ENDER KNIEVEL failed to deliver in the Sunland derby, Todd Pletcher sent out this son of two time Breeders' Cup classic winner TIZNOW and we saw the best colt in the deep Pletcher barn. Gamely won the Wood Memorial for his fifth straight without a defeat last week over ALPHA as if he had more in the tank.

3. ALPHA: Encountered traffic problems during the early stages of the Wood last week, but closed strongly when clear to just miss catching up to Gemologist. While the latter still had some energy in the tank, Alpha was shaking off some rust and definitely gained important conditioning for the 1-1/14 mile Run for the Roses.

4. CREATIVE CAUSE: Was a good third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind Hansen and Union Rags last fall at Churchill and won the San Felipe last month in convincing, stretch running style before he ran another strong race to lose a head bob to I’LL HAVE ANOTHER in the Santa Anita Derby. Seems on a good program to make a good showing in Louisville. Must watch how trainer Mike Harrington navigates his way through the final madness we always see at Churchill during Derby week.

5. UNION RAGS: Looked very good winning the relatively empty Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream last month and then came up a a bit short in his modest rally after being locked in a pocket in the Florida Derby. This colt certainly is one of the best of his generation, but he has to prove it to me that he is THE BEST and he has not impressed nearly as much as his press clippings said he would.

6. DULLAHAN: Dale Romans trainee has trained forwardly for his likely stretch running bid in the Blue Grass on Saturday. Remember, this colt won the Breeders' Futurity on this track last fall when still a maiden and he then finished a good fourth from out of the clouds in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill. Has had only one start this year, a very good second to HOWE GREAT in the Palm Beach Stakes on the Gulfstream turf course last month. Meeting Howe Great and Hansen again, so we should get a good line on him in the Blue Grass. As I've pointed out more than once, Dullahan is one of the few high class stretch runners in the leading group of this year's Derby prospects.

7. HOWE GREAT: Team Valor (Barry Irwin) and trainer Graham Motion won the Derby last year with ANIMAL KINGDOM and before that Derby he looked like a synthetic track and/or a turf specialist. But Animal Kingdom worked sharply at Churchill and won the Derby for fun at 21-1. This colt seems as if he might be a turf specialist, having won the Palm Beach Stakes over Dullahan on March 11. But no one should sell him short because of that. Howe Great must win the Blue Grass to get the needed Graded earnings to make the Derby field. If he does win, that would be his fifth straight score and first on a synthetic track. Either way, we will hear from this good horse during the year.

8. DADDY NOSE BEST: Steve Asmussen trained son of Scat Daddy out of a Thunder Gulch mare won the $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 25, for his second consecutive 1-1/8 mile Graded Stakes while earning his second straight triple digit Beyer Speed Figure. Is entered in the Arkansas Derby and will be looking for a good finish, nothing more or less as he has his Graded earnings in the bank. Another of the few genuine stretch running types in the prospective Kentucky Derby field.

9. WENT THE WAY WELL: Strangely named colt owned and trained by the Animal Kingdom connections, won the Spiral Stakes by open daylight—the same race Animal Kingdom won last year before his Derby victory! Has already won a dirt race, so we should not be concerned if he goes into the Derby off this race. At the same time, his people think he might need one more start for a learning experience and the Lexington Stakes, on Apr. 21 -- 13 days before the Kentucky Derby -- is the likely target.

10. BODEMEISTER: Baffert trained winner of a fast maiden route came back to run a strong second to CREATIVE CAUSE in the swiftly run San Felipe and then shipped to Arkansas where he is the morning line favorite from an outer post position in the $1 million Arkansas Derby. Has plenty of ability, is Baffert trained and must win the race on Saturday to guarantee a starting spot in the Derby field.

11. I'LL HAVE ANOTHER: Proved that his win in the San Felipe Stakes was no fluke as he narrowly outfinished the accomplished CREATIVE CAUSE in the Santa Anita Derby off another relatively long layoff. Will he hold his form with a four week break going to Louisville, or will he perhaps need more time to recover his full power? Must watch his workouts carefully.

12. OPTIMIZER: D. Wayne Lukas trained stretch runner was strong in the late going when second to SECRET CIRCLE in the 1-1/16 mile Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, Mar. 17. His late speed makes him a dangerous possibility for Kentucky Derby, but he must finish at least second in the Arkansas Derby to have the needed Graded earnings to make the Derby field.

Others who are still in the mix include: PROPSECTIVE, ISN'T HE CLEVER, EL PADRINO, MARK VALESKI, DADDY LONG LEGS, WROTE, COZZETTI, NAJJAAR, and

The Bob Baffert trained BODEMEISTER not only won the Arkansas Derby, he overpowered his stablemate SECRET CIRCLE by more than nine lengths and probably established himself as the likely morning line favorite for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2012.

