Blog of a Horse Racing Enthusiast

The Grade 1 Travers Stakes takes place at Saratoga Race Course this Saturday, August 28th. The star-studded field consists of 11 three year old colts all vying for a chance at the $1 million dollar purse. The race is 10 furlongs (1 1/4 miles) and post time is scheduled for 5:45 P.M. EDT.

I don't know where he went, but last Saturday Sidney's Candy announced presence commandingly in the La Jolla Handicap. Sidney came into his turf debut armed with a new jockey (Joel Rosario), and carrying the most weight in a pretty good field.

There's generally a lull in horse racing between the end of the Triple Crown in early June and the Breeder's Cup in early November. Don't get me wrong, some of the best races occur during this period of the summer. It's just that not many of these races have the exciting buildup that the Breeder's Cup and Triple Crown offer. If you're looking for that excitement again, the 2010 Haskell Stakes, part of the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, shouldn't disappoint.

There was a recent blog post in the L.A. Times discussing the possibility of a face-off between last year's Horse of the Year and Preakness Stakes winner Rachel Alexandra and the undefeated Zenyatta at the August 29th Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. Six months ago I would have been giddy at the thought of this matchup. My question today is, is anyone still really dreaming of this matchup?

On a recent trip to the track, my friend, who was experiencing his first time at the races, was perusing the Daily Racing Form when he asked me what the "L" next to a horse's name meant. I explained this meant the horse was on Lasix. He asked me what Lasix was and I explained that it was a drug administered to some horses to help prevent them from bleeding.

I don't think any avid horse racing fan can deny that Zenyatta is the most exciting thing to happen to the sport in recent years. I made sure to change my plans the day of this year's Vanity Invitational Handicap so I could watch the race. I, like most other fans, was really pulling for her to win and run her undefeated streak to 17 - 0. As she came down the home stretch neck and neck with St. Trinians, I couldn't help but think, "what would happen if she lost..."

Think you've got what it takes to be a jockey? For anyone who follows horse racing, the life of a jockey may seem exciting. Is getting paid to ride a horse really work? Not to mention the money you can make - the average jockey receives 10% of the purse money. On a one million dollar purse that's one hundred thousand dollars - not bad for two minutes worth of work right?

Here is the recap of the 142nd Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on June 5th, 2010. Congratulations to winner Drosselmeyer ridden by Mike Smith and trained by William Mott. This is hall of fame jockey Mike Smith's first Belmont win which completes a personal Triple Crown for him.

With the final leg of the Triple Crown upon us, the horse racing community is preparing for the Nick Zito show this Saturday. Ice Box, the runner up in the Kentucky Derby, and Fly Down, winner of this year's Dwyer Stakes posted 6 and 5 respectively. They couldn't have posted much better although I doubt that matters much since both are strong closers. Even though Belmont has been known to decimate the best of horses, Fly Down has already proven he can handle it and we know Ice Box is a strong closer and will handle the distance so these two horses are hard to bet against.

Here are the results of the Post Position Draw for the 142nd Belmont Stakes. This year's race consists of a field of 12. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, the 5-2 morning line favorite, drew the 8th post position. The Belmont Stakes takes place this Saturday, June 5th 2010 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.