I have in the past been critical of the Los Angeles Times for its coverage (or lack thereof) of some of the more sordid aspects of horseracing. Lately, though, things have improved, as evidenced by a board editorial two days…
As with real sports, the racing people are fond of year-end reviews, including notable figures lost. In Horse Racing Nation’s version (“In Memoriam”), among the 18 “equine stars” remembered exactly two were active at the time of their deaths (Taraz,…
The reporting (if one can call it that) of the Daily Racing Form’s David Grening on the death of Sander’s Empire yesterday at Aqueduct betrays (yet again) the racing people’s true priorities. Here is Grening’s full tweet: David Grening @DRFGrening…
New Mexico is a racino state, meaning its five racetracks are utterly dependent on the subsidies flowing in from slot machines. Because of this, covid casino-closures take on added importance. While racing has continued in New Mexico during the pandemic,…
The following was tweeted by a Peter Berry Wednesday: “I know what we are taught but I refuse to believe animals have no soul.” Of course, this message, this sentiment, is one I wholeheartedly appreciate. Having had animals in my…
“Then it happened suddenly. Cabezudo heard an explosive crack, he would later testify, like that of a tree branch snapping, then Rivera scream. He continued looking straight ahead, but the sound was gut-wrenching. He knew what it meant. “White arrived…
“Top Hat Thoroughbreds” is an ownership/investment group that promises “Thoroughbred Ownership at a Fraction of the Cost.” In other words, a chance to buy in, on the cheap. On its available page, Kaliche Gold is proudly offered, complete with a…
While I’ve said all I need to say on the-former-jockey-turned-analyst Donna Brothers (here, here), there may be some newcomers to the site who don’t fully understand the depths of delusion we’re dealing with. So here we go again. Follows is…
Jockey Denny Velazquez has been suspended by the Minnesota Racing Commission after a vehicle search allegedly turned up a “buzzer” (aka a “machine,” aka a “battery”) – a device used to shock racehorses into running faster. A tentative hearing is…
Bob Baffert, again. The superstar trainer with 15 Triple-Crown-races wins is back in the hot seat for drug positives. Last fall, you may recall, The New York Times reported that Justify, Baffert’s 2018 “champion,” failed a drug test in a…
In 2015, jockey Roman Chapa began a five-year suspension for, the Thoroughbred Daily News (TDN) reports, “using an illegal electrical shocking device on a Thoroughbred at Sam Houston Race Park.” But that wasn’t the first time for Mr. Chapa, as…
Back in January, X Y Jet, a million-dollar racehorse, was killed training in Florida. His trainer: Jorge Navarro. Yes, the same Jorge Navarro who was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department last week on multiple doping charges. So I thought…
