By ThoroughbredZone on April 2, 2025
Wood Memorial Photos Soon #3 Sidney’s Candy rolls all the way in a smashing effort to win the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in 1:48.00 flat #1 Lookin at Lucky finishes a distant 3rd. #4 Eskendereya runs away from the rest to win the Wood Memorial (GI) with ease by almost 10 lengths. American Lion turns back [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Awesome Act, Eskendereya, Illinois Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Santa Anita Derby, Sidney's Candy, Wood Memorial, Yawanna Twist
By ThoroughbredZone on March 30, 2025
These are the changes this week—Discreetly Mine and Tempted to Tapit are off. Endorsement and Mission Impaziple debut and #7 and #9. Conveyance drops from #8 to #11. The rest are pretty much the same, other than a change here and there. The Wood Memorial, Illinois Derby and Santa Anita Derby are on Saturday. Arkansas [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Aikinite, Awesome Act, Backtalk, Conveyance, Dave in Dixie, Deans Kitten, Endorsement, Eskendereya, Ice Box, Interactif, Jackson Bend, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Mission Impaziple, Noble's Promise, Odysseus, Rule, Schoolyard Dreams, Sidney’s Candy, Tempted To Tapit, Yawanna Twist
By ThoroughbredZone on March 28, 2025
Endorsement Springs the Upset To Win The Sunland Derby (GIII)-Conveyance 2nd & Tempted to Tapit 3rd-Nacho Friend Can’t Keep Up New ThoroughbredZone Kentucky Derby 12 Coming Tuesday-Expect Some Changes The #1 Horse And #3 Horse Possible To Square off in The Santa Anita Derby (GI)-#1 Lookin at Lucky 90% Certain For Santa Anita Derby & [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Classical Slew, Conveyance, Ice Box, Kentucky Derby, Nacho Friend, Sunland Derby, Sydney's Candy, Tempted To Tapit
By ThoroughbredZone on March 27, 2025
Mission Impazible Wins The Louisiana Derby (GII)-A Little Warm & Drosselmeyer Run A Strong 2nd & 3rd **** Here is a quick peek a couple of the horses in today’s Louisiana Derby (GII) that could get their ticket punched to Churchill Downs. There a few interesting horses in today’s Louisiana Derby (GII) that warrant some [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged A Little Warm, Drosslemeyer, Fly Down, Louisiana Derby, The Program
By ThoroughbredZone on March 22, 2025
(1)(1) Lookin at Lucky – Smart Strike – Private Feeling by Belong To Me (May) Purchase Price $475,000 – Lookin at Lucky stays on top this week. Lookin at Lucky made his 3-year-old debut a winning one in the Rebel (GII). In his first start of 2010 Lookin at Lucky put together a rock solid [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Awesome Act, Caracortado, Conveyance, Discreetly Mine, Eskendereya, Ice Box, Interactif, Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise, Odysseus, Rule, Sidney's Candy, Tempted To Tapit
By ThoroughbredZone on March 20, 2025
***Ice Box Upsets The Florida Derby *** The Florida Derby is a race that has a lot of questions. And the answers might not be known until after the race. ThoroughbredZone will give a quick preview, as for a pick, well let’s just do this first. Rule stretches out today to a mile and an [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Best Actor, First Dude, Florida Derby, Game on Dude, Ice Box, Lentenor, Miner's Reserve, Pleasant Prince, Pulison, Radiohead, Rule, Soaring Empire
By ThoroughbredZone on March 16, 2025
Lookin at Lucky stays on top at #1—Interactif, Awesome Act and Noble’s Promise debut this week. Sidney’s Candy zooms up to #3 after his San Felipe (GII) win—D’Funnybone, Dublin and Dave In Dixie drop off. These are the biggest changes this week. Not too many changes with Eskendereya, Rule, Tempted to Tapit, Discreetly Mine or [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Awesome Act, Caracortado, Conveyance, Discreetly Mine, Eskendereya, Interactif, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise, Odysseus, Rule, Sidney’s Candy, Tempted To Tapit, ThoroughbredZone
By ThoroughbredZone on March 14, 2025
Sydney’s Candy Stretches Out And Rolls Home All The Way In The San Felipe (GII) In 1:42.30!–(ThoroughbredZone Indicated He Should Be Able To Handle Extra Distance In 1st Derby List Of The Year) Lookin at Lucky Passes The Dirt Test–Squeaks By Noble’s Promise To Win The Rebel In 1:43.06 (GII)–Zenyatta Goes To 15-0 With Santa [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Rachel Alexandra, Sydney's Candy, ThoroughbredZone, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on March 13, 2025
