Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .
Rebel Stakes Day 2016: A Photo Essay
"As a chilly breeze traveled through the air, the sun peeked
through the clouds as it rose above the horizon to offer a sliver of warmth to
the dozens of fans that dotted the track apron of Oaklawn Park on the morning
of Saturday, March 19, 2016. Not only was it Dawn at Oaklawn – an event held on
Saturday mornings for fans to enjoy and learn more about morning training – but
it was Rebel Stakes Day.
One of the highlights of Oaklawn’s Racing Festival of the South, the Grade II Rebel
Stakes has been an important stepping stone for a countless number of Triple
Crown race winners – most notably American Pharoah, the hero that just last
year ended the 37-year Triple Crown drought. With a $900,000 purse up for grabs
this year, the Kentucky Derby prep race attracted a full field of fourteen – but
it was not the only notable race of the day. Also on the card were the Grade
III Azeri Stakes and the Grade II Razorback Handicap. . ."
Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.
Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .
How Will History Affect Rebel Runners?
"Oaklawn is
often nicknamed “the Saratoga of the South.” A trip to the Hot Springs,
Arkansas track is enough reason to understand this moniker. Throughout the
town, paintings and photographs of racehorses are to be found on various signs
and advertisements. Many businesses hold racing-related names, such as the Best
Western Winners Circle Inn across the street from Oaklawn’s grandstand, and
just by driving down Central Avenue, you can catch a glimpse of Thoroughbreds
galloping around the turn and into the stretch.
Home to one of the most popular series of Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep races,
Oaklawn boasts its own graded stakes-triple: the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) in
February, the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) in March, and the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) in
April. In recent years, this three-race sequence has produced some of the most
talented horses in the nation. The Rebel Stakes alone has produced six Eclipse
Award winners, including one Horse of the Year and four Champion
Three-Year-Olds, in the past ten years. . ."
Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.
Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .
Tapiture is the one to beat in the Rebel
"On a crisp March morning at Oaklawn Park in 2007, trainer Steve Asmussen kept his watchful eyes focused on a chestnut colt under his care. Later that afternoon, the colt would continue down the road to Louisville in hopes of Asmussen's dreams of Kentucky Derby glory. The colt, named Curlin, would win that day's Rebel Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths. That victory was only the very beginning. While Curlin never won the Run for the Roses, he won some of the most important races in the world - including the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), and Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) - en route to becoming the richest North American racehorse in history.
Now, seven years later, Asmussen and Curlin stand on the verge of being immortalized, having recently been announced as finalists for the National Museum of Racing's 2014 Hall of Fame ballot. While Curlin has long since settled into his new life as a stallion at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky, even siring a 2014 Rebel Stakes starter in Ride On Curlin, Asmussen remains a staple at Oaklawn and continues to make a mark on the track's Derby trail.
Just like he did seven years ago, Asmussen will saddle a strong chestnut colt in today's Rebel. This colt, Tapiture, has much more racing experience than Curlin did when he charged into the fray in the 2007 Rebel, having raced five times already. Two of those wins are graded stakes victories, including a romp in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old. A dominant winner of Oaklawn's Southwest Stakes (gr. III) last out, Tapiture is the 9/5 morning line favorite for today's Rebel. . ."
Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.