DULLAHAN also was an impressive winner of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, rallying strongly a sluggish start to catch front running HANSEN inside the final 1/16 mile to draw clear late.

Combined, these two authoritative wins as well as the second and third place finishes by SECRET CIRCLE and SABERCAT in the Arkansas Derby, as well as HANSEN’S second in the Blue Grass pushed several potential Derby contenders out of the Top 20 Graded Earnings List needed to make the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

Rivalries and Roses. Bet on the Kentucky Derby (May 5) at Bovada Racebook.
Don't have a Bovada account? Join now.

Looking at their respective performances on Saturday, few horses in recent years have looked as Bodemeister, who won the Arkansas Derby in his fourth lifetime start as if he could have gone around the track again.

He now will go into the Kentucky Derby as a dominant speed horse with the ability to rate slightly off the pace. As a son of Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, he certainly has the inherent stamina to carry his form the full 1-1/4 mile Derby distance. His Hall of Fame trainer also knows his way around Churchill, having won three Kentucky Derbys, with two second place finishes since he burst on the Derby scene with Cavonnier, who lost the 1996 Derby by a nose to the D. Wayne Lukas trained GRINDSTONE in 1996.

Dullahan, a half brother to the 2009 upset Derby winner, MINE THAT BIRD, also has shipped to Churchill Downs where he will be ably trained by Dale Romans, one of the most prolific winning trainers of stakes class horses the past few years. Among the recent stars in the Romans’ stable are SHACKLEFORD, the 2011 Preakness Stakes winner and PADDY O; PRADO, who finished a solid third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

For his part, Dullahan now has won two Graded stakes in his productive career and both were on the Polytrack at Keeneland. While that might seem to label this colt as a confirmed 'synthetic track specialist,' be reminded that Dullahan was a good fourth to Hansen, UNION RAGS and CREATIVE CAUSE after a slow start in the 1-1/16 mile, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill last fall. As Romans pointed out before and after the Blue Grass, Dullahan is well suited to the Derby's 1-1/4 mile distance and would greatly benefit from a fast pace.

Yet, even beyond these two fine winning performances in the rich Derby preps at Keeneland and Oaklawn Park on Saturday, there are many disappointed owners and trainers who thought they were going to the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Among the ones on the outside looking in are OPTIMIZER and HOWE GREAT, while REVERON might make it even though he is not going to run as first scheduled in the $200,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, Saturday, Apr. 21. Beyond that, Bob Baffert has CASTAWAY in the Lexington Stakes and STIRRED UP in the $200,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on the same day.

Speaking of Optimizer, there remains a slim chance that Lukas might enter the colt who was such a strong second to Secret Circle in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn last month that Optimizer might go in the $200,000 Derby Trial Stakes at one mile on opening Day at Churchill Downs, Apr. 28.

With all of that, here is the current Kentucky Derby Graded stakes Earnings List along with their respective trainers and a few final notes:

1. Hansen--Michael Maker--$1,550,000
2. Daddy Long Legs--Aidan O'Brien--$1,294,030
3. Union Rags--Michael Matz--$1,170,000
4. Dullahan--Dale Romans--$855,000
5. Creative Cause--Mike Harrington--$836,000
X6. Wrote (IRE)--Aidan O'Brien--$756,630
7. Gemologist--Todd Pletcher--$703,855
8. Sabercat--Steve Asmussen--$701,429
9. Take Charge Indy--Patrick Byrne--$698,400
10. Secret Circle--Bob Baffert--$670,000
11. Bodemeister--Bob Baffert--$660,000
X12. Hero of Order--Gennadi Dorochenko--$617,375
13. I'll Have Another--Doug O'Neill--$601,000
14. Daddy Nose Best--Steve Asmussen--$545,558
15. Liaison--Bob Baffert--$393,000
16. Alpha--Kiaran McLaughlin--$380,000
?17. Prospective--Mark Casse--$367,327
?18. Trinniberg--Bisnath Parboo--$324,500
19. Done Talking--Hamilton Smith--$311,000
20. Went the Day Well--Graham Motion--$282,000
21. Rousing Sermon--Jerry Hollendorfer--$270,000
22. Mark Valeski--Larry Jones--$260,000
23. El Padrino--Todd Pletcher--$250,000
24. Reveron--Agustin Bezara--$220,000
25. Isn't He Clever--Henry Dominguez--$188,000
26. Optimizer--D. Wayne Lukas--$184,708
27. Castaway--Bob Baffert--$162,000
28. Currency Swap--Teresa Pompay--$150,000
29. My Adonis--Kelly Breen--$140,000
30. Brother Francis--James Cassidy--$135,000
31. Battle Hardened--Eddie Kenneally--$127,000
32. Genten--Yoshito Yahagi--$123,826
33. Mr. Bowling--Larry Jones--$115,848
34. Howe Great--Graham Motion--$112,500
35. Jack's in the Deck--Robin Graham--$105,000
36. Longview Drive--Jerry Hollendorfer--$102,834
37. Scatman--Michael Lauer--$101,875
38. State of Play--Graham Motion--$100,000
38. Morgan's Guerilla--Michael Maker--$100,000
40. Shared Property--Thomas Amoss--$99,700
41. Fly Lexis Fly--Arturo Morales--$99,481
42. Stirred Up--Baffert--$96,000
43. Blueskiesnrainbows--Baffert--$90,000
43. Tiger Walk--Ignacio Correas IV--$90,000

