After 30 years of attending yearling sales, I’ve watched buyers pay premium prices for a ‘blue roan’ that turned completely white by age four. What is a Blue Roan horse? A blue roan horse is a black-based horse carrying the dominant roan gene (Rn), which creates a stable mixture of black and white hairs across …
The Kentucky Derby rewards survival. The Preakness rewards position. Over the years, I have watched plenty of Derby closers come back two weeks later in Baltimore and suddenly look flat-footed turning for home. The horses that consistently perform well in the Preakness are rarely deep closers or one-dimensional speed horses. More often, they are tactical …
Do horses need shipping boots? For any haul over 30 minutes, yes—I recommend them. Shipping boots are designed to protect the coronet band, knees, and hocks from trailer strikes and scrambling injuries during hauling. Whether you are making a 45-minute run to Fair Grounds or a longer trip to Delta Downs, one hard brake or …
When evaluating the Preakness Stakes 2026 contenders, the first thing you have to account for is the venue change. The race is set for Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland — not Pimlico, which is currently under reconstruction — and this race sets up nothing like the Derby Golden Tempo just won. …
The 2026 Kentucky Derby results will go down as one of the most improbable finishes in modern racing history. Not because the winner was impossible to find—I had Golden Tempo circled in my 2026 Kentucky Derby pre-race analysis as the longshot if the pace got hot—but because of how it actually happened. A Louisiana-based closer …
2026 Kentucky Derby final contenders are set for the May 2 race at Churchill Downs, and this year’s field is one of the most competitive in recent memory. Instead, this year features a tightly packed group of top contenders, several legitimate mid-tier threats, and a deep closing group that becomes especially dangerous if the pace …
I’m facing this decision right now. I bought a Goldencents colt at the Fasig Tipton auction as a yearling, and my rider recently told me he seems off in his back end during training. I called the vet. His finding: one of the colt’s testicles appears to be causing discomfort, and his recommendation was gelding. …
Here are the best half chaps for horse riding based on fit, durability, and real barn use: Best overall: Ariat Heritage Contour — full-grain leather, built to last 5+ years Best value: HORZE Amara Adult — machine washable, accurate sizing, $45–55 Best budget: TuffRider Grippy Grain — reinforced inner patch, under $70 Measure first: If …
This 2026 Kentucky Derby leaderboard reflects all results through the final major prep weekend of April 4, including the Blue Grass Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Wood Memorial, Arkansas Derby, and Florida Derby. One qualifying race remains — the Lexington Stakes on April 11 — but the top of the field is essentially set. The 152nd …
A horse racing condition book is a schedule of races published by a racetrack, showing eligibility requirements, purse amounts, distances, and surfaces. Trainers and owners use it to plan entries and match each horse to races with the right distance, conditions, and class level. After 30 years of reading condition books at Louisiana tracks, I’ve …
