An interesting suggestion from Mr. Del Mar during our conversations regarding Horse of the Year has received some national attention and consideration from NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop. Should fans be able to vote for Horse of the Year? In this article we'll attempt to address some of the pros and cons associated with the suggestion, and ask others to provide their thoughts on the matter. Read more...

Inspired by some of the discussions here on the TVG Community, my first attempt to make sense of the growing debate between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta for 2009 Horse of the Year honors. Read more...

Some after thoughts on the history that we've witnessed in 2009, capped off by Zenyatta's amazing victory in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic. Is 2009 simply the "Year of the Filly?" Or is it more than that, and a year for all time? Read more...

Wrapping up our coverage of the 2009 Breeders' Cup, it's time to take an in depth look at the Classic. Can the mighty Zenyatta run 'em all down and race off into immoratlity? Will Rip Van Winkle or Twice Over do their best Ravens Pass impression and steal the show this year? What about Gio Ponti? What's the best North American turf horse doing in this race? We ponder these questions and more as we focus on the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic - a race which figures to be a battle right down to the wire. Read more...

The 2009 Emirates Airlines Breeders' Cup Turf turned up with a small, but strong field this year - including defending champion Conduit and European invaders Dar Re Mi and Spanish Moon. Don't forget about Presious Passion though, as the speedy son of Royal Anthem will look to take this field as far as he can. Read more...

The BC Sprint sets up to be a quick one - which might spell trouble for the favorite Zensational and open things up for an off-the-pace type. "Who can take the sprint race....come from off the pace?" Well, perhaps Capt. Candyman Can. Tougher race than I thought at first glance. Read more...

Goldikova looks to follow in the footsteps of the great Miesque when she goes to post in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile on Saturday. Her trainer, Freddie Head, rode Miesque to victory in the BC Mile in 1988 and 1989, and looks to equal that effort with Goldi this weekend. Facing the acclaimed filly will be a contentious field of competitors - arguably stronger than what she ran into last year. Can she repeat, or was that last effort a harbinger of things to come? Read more...

It's time for the youngins to shine in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile - a race that just might wind up being one of the better wagering opportunities of the weekend. Read more...

It's the race with the awkward name considering the location of the Breeders' Cup - the "Dirt" Mile, and it just might have one of the more formidable favorites of the entire Breeders' Cup weekends in Mastercraftsman Read more...

California Flag seems to have an ideal pace setup in front of him if he can get out quickly - just not quite as quick as he did in last year's BC Turf Sprint. No 20 and change fractions, please. Slow it down just a little and this should be a solid race for folks to pad their respective bankrolls a bit - especially if we can make heads or tails of the rest of the contenders. Read more...

Odds and post positions are finally out, allowing us to take an even more in-depth look at the Saturday Breeders' Cup races, starting with a very interesting running of the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Read more...

The story line for the 2009 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic continues to focus on whether Zenyatta will return to defend her crown on Friday, or face off against the boys on Saturday. The smart money seems to be on a battle of the sexes on Saturday in the richer Classic. With that in mind, let's take a look at what effect that might have on the remaining entries for the Ladies Classic on Friday. Read more...

In what might be (from top to bottom) the most compelling race of "Ladies Friday" at Santa Anita, a solid group of North American and European turfers face off in the BC Filly and Mare Turf. If Dar Re Mi and Rainbow View choose to run here, will they be too much for the likes of Forever Together, Magical Fantasy, and Rutherienne? Read more...

We're back to the 2-year-olds as we take an advance look at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Many of these names are familiar as they are cross entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, but this race may have come up even more contentious. Is there anything we can glean by attempting to focus on the key prep races building up to the race? Read more...

We continue with our look at each of the Breeders' Cup races this weekend, focusing this time on the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. A couple of horses leap off the page at me while handicapping this race, but might there be more than meets the eye to consider? Read more...

Continuing with our advance selections/analysis of all of the Breeders' Cup races this weekend, we now focus on the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf - an interesting if not immensely challenging race for horseplayers to decipher. Read more...

With less than a week to go until Breeders' Cup weekend, here's a race-by-race look at the main events, starting with the BC Marathon, along with some preliminary selections (keep in mind that post positions and final odds - not to mention late changes and scratches - are not set yet). Read more...

A look at the return of the Grade 1 De Francis Memorial Dash to the Maryland racing circuit at Laurel Park this weekend - one of just 3 Grade 1 races left in the state (along with the Preakness and the Pimlico Special) - and some musings on the state of affairs of Maryland racing - all loosely inspired by the fantastic ESPN "30 for 30" film about the Baltimore Colts marching band entitled "The Band That Wouldn't Die." Read more...

Just some musings that popped into my head after watching the Phillies and Dodgers battle it out in Game 1 of the NLCS, and then pondering over the larger meaning of 2009 being the oft-proclaimed "Year of the Filly." Read more...

A quick look at all 12 of the major races this Saturday at Belmont Park, Keeneland, and Oak Tree at Santa Anita. Including the main attraction - the return of the undefeated Zenyatta in the Grade 1 Lady's Secret. Read more...

Gearing up for a spectacular weekend with some thoughts on the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp (France) as well as a look at the SPECTACULAR Saturday card at Belmont Park. Read more...

Just some quick thoughts. I've been stuck in the hospital all week having some emergency surgery done (appendicitis, hernia, etc). Not a good week. Upon returning home this morning, I find out a horse I care for deeply and a source of inspiration, Better Talk Now, has been retired. I suppose this is better than the tragic losses of Summer Squall and Kona Gold within the last week, but it's still a bit hard to swallow. Gotta remember the positives though - and be thankful for what he gave us. Read more...

It's that time of year again - the 2nd biggest day on the Maryland thoroughbred racing calendar, overshadowed by only the Preakness itself. It's Jim McKay Maryland Million time! Twelve races, and 114 entries to cover here - a veritable handicapping marathon. What follows is a quick analysis of each of the races on the card and some advance selections. Read more...

Once again it gives me great pleasure to turn the keyboard over to my main man and our esteemed guest author, Mr. Del Mar. He who hath given us both the Bolt Speedman and Presence of Fillies at the Track posts in previous weeks. This week he’ll be talking about a subject very near and dear to many of our hearts; caring for horses after their racing career has ended. Read more...

An impassioned plea to the fans of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, using the historical significance of September 17, to rise above the impulse to denigrate either magnificent horse while the question of Horse of the Year is debated. Read more...

An attempt to state the definitive case for the filly Rachel Alexandra as the 2009 Horse of the Year. Read more...

Rachel Alexandra puts what may be her final stamp of the season on a brilliant and likely Horse of the Year earning 2009 campaign. This time it took everything she had in the stretch, but like the champion she is, she found a way to get the job done where others would have come up short. Sea the Stars was also on display, giving us a rare opportunity to see arguably the two greatest horses in racing at the moment within hours of each other, eerily similar to what happened on June 27th when Rachel and Zenyatta ran within minutes of each other. Read more...

Thoughts on the sensational filly Rachel Alexandra being on the cusp of history yet again as she aims to become the first ever filly champion of the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga on Saturday. Read more...

Some thoughts that came to mind following my annual fantasy football draft about how to market horse racing to a new generation of fans. Read more...

Summer Bird rockets to the top of the 3-year-old colt division by defeating Quality Road, Kensei, and Charitable Man in the Travers. Meanwhile, the legend of Rachel Alexandra continues to grow as Summer Bird and Sara Louise add their name to the growing list of horses to return as winners following defeat at the hands of Queen Rachel. Read more...