Added Notes: HERO OF ORDER, in 12th place, is not nominated to Triple Crown and thus would require a $200,000 supplementary payment when post positions are drawn at Churchill on Wednesday, May 2. Yet, even with that, he would not get a starting post position ahead of any original or late nominee. So in essence, he's eliminated, which moves every horse below him up one slot. . .PROSPECTIVE, the Tampa Bay Derby winne

For Kentucky Derby week, the Innovation Trail is partnering with WEKU and Louisville Public Media to explore how technology is changing the horse racing industry. This is part one of a five-part series.

The rules on legal gambling in New York State can be a little murky.

Casinos on Indian Territory are allowed, but not elsewhere - for now. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been calling for the legalization of casinos in the rest of the state.

New York also already has what are known as “racinos”: horse racing tracks where there are also video slot machines, along with plenty of betting on the actual horses.

Betting on those same horses online is also allowed. But betting on poker and other card games on the internet is not.

Why?

The exception for horse racing has to do with the fact that it’s a sport, and thus different, according to state Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon).

“Horse racing is actually a publicly attended event that no one is really controlling,” says Pretlow, who chairs the Assembly’s racing and wagering committee. “Whereas [in] online gaming, there are too many opportunities for people to cheat.”


Read More: Why betting on horses is legal, when gambling elsewhere is not | Innovation Trail

The post positions for the 138th Kentucky Derby have been drawn and the favorites selected. The geniuses at the Bovada Racebook have given Bodemeister 4/1 odds of winning the Derby; the best odds in the field. Rounding out the top three are Union Rags at 9/2 and Gemologist at 6/1. Why wait? Bet on the Kentucky Derby today.

Get horse racing odds at Bovada.

Bodemeister was a 9 ½-length winner of his last race, the Arkansas Derby last month, and finished second in his debut race a month earlier. Bodemeister has been trained by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert. He will run from post position six with jockey Mike Smith, rider of two previous Horse of the Year winners and also rode Giacomo to a Kentucky Derby victory in 2005.

Union Rags has three victories to his credit in his five-race history. He finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs last November. He was trained by former Olympic Medalist and U.S. flag bearer Michael Matz, who also trained the 2006 Derby winner Barbaro. While jockey Julien Leparoux has never won the big race, he is a five-time Breeder’s Cup winner. He’ll run from post position four.

Gemologist is two-for-two in his career, including a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, and will race from post position 15. He was trained by 2010 Derby winner Todd Pletcher and will be guided by Javier Castellano.

As a graded stakes race, these horses are the best of the best coming from all over. There will be nine Grade I race winners, three Grade II winners and six Grade III winners.

The winner of the Derby will take home $1,459,600 from the $2,219,600 purse. You can get a piece of that action by betting on the horses with Bovada. Follow us for the next few weeks as we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest news, track and weather reports for all the Triple Crown races, including the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

The rules on legal gambling in New York State can be a little murky.

Casinos on Indian Territory are allowed, but not elsewhere - for now. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been calling for the legalization of casinos in the rest of the state.

New York also already has what are known as “racinos”: horse racing tracks where there are also video slot machines, along with plenty of betting on the actual horses.

Betting on those same horses online is also allowed. But betting on poker and other card games on the internet is not.

Why?

The exception for horse racing has to do with the fact that it’s a sport, and thus different, according to state Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon).

“Horse racing is actually a publicly attended event that no one is really controlling,” says Pretlow, who chairs the Assembly’s racing and wagering committee. “Whereas [in] online gaming, there are too many opportunities for people to cheat.”


Read More: Why betting on horses is legal, when gambling elsewhere is not | WRVO Public Media

You may be flushed with excitement–and cash–from your Derby Day winnings. There was a 15-1 payoff on I’ll Have Another’s Kentucky Derby win. But if you won, before you spend it all, remember to save some for the tax man. Gambling winnings are fully taxable and must be reported on your tax return just like everything else. Yup, Gambling Winnings Are Always Taxable Income.

