Category: Horse Racing

The Highlights Rumors have been swirling that Justify is dealing with an injury heading into the Preakness.  To get to the bottom of the issue, Paul Lo Duca gave Bob Baffert, Justify’s trainer, a call. Baffert told it to him straight: Justify is ready to roll. At 2:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, my phone rang.…

Our latest collection of totally fictional, mostly irrational betting propositions — because sportsbooks don’t post everything they should. Triple Crown Over/Unders Off  Number of mentions of Apollo before 2019 Kentucky Derby O/U 1,935 Number of mentions of “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons after the 2018 Preakness Stakes O/U 1  Number of mentions of Secretariat necessary after any Triple…

The Highlights Paul Lo Duca and I went to an OTB on Long Island called the Race Palace for the Kentucky Derby. He introduced me to his group of horse racing friends, including Mike Iavarone, the owner of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. These guys have a lot of money; I do not. Coming…

The Highlights A Texas woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, won $1.2 million on a PICK5 Kentucky Derby ticket. She correctly predicted the winner of the Derby, along with four of the undercard races Saturday. Funny Duck (39-1) was the biggest longshot bet to win in the woman’s PICK5. Well, I think it’s safe to…

The Highlights Justify was the favorite at the Kentucky Derby, but his performance at Churchill Downs left Paul Lo Duca impressed. Lo Duca was so impressed, in fact, that he believes Bob Baffert’s horse will run for a Triple Crown in June. The first Saturday in May is over, and there’s a lot to get…

Pouring rain didn’t seem to lessen the attendance at Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, and it surely didn’t stop folks from gambling. In fact, yesterday’s 14-race program set a Kentucky Derby record with a handle of $227.5 million, surpassing the previous record of $209.2 million that was set last year. The Derby race itself also set a…

For the sixth consecutive race, the favorite won the Kentucky Derby. This year it was Justify (5-2) who finished on top of the field, with Good Magic (9-1) and Audible (7-1) rounding out the top three. Final Standings:  In an impressive run, Instilled Regard, who had the longest odds of the pack at 85-1, finished…

Here we go. The Kentucky Derby is just a few days away. I’ve ranked all 20 horses in the field from 20 to 1 with notes on each pony. The “Run for the Roses” takes place on Saturday, May 5. Coverage of the event starts at 11:30 a.m. ET, but the main event begins right…

The Highlights Paul Lo Duca’s trusted source at Churchill Downs relayed that Audible (+800) is looking great. Hofburg (+2000) is getting a ton of buzz, but Paul isn’t buying it. Magnum Moon (+600) is “quirky,” but he remains at the top of Paul’s Derby power rankings. Those whispers you hear around Churchill Downs can be…

The Kentucky Derby runs on the first Saturday in May each year, under the twin spires at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. For as long as I can remember, my father was interested in horse racing, and he became a horse owner before I entered high school. I can also remember my mother giving me…