By Elaine Belval Just Louise prevailed in the G3 Debutante S. this weekend at Churchill Downs, defeating two rivals by less than a length in a long stretch dual. Ridden by Robby Albarado, the filly is trained by the red-hot Dale Romans. The six-furlong Debutante is one of the first graded stakes races for 2-year-olds … Continue reading Just Louise gives sire Five Star Day
By Elaine Belval I would argue that the week’s racing at England’s Royal Ascot meeting is the best week of racing in the world. The highlight of Saturday’s card was the G1 Golden Jubilee S. at six furlongs. Royal Ascot is perfectly situated on the racing calender. At the end of June, the Southern Hemisphere … Continue reading Starspangledbanner’s Golden Jubilee
By Sid Fernando Jerry Crawford and partners’ Paddy O’Prado, third in the Kentucky Derby, and Chuck Fipke’s Lady Shakespeare had memorable weekends, and we couldn’t be happier for the two gentlemen because they epitomize what’s best about this business: the passion for racing (and breeding) horses. Iowan Crawford purchased Paddy as a yearling for $105,000, … Continue reading Jerry Crawford, Chuck Fipke have big weekends
By Elaine Belval Call me strange. I’ll admit it. Nothing captivates me more than the great Cup races of Europe or Australia. And nothing epitomizes a great Cup race than the G1 Royal Ascot Gold Cup, run Thursday. After 19 furlongs, two horses battled head to head in the final furlong! Oh, to have races … Continue reading Rite of Passage for Giant’s Causeway
By Elaine Belval Byword won the 10-furlong Prince of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, the highlight of the day’s card. He is now the 14th G1 winner for his sire, Peintre Celebre, who has quietly enjoyed a successful career, and he’s another homebred G1 winner for Juddmonte Farms, which also won the Epsom … Continue reading Peintre Celebre’s Ascot masterpiece
By Elaine Belval Blame earned his first G1 victory in the Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs Saturday on the same day that Rachel Alexandra gained her first win of the year. Most of the attention was on the filly Horse of the Year, but Blame actually won the main event of the day. Owned … Continue reading Blame Arch for success
By Elaine Belval It is said that sometimes sires just fit their environment, or perhaps the environment fits the sire. The question can reasonably be asked, “Would Talc have been as good a sire as he was if he didn’t stand in New York? Or Baldski in Florida?” This weekend, at Hollywood Park, two California-based … Continue reading Cee’s Tizzy and Unusual Heat ‘Best of West’
By Elaine Belval Of all the classics run over the weekend of June 4th – 6th, the most impressive was the Epsom Derby won by Workforce, ridden by Ryan Moore. Workforce won the 12f Derby by 7 lengths, and he knocked almost one full second off the Epsom course record. He was rated 132 pounds … Continue reading Workforce another Juddmonte success