What’s included? Gambling income includes winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and dog races and casinos. What’s more, if you win in kind, you’ll have to pay tax on the fair market value of prizes such as cars, houses, trips or other noncash prizes. You name it, it’s taxed.

Here are seven tax rules about gambling winnings:

Read More: Win a Kentucky Derby Bet? Don't Forget Taxes - Forbes

A record crowd of 165,307 horse racing enthusiasts gathered at historic Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5 to watch another upset in the making at the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby.

The field was deep, the track was fast, the weather was hot and humid. Perfect conditions for a frontrunner like Bodemeister (ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith), who got off to a fast start and who appeared to have the lead from wire to wire. And then from out of nowhere it seemed, I'll Have Another closed in on Bodemeister deep in the stretch to take the win from him.

A first for trainer Doug O'Neill and a first for jockey Mario Gutierrez, the huge win by I'll Have Another is (surprise!) also a first for any Derby contender to do so from the 19th post.

A 15/1 upset, I'll Have Another paid $32.60, 13.80 and 9.00. Bodemeister paid $6.20 and 5.60. Dullahan, who finished third, paid $7.20 to show.

I'll Have Another has won all three of his starts in 2012; the last two races were also won by a nose. Are we looking at a future Triple Crown winner here?

2012 Preakness Stakes: May 19, 2012

The next jewel of the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes. Mark your calendar, horseplayers, that race is set to go down at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 2012. Bovada Racebook will have all the info on all the contenders - plus all the odds to win.

I wanta to ask a question about horse racing

During the race can the jockey's take their feet out of the stirups and actually sit on the horse and finish the race or will they be disqualified??
Why do the jockey's have to sit like that anyway?? Wouldn't that put stress on the horses withers😟

Thanks!

I'm sorry but i haven't a clue.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez and owner J. Paul Reddam are undoubtedly still celebrating I'LL HAVE ANOTHER'S stretch running win over BODEMEISTER in the 2012 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5 at Churchill Downs. The same is true for all those horseplayers who cashed in on this longshot score in America's most famous race.

Having said that, a few days have passed since I'll Have Another's big win and everyone's focus must now shift towards the 1-3/16 mile 2012 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 19. Beyond that, no one should doubt I'll Have Another's connections also will be looking a bit further down the road, to their possible chance to sweep the coveted, incredibly elusive Triple Crown, a crown that has not had a true King since Affirmed became the last of 11 horses to win all three races.

That's 34 years since racing has seen a horse complete the sweep of the 1-1/4 mile Kentucky Derby, the 1-3/16 mile Preakness and 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes during a span of five weeks at three different distances in three different states. Many who watch, follow and historically measure sporting events for their importance and degree of difficulty consider the Triple Crown to be among the most demanding accomplishments in the world of sport, any sport.

2012 Triple Crown betting at Bovada.
Don't have a Bovada account? Join today.

There have been in fact 11 Derby winners since Affirmed who successfully took the second Triple Crown jewel two weeks later at Pimlico. (Actually, only 32 tried, as Spend a Buck skipped the Preakness in 1985 in favor of running for a special one time $2 million bonus in the Jersey Derby at newly rebuilt Garden State Park.)

Of those 11, none were able to complete the sweep at Belmont Park three weeks later and that is why they sometimes call the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes "The Test of The Champion."

SPECTACULAR BID, considered by many to be among the top half dozen horses in racing history couldn’t complete the deal in 1979; neither could three Derby-Preakness winners trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert: SILVER CHARM, (1997); REAL QUIET (1998), and WAR EMBLEM (2002).

Real Quiet's second place finish in his Belmont probably was the most excruciating defeat ever endured by a potential Triple Crown winner, as he held a four length lead in mid stretch but was caught by hard charging VICTORY GALLOP in the final stride by a margin that was less than 1/2 inch on the wire. It took more than seven minutes for the placing judges to actually determine if Victory Gallop had won or whether there was a veritable dead heat.

SMARTY JONES' second place finish in the 2004 Belmont also seemed to be a difficult pill for most to swallow, given that he probably moved a few beats too soon to assume command on the final turn and left himself vulnerable to the stretch running surge by BIRDSTONE.

Beyond the fate that awaits I’ll Have Another at Belmont Park, he first will have to win the Preakness in an era where few horses seem able to hold their fine form without four or five weeks off to recover from a strenuous race. Make no mistake, the 20 horse Kentucky Derby is a most strenuous race, regardless of who wins or how the victory was accomplished and/or by what margin.

Secpnd place finisher BODEMESITER, who understandably tired to finish second after setting fast splits -- 22.32 seconds for the first quarter; a scorching 45.39 for the half mile and 1:09.80 for six furlongs to take the lead away from the sprinter TRINNIBERG -- might not be up to coming back so soon.