A big day of action is on tap this afternoon around the country. Three Kentucky Derby Preps highlight the 3-year-old action, and Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are back in action before their big match up in the “Race For The Ages” in the Apple Blossom (GI) next month at Oaklawn Park.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Apple Blossom, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise, Race of the Ages, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on March 9, 2026
***Updated 7/21/10 with a link to this New Jersey Rolls the Dice on Casinos and Horse Racing*** Why Not A Meadowlands Thoroughbred Turf Meet? The end of thoroughbred racing at the Meadowlands has come to an end—for the time being anyway. The powers that be have decided that converting the Meadowlands harness track to a [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Atlantic City, Casino, Gov Chris Christie, Governor Christie, Harness, Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, NYRA, Thoroughbred, Turf, vlt, Yonkers Raceway
By ThoroughbredZone on March 8, 2026
No changes this week. Awesome Act went on to win the Gotham (GII) at Aqueduct in a nice effort. He was trying dirt for the first time. Awesome Act overcame a long plane flight and a stay in the detention barn. He arrived in New York on Wednesday. Yawanna Twist swung wide turning for home [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Caracortado, Conveyance, Dave in Dixie, Discreetly Mine, Dublin, D’Funnybone, Eskendereya, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Odysseus, Rule, Sidney’s Candy, Tempted To Tapit
By ThoroughbredZone on March 2, 2026
No changes this week. Awesome Act went on to win the Gotham (GII) at Aqueduct in a nice effort. Yawanna Twist swung wide turning for home and made a a good rally, but ran out of room. Alphie’s Bet wins the Sham (GIII) at Santa Anita.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Caracortado, Conveyance, D'Funnybone, Dave in Dixie, Discreetly Mine, Dublin, Eskenderya, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky, Odysseus, Rule, Sidney's Candy, Tempted To Tapit
By ThoroughbredZone on February 24, 2026
The real Joey P. is back—wins race 3 at Aqueduct! Joey P. zipped right to the lead and held off the challenge of Mt Glittermore to record his first win since returning from emergency intestinal surgery last June. Joey P’s last two starts were both lack luster affairs, but today the the real Joey P. [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Aqueduct, Joey P, New Jersey
By ThoroughbredZone on February 22, 2026
It’s the Olympics on NBC—or should I say it’s the taped Olympics on NBC? It does not really matter anymore what live event is going on in prime time for NBC. NBC is more concerned with what you will see on tape delay from earlier in the afternoon instead. No biggie—this is NBC’s thing. They [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Canada, Gold Medal, Hockey, MSNBC, NBC, NHL, Olympics, Team USA
By ThoroughbredZone on February 20, 2026
***Unbridled Fury Wins-Gaucho, Farmer Smarty and Mad For Smarty Did Not Show All That Much In Their Debuts*** Will it be a Smarty Party? Race 6 at Gulfstream Park is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-olds going 7 Furlongs. There a few interesting first time starters in this race that I will be keeping an [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Farmer Jones, Gaucho, Ghostzapper, Mad For Smarty, Smarty Jones
By ThoroughbredZone on February 12, 2026
It looks like it will finally happen! Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are ready to square off in the Apple Blossom (GI) at Oaklawn Park for a blockbuster purse of $5 Million. Mark April 9, 2025 off on those calendars. The right race—one huge mistake—they will run it on a weekday—April 9,2010 is a Friday? What [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Charles J. Cella, Oaklawn Park, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on February 3, 2026
It’s Almost That Time of Year Again. ThoroughbredZone Will Track The Kentucky Derby Hopefuls From The Big Prep Races All The Way To The Starting Gate That First Saturday May At Churchill Downs—Cap The Kentucky Derby And Tell You Who We Think Will Win The Roses. Last Year ThoroughbredZone’s Top Pick To Win the Kentucky Derby Never Made [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby, ThoroughbredZone
By ThoroughbredZone on January 22, 2026
ThoroughbredZone’s Kentucky Derby 12 Debuts In February **** Kind Regards And Arrr Pirates Booty Never In Solid Contention—Finish In 6th And 7th —Rule by Night Was An Impressive Winner And The Smarty Jones Kid, Lloydobler finished 2nd at 20/1!
