There are few certainties in horse racing but one of them is that Frankie Dettori will win at Royal Ascot. Thursday in the meet’s highlight race, the Group 1 Gold Cup, Dettori got 4-year-old Stradivarius over the line first, giving the 47-year-old jockey six Gold Cup victories in his career and his 60th win at […]

The only filly in a field of 10 juveniles, Shang Shang Shang took up the early running and held on late to capture the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot Thursday. The daughter of Shanghai Bobby broke sharply under Joel Rosario and held off the charge of 20-1 Pocket Dynamo to prevail by a […]

The breeders of Justify couldn’t be having a better spring. After watching the horse they bred capture the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes, John Gunther and his daughter Tanya took home a Group 1 prize at Royal Ascot Tuesday in the St. James’s Palace Stakes as the colt they own, Without Parole, got across […]

Lady Aurelia’s bid for a third consecutive victory at the Royal Ascot meet was thwarted Tuesday in the Group 1 King’s Stand stakes. Instead, the winner proved to be Blue Point, a Godolphin-owned horse trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick. Those same connections captured the Epsom Derby earlier this month with Masar. […]

The 2018 Royal Ascot meet kicked off Tuesday with a stunner in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, as Accidental Agent came out on top at 33-1 in the affair over a straight mile. Yoshida, the U.S.-based 4-year-old colt trained by Bill Mott, finished fifth in the 15-horse field. The Queen Anne is an automatic […]

While most of the media attention rests on whether Justify can win the Triple Crown Saturday, there are plenty of handicappers and fans focused on the other races leading up to the Belmont Stakes. That’s because the undercard on Belmont Stakes day has become one of the best betting events of the year, given the […]

Perhaps even more than usual, the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes is represented by the most recognizable names in the sport of horse racing. Many of the top jockeys have mounts but check out the trainers’ list — a collection of current and sure-to-be Hall of Famers, plus others who have resumes befitting the […]

This year’s relatively short eight-horse Preakness field is exactly evenly spilt between runners who competed in the Kentucky Derby and those who didn’t. The latter, often tiresomely named “new shooters,” are compromised of the following runners, to which we shall now introduce you: Quip (12-1): You might think the primary owners of the Kentucky Derby […]

In a victory for the state of New Jersey, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting Monday. According to Sports Illustrated, the ruling could open the door for as many as 25 other states to seek wagering on college and professional sports, along the lines of New Jersey’s bid. The […]

I’m certain I’m not the only horseplayer kicking themselves over missed opportunities on Derby day. Oh, what could’ve been! I find it helps to deconstruct race results after the fact — both as a learning tool for future wagers and as a way to either feel better about it or instill hope that a big […]