Should he recover well, should Baffert think this late developing colt can perform at his peak on May 19, he will probably be a deserving betting favorite to stop I'll Have Another's Triple Crown bid at Pimlico. Should Bodemeister not be fit to run, the competition that will challenge the Derby winner may be unusually weak.

HANSEN, who tracked the front running Bodemeister and the overmatched sprinter Trinniberg to the top of the Churchill Downs stretch but faded to tenth, is one of the few horses in the prospective Preakness field with the speed and class to have much of a chance.

Third place DULLAHAN, trained by Dale Romans, who won the 2011 Preakness with SHACKLEFORD, would be a serious stretch threat, provided there is a realistic pace and he can make up the 1-3/4 lengths he lost to I’ll Have Another in Louisville. But Dullahan is not a certain starter.

Only OPTIMIZER, who was eleventh in the Derby also is probable, while a few other Derby performers are less than 50-50 to do remain in the chase. These include: WENT THE DAY WELL, who closed strongly for fourth after a rough trip; CREATIVE CAUSE, who has gone back to Southern Califiornia after a modest fifth place effort; LIAISON, who did improve to run sixth after showing so poorly in three SoCal stakes this winter; Derby betting favorite UNION RAGS, who was badly bothered and bottled up in the Derby but did close some ground late for seventh.

As usual, there will be several new shooters ready to compete in the Preakness, although a few might defect to the 1-1/8 mile Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont next Saturday to point for the Belmont Stakes. Among them are: PRETENSION and BRIMSTONE ISLAND who finished 1-2 in the 1-1/16 mile Canonero II stakes at Pimlico on Saturday; COZZETTI, Dale Romans’ other possible starter who finished fourth in the $1 million Arkansas Derby, Apr. 14; Steve Asmussen's HIERRO and Baffert's PAYNTE, who were 1-2 in the $200,000 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Apr. 28; THE LUMBER GUY, front running winner of the one mile Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, Apr. 21; and TIGER WALK, fourth in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Apr. 7.

The Preakness Stakes is limited to 14 starters -- a sensible number for a track that is narrower than Churchill Downs -- and there will be an also eligible list for two additional horses should the race be oversubscribed.

While a lot depends upon whether Bob Baffert sees enough po

Officially, Secretariat not only won the Triple Crown in 1973, he set the track record for 1-1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby (1:59-2/5), and also set the Belmont track (and world record) of 2.24 flat for 1-1/2 miles in the Belmont Stakes.

Unofficially, the record book is wrong, incomplete.

By any reasonable measure, this great Thoroughbred also set the Pimlico track record of 1:53-2/5 for 1-3/16 miles when he won the ’73 Preakness Stakes, but was denied credit for that achievement when the Pimlico teletimer did not run as well as he did.

Bet on the 2012 Preakness Stakes at Bovada.
Don't have an account? Join Bovada now.

Of equal notoriety, the Maryland Racing Commissison refused to change the incorrect teletimer clocking of 1:55 to the accurate 1:53-2/5 record clocking, despite a mountain of evidence in support of the track record—some actually supplied by me when I was Editor of Turf and Sport Digest Magazine in Baltimore.

This has bugged me, along with thousands of racing fans who knew that politics had gotten in the way of this great racehorse’s singular achievement. No horse in history had ever swept the Triple Crown and broken track records in each race.

Now, 39 years later, after many lost battles and numerous appeals to Pimlico and Maryland Racing officials, something is happening that finally might correct an historical error that never should have been allowed to exist.

What is happening now is a credit to the work orchestrated by a like minded gentleman, Leonard Lusky, secretary and trusted assistant to Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery.

After checking into the controversy and clearing his intentions with Ms. Chenery, Lusky got confirmation of the track record from repeated clockings of Secretariat’s Preakness as they had played on the CBS network TV broadcast. He further acquired more precise measurements from CBS via Sandy Grossman, former Executive Producer of CBS Sports, and from a few other sources such as yours truly who had been involved in the issue ever since it happened.

A remarkable change is in the air and the details are worth sharing with all racing fans while the next Preakness Stakes will be run at Pimlico Saturday, May 19.

Suddenly, and with little fanfare, a meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission has been set for Tuesday, May 15 in Baltimore to review the strong technical evidence that a track record might have been set -- a record that would complete the Triple Crown performance history of the great horse who was the first to sweep the elusive three race series since Citation did so in 1948.

The Commission meeting will not change the official clockings in the record books, but it will give all the present sitting commissioners the license to formally call for a specific Commission hearing in mid-June that will decide the issue once and for all.

Having vowed many times that I would not go to my grave without this seemingly minor injustice being corrected, there finally seems to be the movement necessary to credit the greatest racehorse most of us will ever see, what he in fact earned on the track.