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Ali's Joy, Aqueduct, Arrr Pirates Booty, Bruce Levine, Indian Charlie, Kiaran McLaughlin, Kind Regards, Known Gambler, Lloydobler, Never Content, Pulpit, Rule by Night, Ryan's Gift, Smarty Jones
By ThoroughbredZone on January 18, 2026
Rachel Alexandra Wins The Eclipse Award For The 2009 Horse Of The Year Guess The Name Of This Horse And Win A 2010 NYRA Calender ***First Person To Write Answer In Comments Wins*** (Hint 2006) We Have A Winner-Edgar Castro Said It Was Henny Hughes And He Was Correct! Support the Earthquake Recovery Efforts in [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Haiti, NYRA
By ThoroughbredZone on December 31, 2025
15 of the 17 catergories ThoroughbredZone tabbed as the best of 2009 won an Eclipse Award ThoroughbredZone’s Best of 2009 2-Year-Old Colt - * Lookin at Lucky is ThoroughbredZone’s top 2-year-old colt of 2009. Lookin at Lucky was a three time Grade I winner in 2009. He just missed winning The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Breeders Cup, Gio Ponti, Informed Decision, Kodiak Kowboy, Lookin at Lucky, Rache Alexandra, She Be Wild, Summer Bird, Ventura, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on December 26, 2025
***Digger Wins The Gravesend By A Nose Over Pashito the Che—Joey P. Runs Better But Faltered Late Finishing Far Back*** Speedy Joey P. will try to bounce back in his second race back from emergency intestinal surgery last spring. Joey P. ran a lack luster 6th in the Valley Forge at Philadelphia Park on December [...]
Posted in Home Page
By ThoroughbredZone on December 19, 2025
Special to ThoroughbredZone | By Mike Doherty Bob Baffert had a big day at Hollywood Park yesterday taking home the featured Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity, the ungraded Stuka Stakes and 2 maiden special weight races. Bob Baffert sent out soon to be named juvenile champion Lookin at Lucky to win the Futurity in a quite impressive [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Bob Baffert, Kentucky Derby, Lookin at Lucky
By ThoroughbredZone on December 15, 2025
The great debate amongst racing pundits and fans alike this year has been who should win the Eclipse Award for the 2009 Horse of the Year? And believe me, everyone has an opinion. ThoroughbredZone is asking another question. Who deserves to not win the Eclipse Award for the 2009 Horse of The Year? I have not [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Eclipse, Horse of the Year, Jess Jackson, Pro Ride, Rachel Alexandra, Thoroughbred, ThoroughbredZone, Write-In, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on December 13, 2025
Race 6 at Aqueduct today is a Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-old NY Breds going 6 furlongs on the inner. I like to stick with 2-year-old maidens, but here is an exception. The 1 horse Chicktowaga debuts and will break from the rail. The rail is not always the best place for a firster to [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Chicktowaga
By ThoroughbredZone on December 1, 2025
Two champions ended their superb racing careers with victories over the weekend. Kodiak Kowboy capped his superb racing career with a win in the Cigar Mile (GI) at Aqueduct. Kodiak Kowboy has been one of the most reliable and winning sprinters in the country over the past couple of years. The fantastic Ventura ended her [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Kentucky Derby, Kodiak Kowboy, ThoroughbredZone, Ventura, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on November 7, 2025
It’s the great debate. Who should win the 2009 Horse of the Year? Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra? ThoroughbredZone will take a close look at this raging debate and give it’s opinion as to who should win the Eclipse for the top Thoroughbred of 2009. However, the more important question might be, who deserves to lose? Niether [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on November 7, 2025
