Archive for the ‘Featured Articles’ Category

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer A minor upset on the Kentucky Derby trail and a 74-1 shocker on the road to the Kentucky Oaks highlighted U.S. weekend racing action. Internationally, Chautauqua was an electrifying winner in Australia and could challenge for the Global Sprint Challenge Prize this year. Sun Jewellery won a thriller in […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer If weekend racing is any indication, next month’s Dubai World Cup is going to be a doozy. An American-trained horse won in Dubai. Two runners from the Donn Handicap in Florida are set to advance to the big race, including one who already has run in Dubai at the […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer Mohaymen moved to the very top ranks among Kentucky Derby prospects with a weekend win while Awesome Banner, Sunny Ridge and Smokey Image all showed potential for the Run for the Roses. Da Big Hoss and Unbridled Forever provided bright spots for beleaguered Texas racing. Cathryn Sophia remained undefeated […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer Even as last year’s stars were honored at the Eclipse Award ceremonies, promising newcomers Mo Tom, Frank Conversation and Never Gone South were starting to make their case in weekend Kentucky Derby preps. In the same vein, some of those who fell short in 2015 made a good start […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer The cast is starting to assemble for this year’s Dubai World Cup program and, if Saturday’s result is an indication, California Chrome is auditioning for a starring role. “Chrome” wasn’t the only internationally credentialed runner in the weekend spotlight, though. Mshawish, third in last year’s Group 1 Dubai Turf […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Runhappy returned to action with a cracking win at Santa Anita while turf races added fireworks to the final Thoroughbred racing weekend of 2016. Internationally, Gold Ship ran his final race in Japan but was upstaged by Gold Actor. And the British All-Weather Championships made […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer Trainer Bob Baffert has lost Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to the breeding shed but is already prominent in the 2016 Kentucky Derby picture after sending out a pair of promising juveniles to a 1-2 finish in Saturday’s Los Alamitos Futurity. The Futurity was a highlight of limited racing […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer While many of Thoroughbred racing’s stars took a weekend break, the blue-collar runners had their moments in the spotlight in the Claiming Crown races at Gulfstream Park. The event also provided a nice forum for jockey Javier Castellano, who rode four winners on the stakes card. On the flip […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer Exaggerator emerged as a legitimate Kentucky Derby prospect with a big-money win in Louisiana while one of the world’s top milers, Able Friend, was upset in Hong Kong in a diverse weekend of Thoroughbred racing. Britain’s top riders flexed their muscle a long way from home as Ryan Moore […]

By ROBERT KIECKHEFER UPI Racing Writer A massive upset at Churchill Downs, a controversial finish at Laurel Park, a potential future star at Aqueduct and some promising 2-year-olds from coast to coast highlighted weekend racing action. Internationally, Marialite took the lead late in Sunday’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Japan and held on for the […]