While we are talking about an incident that will not impact anyone’s wallet, or change the pari mutual results by my reckoning, this really is not such a small matter.

Consider that racing invariably relies upon accurate past performance details and precise time standards which often go down to fifths of a second, or even hundredths. Consider also, how or why any racing organization would willingly settle for something blatantly not true.

Beyond the straight facts that have been ignored, this error has always suggested something worse about the racing game, something borderline untrustworthy, especially to newcomers:

In a game that claims that it has the fans at heart, how could any racing official been willing to accept less than the truth about a most spectacular, unprecedented achievement? How could they convince millions of new and casual fans that it really didn’t matter whether one of the greatest racehorses in history actually set the three track records in the three races that most Americans want to know about.

In my judgment, it definitely mattered whether the great Secretariat was given his proper due and it still does.

Added Note: The $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes is being run on Saturday, May 12 at Belmont Park. This 1-1/8 mile, G-2 Stakes annually provides a horse or two for the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes that will be run on Saturday, June 9.

Two of the 12 horses entered in the Peter Pan -- ZETTERHOLM and TEETH OF THE DOG -- have been scratched and will run instead in the 1-3/16 mile Preakness next Saturday. Among the 10 left is MARK VALESKI, who was removed from the Kentucky Derby before post positions were drawn and shipped to New York for this race that is loaded with proven stakes performers, including SUMMER FRONT, second in the G-2 Lexington at Keeneland, Apr 21; MASTER RICK, winner over Drill in the Northern Spur at Oaklawn, Apr. 14; GOOD MORNING DIVA and BIG SCREEN, 1-2 in the Calder Derby, Apr. 14: and THE LUMBER GUY, winner of the G-2 Jerome at Aqueduct on Apr. 21.

BBC teatime quiz show....

Only 1 person out of 100 asked could name the knighted "Racehorse trainer of horses such as Frankel and Midday"

The PR people have a mountain to climb.

The draw for the 137th Preakness Stakes went on Wednesday, and now the 11-horse field is set for Saturday’s race. With six horses returning from the Kentucky Derby race, we have a good idea of how these horses may perform, and the horse betting odds reflect that.

Once again, Bodemeister enters the race with the best odds of winning, set at 8/5 and will run from post seven. However, as made huge headlines, the three-year-old held the lead for most of the race but failed to finish first, losing to I’ll Have Another.

The Derby winner will run from post position nine and has 5/2 odds of winning; second-best in the field. Everybody is gearing up for the rematch between the two and while logic suggests Bodemeister has the better chance – what with the preferable post spot, stronger body and shorter race length – many still hope we’ll have a chance to see a Triple Crown winner emerge from the Belmont Stakes.

Teeth of the Dog will come out of post two and has a 15/1 shot, which is best among horses that didn’t run two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby. Only two of the last 10 Preakness runs have been won by a horse that didn’t race the Derby.

The horses with the longest odds include Tiger Walk in post one, Pretension in post three, Optimizer in post 10 and Cozzetti in post 11, all with 30/1 chances of winning the Preakness Stakes.

In what looked like an encore performance of the 2012 Kentucky Derby, jockey Mario Gutierrez and #9 I'll Have Another waited until the final stretch to make their move on jockey Mike Smith and #7 Bodemeister to win the 2012 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, May 19.

"I can't even put it into words, it's just incredible" said I'll Have Another trainer Doug O'Neill. "What a ride. Mario was so patient. We're thinking Triple Crown, baby. Come on, why not?"

Why not? Well, let's see... The last horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown was Big Brown in 2008 (and who can forget his dismal performance at the Belmont Stakes); and the last horse to win all three legs of the Triple Crown was Affirmed back in 1978. So if I'll Have Another can win the 2012 Belmont Stakes in a few weeks time, he will be the first to do so in 34 years. It's not an impossible feat, mind you, particulaly when you consider Affirmed ran a similar race in the Kentucky Derby by the identical 1½ lengths over Alydar, and then he went on to beat his rival by a neck in the Preakness.

To recap, I'll Have Another covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.94 and with the win he returned $8.40, $3.80 and $2.80. Bodemeister returned $3.20 and $2.80 to place, and Creative Cause paid $3.60 to show.

2012 Preakness Stakes Field - Post Positions and Jockeys

1. Tiger Walk - Dominguez
2. Teeth of the Dog - Bravo
3. Pretension - Santiago
4. Zetterholm - Alvarado
5. Went the Day Well - Velazquez
6. Creative Cause - Rosario
7. Bodemeister - Smith
8. Daddy Nose Best - Leparoux
9. I'll Have Another - Gutierrez
10. Optimizer - Nakatani
11. Cozzetti - Lezcano

Within seconds after I’LL HAVE ANOTHER caught front running BODEMEISTER in a thrilling renewal of the 137th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, thoughts immediately turned to the 34-year quest for a Triple Crown winner.