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf First race of day two has a big field. 6 European invaders are in here. Pounced will be making her 4th career start and ran 2nd in the Prix Jean Lagardere (GI) at Longchamp. Viscount Nelson comes in off a layoff. He has a win at a mile and ran 2nd [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Breeders Cup, Gayego, Mastercraftsman, Quality Road, Zensational, Zenyatta
By ThoroughbredZone on November 6, 2025
Breeders’ Cup Marathon Last years BC Marathon winner is back, Muhannak will defend his title, but his form has been lacking this year. He recently ran 3rd in a GIII at Ascot right behind Red Rocks who will be in the BC Turf. Some old vets are in to, such as John Sheppard’s Cloudy’s Knight who will [...]
Posted in Home Page
By ThoroughbredZone on November 3, 2025
Betting the Breeders’ Cup can be a challenging and an exciting task for veteran handicappers and newbie’s a like. Deciding on who you will bet is another issue—ThoroughbredZone will go over that in my (Breeders’ Cup Close Up and Preview) but how you bet is a very important factor. First, I would focus on the [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Betting, Breeders Cup, Pick 6, Santa Anita
By ThoroughbredZone on November 1, 2025
It was a fun night at the Meadowlands on Saturday night, October 31, 2009. There was plenty of fun, food, laughs and even a couple of winners tossed in. These are some snap shots of the fun night. I gave Chuck Lopez a Nicaraguan cigar for all his front running scores. ***Breeders’ Cup Close up [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Meadowlands
By ThoroughbredZone on October 27, 2025
First, while you’re at the Port Authority in New York after you get off the bus, you can pick up a cheap $5 umbrella from some guy named Pang Ming Lee.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Aqueduct, Breeders Cup, Evening Attire, Horse Racing, Jean Luc Samyn, Man o' War, Mike Luzzi, “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons
By ThoroughbredZone on October 25, 2025
It was a wet weekend at the Meadowlands. Lucky James won the Eillo Stakes on Friday night for Ed Broome and Tar Heel Mom won the Seton Hall Stakes for Stanley Hough on Saturday night. Below are some snap shots from the weekend of action at the Meadowlands. It was certainly a wet one.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Bold Union, Horse Racing, Meadowlands, Tar Heel Mom, Who's The Cowboy
By ThoroughbredZone on October 19, 2025
6-year-old Kiss the Kid ended his racing career Friday night at the Meadowlands with a game effort in running second in the Grade II Meadowlands Cup to winner Etched. Kiss the Kid rallied on the far turn and made a long sustained drive on the outside of Etched. He came up a little short of [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Etched, Horse Racing, Kiss The Kid, Meadowlands Cup
By ThoroughbredZone on October 11, 2025
In a weekend that saw a who’s who of Thoroughbred stars run, from Keeneland to Santa Anita, it a was a $6,500 New Jersey state bred claimer that made my weekend. There were a few other good things that happened last night as well at my home track The Meadowlands, but no redboards here. We [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Hi It's Me, Meadowlands, Songandaprayer
By ThoroughbredZone on October 10, 2025
6 Furlongs Maiden Special Weight 2-Year-Olds Stronach Stable’s home bred City Wolf debuts tomorrow in Race 2 at Belmont Park. City Wolf is trained by Bobby Frankel and is a full half brother to Ghostzapper and City Zip.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged City Wolf, City Zip, Fayoum, Ghostzapper, Giant's Causeway
By ThoroughbredZone on October 4, 2025
