Curlin at the Crossroads
The thing about the plan was, Asmussen said Curlin had to “look much the best” in his effort in the Man o’ War Stakes on July 12th. As he finished a well-beaten second, calling Curlin …
The Call To The Post
Racing Fever: Curlin to Try Turf, Proud Spell, Colonel John Seek Redemption
A Champion Born, a King is put to the Test Last Saturday, Zenyatta, the big four year-old filly, went to her sixth career start looking a little sweatier than usual. And even under circumstances that …
Sabotaged: The Underbelly of Steroids in Horse Racing
If some people have all the luck, then somebody’s gotta get what’s left. For over two and a half decades, Larry Jones’ horses have passed spotlessly on drug tests. The trainer says he hasn’t used …
Curlin: Racing to History Part 2
Winner of the Breeder’s Cup Classic, the Preakness Stakes, the Dubai World Cup and named the 2007 Horse of the Year, Curlin was a horse I had followed since before the 2007 Kentucky Derby. He …
Curlin: Racing to History Part 1
Churchill Downs — May 3, 2008 — Kentucky Derby: I was standing level with the track, leaning my arms against a fence inches from the rail. The sun was baking my shoulders, giving me a …
Big Brown Denied Triple Crown; Curlin To Run Saturday At Churchill Downs
Millions of TV viewers and a live crowd of 94,476 people turned their eyes to the Belmont Stakes to witness history on June 7, 2008. What they got was certainly history, though not in the …
The Triple Crown Awaits
And so here we are on Belmont Eve. Nerves can get to you come Belmont. For me, the race is the poised hatchet ready to fall over my Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. At a …
An Interview With Turf Legend Bill Nack
Bill Nack was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated for 23 years. Before that, he wrote for New York Newsday for eleven years. He is the winner of seven Eclipse Awards for turf writing, horse …
Big Brown is Belmont Bound
I hope you’re not sick of hearing about Big Brown. Because with the way Mr. Big keeps running his races, the chatter isn’t going to stop about him for a long time. The Preakness Stakes, …
Big Brown Gets No Respect in the Preakness
One thing is for certain about horse racing: there is no such thing as a “sure thing.” Horses are living, breathing creatures with as distinct personalities as pedigrees. A horse is not a car — …