Can I'll Have Another do what only 11 horses in history have done -- win all three races at the three different tracks in a span of five weeks? Or will the son of Travers' winner Flower Alley be just one more horse added to the list of "only 11 other horses"...the list of those who came out of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes with victories, only to lose the Belmont Stakes?

This year's Belmont Stakes is brought to you by The Number 11

For those who want to get ahead of the reams of material that will be published about the "11 who made it" and the "11 who did not," here are the two lists that cover the ones who a) raced themselves into the history books, and who b) were very close, yet were tripped up by the extra demands of the task...

11 TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS:

SIR BARTON, 1919.
GALLANT FOX, 1930.
OMAHA, 1935.
WAR ADMIRAL,1937
WHIRLAWAY,1941
COUNT FLEET, 1943
ASSAULT, 1946
CITATION, 1948
SECRETARIAT, 1973
SEATTLE SLEW, 1977
AFFIRMED, 1978

Key facts about a few of the above horses who helped the Triple Crown evolve as we know it:

SIR BARTON won the 1-1/4 mile Kentucky Derby and four days later won the Preakness which was run at 1-1/8 miles, not the present 1-3/16 mile distance. Before he went on to win the Belmont Stakes, which was run at 1-3/8 miles -- not its present 1-1/2 mile distance -- Sir Barton won the Withers at one mile 10 days after his Preakness score, ostensibly to stay sharp in an era when horses certainly were sturdier than they are today. GALLANT FOX actually won the Preakness at its present 1-3/16 mile distance on May 9, eight days before he won the 1-1/4 mile Derby -- in a year when the dates were switched. After winning the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes on June 7, Charles Hatton, the national columnist for Daily Racing Form, labeled the accomplishment as the "second sweep of the American Triple Crown." This was the first time anyone ever linked these three races together and we now know how the label stuck.

As most might remember, the only horse to finish second in all three Triple Crown races was ALYDAR, who ran three strong races to his arch rival AFFIRMED, the last horse to complete the elusive sweep. Actually, it is a little known fact that there have been 50 different horses who have won two of the three Triple Crown races dating back to CLOVERBOOK in 1877; he won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. There have been 21 horses who won both the Derby and Preakness dating back to BURGOO KING in 1932.

But since Affirmed completed his sweep in 1978, here are the 11 who won the Derby and the Preakness but were unable to win the Belmont Stakes:

SPECTACULAR BID, 1979.
PLEASANT COLONY, 1981.
ALYSHEBA, 1987.
SUNDAY SILENCE,1989.
SILVER CHARM, 1997.
REAL QUIET,1998.
CHARISMATIC, 1999.
WAR EMBLEM, 2002.
FUNNY CIDE, 2003.
SMARTY JONES, 2004.
BIG BROWN, 2008.

Key facts about some of the above who just missed racing immortality:

ALYSHEBA, SUNDAY SILENCE and REAL QUIET were each defeated in the Belmont Stakes by the horse that finished second to them in the Derby and Preakness. Bet Twice beat Alyseba, who finished fourth in the 1987 Belmont; Sunday Silence lost to Easy Goer in the 1989 Belmont and Victory Gallop made up four lengths in the stretch to win the ’98 Belmont over Real Quiet by less than an inch! CHARISMATIC finished third to Lemon Drop Kid in the ’99 Belmont and broke down at the finish line. He was saved for breeding purposes by the gallant efforts of jockey Chris Antley. BIG BROWN was pulled up on the final turn in the 2008 Belmont won by the obscure Da’Tara when Big Brown’s jockey Kent Desormeaux did not like the way his mount was traveling. Desormeaux said he just wanted to save Big Brown from what had occurred to Charismatic. Later, while no no injury was discovered, any fair examination of that Belmont made it clear that Big Brown was not running well enough to finish in the money, much less win the race.

As for this year's Triple Crown bid, Bodemeister will go back to California for a much needed rest and will not try to turn the tables on I'll Have Another -- at least not until they meet later in the year. Frankly, while I'll Have Another certainly has developed into a top quality performer, Bodemeister turned in two of the best second place finishes in Triple Crown history.