It was a flat out lousy day at Belmont Park on Saturday. The racing was as good as it could be under the lousy weather conditions. The weather has not been kind on the big racing days this year. The Kentucky Derby, Haskell, Travers and Gold Cup day were all sloppy messes. A sparse crowd [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Fabulous Strike, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Kodiak Kowboy, Music Note, Pure Clan, Quality Road, Summer Bird
By ThoroughbredZone on October 2, 2025
The Vosburgh (GI) – Fabulous Strike heads a compact field of five quality sprinters. Simply put, he is the horse to beat. Fabulous Strike will not run in this years Breeders’ Cup Spring, so this race is thee race of the year for this horse. He is fast, and if the track is off, he [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Belmont Park, Dry Martini, Fabulous Strike, Flower Bowl, Gio Ponti, Go Go Shoot, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Quality Road, Vosburgh
By ThoroughbredZone on September 30, 2025
Meadowlands Meet Kicks Off And Some Memories By Stephen Alicknovic It’s fall again in New Jersey, and that can mean one thing. The Meadowlands Thoroughbred meet is back. Starting on Thursday, October 2, the Meadowlands will kick off its 2009 fall meet. As a native New Jerseyan I have always considered both Monmouth Park and [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Go Go Shoot, Jason Servis, Kentucky Derby, Meadowlands, Real Quiet, Smarty Jones
By ThoroughbredZone on September 27, 2025
ThoroughbedZone said get ready for this girl first out. She delivered winning easily in the Belmont Park slop. She paid $5.70 for the win…A Plus ran 3rd and Anchorage finished 7th
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Female Drama
By ThoroughbredZone on September 27, 2025
6 1/2 furlongs on the sloppy track (Maiden Special Weight) I have not posted one of these in awhile. In Belmont’s fifth race Todd Pletcher offers up an entry of two first-time filly starters that that are working very well in preparation for their debuts today. The 1 is Anchorage, a $540,000 purchase for the [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged A Plus, Anchorage, Female Drama
By ThoroughbredZone on September 5, 2025
Rachel Alexandra For President! Rachel Alexandra is officially a legend after putting in one of the most dramatic, epic, heart pounding and amazing performances ever today in winning the 56th running of the Woodward over a determined, driving Macho Again at Saratoga.
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Macho Again, Rachel Alexandra, Woodward, YouTube
By ThoroughbredZone on August 29, 2025
Quality Road was ranked as the number 1 horse on the Kentucky Derby list for much of the spring. He was on target for the Kentucky Derby as the horse to defeat; however nagging quarter crack issues prevented him from getting the chance. He missed the entire Triple Crown season recovering from his quarter cracks. [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Kensei, Quality Road, Travers, Warriors Reward
By ThoroughbredZone on August 26, 2025
The Woodward for Rachel Alexandra is the right race for a few reasons. And they all make solid sense. First, connections have Kensei who is in top form right now, and, of all the other horses in the Travers, stands a good chance in the very least to hit the board with a solid effort [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Kensei, Quality Road, Rachel Alexandra, Travers, Woodward
By ThoroughbredZone on August 19, 2025
Rachel Alexandra is ready for a race. How about the Travers Stakes? The mid-summer derby is less then two weeks away and it could easily become thee race of the year if her connections opt to enter her in this spot. The Haskell was a perfect spot, and that’s where she went to roll home [...]
Posted in Home Page | Tagged Mid-Summer Derby, Mine that Bird, Quality Road, Rachel Alexandra, Summer Bird, Travers Stakes