The competition that will face I'll Have Another in the Belmont Stakes on June 9 probably will include:

DULLAHAN, who was a rallying third in the Derby and skipped the Preakness. UNION RAGS, a classy colt trained by Michael Matz who endured a very rough trip in the Derby and also skipped the Preakness ROUSING SERMON, third in the Louisiana Derby and a respectable eighth despite traffic problems in the Derby. ALPHA, second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in April and a non threatening 12th in the Kentucky Derby, who also skipped the Preakness. OPTIMIZER, 11th in the Derby and 6th in the Preakness. MARK VALESKI, who skipped both the Derby and Preakness and won the 1-1/8 mile Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont May 12.
PAYNTER, a lightly raced, extremely talented son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, trained by Bob Baffert who was second in the Derby Trial stakes at Churchill, Apr. 28. Also, at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard Saturday, Paynter won a 1-1/16 mile allowance race in his foirth lifetime start by 5-3/4 lengths to earn a very high 106 Beyer Speed Figure. That was just three points slower than the number earned by I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister in their gut wrenching, fantastic Preakness.

Others under consideration for the Belmont include: recent allowance winner ATIGUN; UNSTOPPABLE U, winner of his two starts to date including a Belmont allowance race at one on Ap

With less than 48 hours to go before the running of the third leg of the US Triple Crown, you should know where each of the 12 horses are running from, so when you make your horseracing bets, you’ll be fully informed.

Starting with favorites, we of course need to talk about I’ll Have Another. The winner at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes is going for the first Triple Crown since 1978. The three-year-old is tops on the Bovada Racebook horse racing futures list at 6/5 and will run from post 11. That’s almost ironic, considering there have been 11 horses since 1978 that have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and lost at the Belmont.

The horse that many believe may have the ability to play spoiler on the 1½-mile long course is Dullahan, who’s odds are set at 4/1 and will race from stall 5. Dullahan finished third at the Kentucky Derby.

Union Rags rounds out the top three choices for winners with a 5/1 chance to win and will run from post 3. Union Rags last ran at the Derby and finished in a distant seventh.

A dark horse option (excuse the pun) you may want to consider is Paynter, who recently won an allowance race at Pimlico. Paynter will leave from post 9 with an 8/1 chance to win.

Street Life is the final horse who wouldn’t surprise anybody if he won, or at least finished in the top three. Street Life’s odds are set at 12/1 and he will race from stall 1. Behind him is Optimizer, who will race from post 10 with a 25/1 chance to win. Optimizer was most recently seen placing sixth at the Preakness and 11thd at the Derby. Few horses manage to race in all three, let alone race well, so keep that in mind.

Some of the other longshots you may be interested in include My Adonis (30/1) in post 12, Unstoppable U (30/1) in post 2 and Atigun (35/1) in post 4. The one you may not want to touch include Five Sixteen (50/1) in post 7, Ravelo’s Boy (50/1) in post 6 and Guyana Star Dweej (60/1) in post 8.

Bet on the Belmont Stakes at the Bovada Racebook! :dirol

It seems like Bob Baffert can’t catch a break. Not that the Hall of Fame trainer really needs one but he’d sure like one. For the third Triple Crown race this season, one of his horses jumped in front, set the pace, led virtually the entire but was edged out for the win in the final furlong.

Too bad there’s no Triple Crown awards for second place. Instead, Union Rags earned the impressive win at the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes.

Join Bovada Sportsbook right now and bet on Horse Racing!

Any original disappointment of not seeing I’ll Have Another in the field for Saturday’s race was quickly washed away with a scintillating run by Union Rags. Baffert’s entry, Paynter, set the pace early – just as Bodemeister did in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness – and it looked like he’d have enough in the tank to finish off the win. But Union Rags, who previously finished seventh at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, was free on the inside rail and charged to the win in the nick of time.

Union Rags had skipped the Preakness and made a jockey switch from Julien Leparoux to John Velazquez because of a bumpy start in the Run for the Roses. As it turns out, the move paid dividends on Saturday.

Atigun finished third followed by Street Life, Five Sixteen, Unstoppable U, Dullahan, My Adonis, Ravelo's Boy, Optimizer and Guyana Star Dweej.

The biggest disappointment of the day was pre-race favorite Dullahan, who had an awful showing. After finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and having a blazing workout this week, much bigger things were expected. As it turns out, he never really had a shot.

Congrats to Union Rags on finally cashing in. Few questioned his talents but after a third place result at the Florida Derby and a seventh at the Kentucky Derby, the skeptics were out. He put that to bed with an impressive win at the 144th running of the Belmont.

VIKING STORM greatly enhanced his prospects of an outing in next month’s Betfred Ebor by skipping three lengths clear in the Paul Kelleway Memorial Handicap at Lingfield.

Trainer Harry Dunlop, who feels he is starting to make real progress in his sixth full season, had given his four-year-old a mid-term break and he duly made mincemeat of what looked a strong field for a weekday event.

Viking Storm (14-1) settled it very quickly turning around the home bend and it was simply a case of Paul Hanagan keeping an eye out for dangers in the final furlong.

Read More Horse racing: Viking Storm scores at Lingfield - Sports News - Sports - WalesOnline