Since Affirmed beat Alydar yet again to take the Triple Crown in 1978, 13 horses have come to Belmont with a chance to join the most exclusive club in Thoroughbred Racing.  Now its American Pharoah’s turn.  In the words of George Santayana, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  American Pharoah has a lot of take-aways from the last 13 failed Triple Crown attempts.  It might be June, but for American Pharoah, school is in session.

American Pharoah’s lesson for today: If ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Stay the course. Don’t change anything.

Continue reading Lessons of the Past 37 Years: If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it →

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Will he or won’t he? That’s the million dollar question being asked of the racing world during the three week interval between American Pharoah’s Preakness win and his scheduled date with fate on June 6 in Elmont, New York.  With this question also comes the inevitable discussion concerning how badly racing—a sport perceived as fading in popularity–needs a Triple Crown winner.

We are not debating the benefits a Triple Crown winner would bestow on racing. We also aren’t ready to answer the will he or won’t he question. Instead, this article is focused on the present and how racing can capitalize on its three week foray in the spotlight.

Continue reading Don’t Wait for a Triple Crown: How Racing Can Capitalize Now on Pharoah-Mania →

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Good morning fellow breakfast defectors, it’s Black Eyed Susan Day! Hopefully all of you plan to spend your day either at the track, or surreptitiously watching the races on your work computer. First of all, good job by Maryland racing and Pimlico for putting together a deep and competitive card. This 14 race slate is fantastic, with deep and competitive fields and plenty of stakes races. Also, there are two $250,000 guaranteed Pick 4s. After much deliberation, the Thorobros decided to tackle the second Pick 4 – encompassing races 11-14.

Continue reading Pink Party: Handicapping the Black-Eyed Susan/ Pimlico Special Pick 4 →

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Below is a collection of our favorite videos, sound bytes and photos from our coverage of Preakness 2015.  Enjoy!

Continue reading Preakness Weekend Recap: Videos and Photos →

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In the days leading up to Preakness 140, newspapers and other internet sources are generating racing related content at an overwhelming rate. With so much coverage, its easy to miss some “can’t miss” pieces.  So we here at Thorobros have sorted the wheat from the chaff and present to you, for your happy hour reading pleasure, the very best of daily Preakness links.

Happy Post Position Draw and Contender Arrival Day.  Busy day at Pimlico and for race related content.  On to today’s links.

As the Z Turns

The biggest story of the day involved Calumet’s purchase and decision to run Mr. Z in the Preakness.  While talking with Pimlico’s communications department this morning by the Stakes Barn, it became clear they were expecting an 8th horse.  The announcement of the purchase of Mr. Z was just the latest turn in the saga which started yesterday when the colt shipped to Pimlico despite Zayat saying he wasn’t running.

Laurel Bound?

A hot topic this week is whether the Preakness will move to Laurel in the future.  Even Stronach’s team admits any significant improvements to Pimlico would require tearing down the main building. Laurel could be renovated for much cheaper and offers a location closer to major arteries.  That said, this USA Today Op piece opines Baltimore will never let the Preakness leave.

Get to Know Armin van Buuren

Baltimore Sun piece profiling the Infield Fest’s headliner. Get your glow sticks ready.

Backside Tour

Can’t make it to (or don’t feel like getting up for) Pimlico in the morning for sunrise barn tour?  This video may be the next best thing.  I hopped on half of a tour this morning and it was excellent.  Even today the tours were very full and have to imagine tomorrow and Friday will fill up quickly.

Chris Antley and Pimlico

Tremendous read on Chris Antley’s history with Pimlico.  It also details an amazing streak of which I was previously unaware.  64 consecutive days with at least one winner in 1989.  Wow!

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In the days leading up to Preakness 140, newspapers and other internet sources are generating racing related content at an overwhelming rate. With so much coverage, its easy to miss some “can’t miss” pieces.  So we here at Thorobros have sorted the wheat from the chaff and present to you, for your happy hour reading pleasure, the very best of daily Preakness links.

–No Preakness for Pletcher

Today’s big story concerns Pletcher’s decision to run none of the four horses he had under consideration in the Preakness.  Castellano will now ride Divining Rod.

–Mr. Z Takes a Road Trip

This was my favorite story of the day.  Despite reports from the Zayat camp earlier this week that Mr. Z would skip the Preakness, Lukas shipped him to Baltimore anyway.  Upon reading the news on Twitter, Ahmed Zayat tweeted:  “I can’t stop that man. Wow….I want to be like that when I hit 60.”

–The Zayat Diaries

As if balancing studying for finals, partying like it was the last week of your college career, and keeping long distance tabs on your Triple Crown hopeful wasn’t enough, Justin Zayat is also keeping a diary of his experience for the New York Post.

–The Stevens Factor

The New York Times profiles the ageless Gary Stevens, his desire to still compete in the top races, and his hopes to turn the tables on AP in the Preakness.

–No Parking Pass for Saturday?

Here is the rundown on taking MTA (public transportation) to the Preakness.  I can almost guarantee it will turn out better than the Long Island Railroad Experience of 2014.

–Pimlico Upgrades

Preakness provides Pimlico the opportunity to show off the upgrades made to the facility.  All reports indicate that Stronach’s current focus will be on improving his Maryland tracks.  Some of Pimlico’s renovations are already complete and will be on display–most notably the Sports Palace which combines the feel of a Las Vegas racing book with the benefit of great views of the track.

The Forgotten Preakness Cocktail

This article details the official Preakness drink of the 1930′s, long before various fruit juices and different brands of flavored vodka formed the current Black Eyed Susan signature drink.  We’re of the belief that the Preakness should just embrace it’s identity as the “People’s Party” and adopt Natty Boh in a solo cup as it’s official cocktail.

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In the days leading up to Preakness 140, newspapers and other internet sources are generating racing related content at an overwhelming rate. With so much coverage, its easy to miss some “can’t miss” pieces.  So we here at Thorobros have sorted the wheat from the chaff and present to you, for your happy hour reading pleasure, the very best of daily Preakness links.

Continue reading Preakness Happy Hour–Monday, May 11, 2015 →

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In the run up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Thorobros took a good hard look at the past 20 years of Derbies and tried to rank the top twelve. We were able to arrive at this highly scientific ranking through a complicated logarithm that generated a foolproof list of the best Kentucky Derbies of the past two decades. This year’s renewal of America’s most famous horse race looks to be particularly strong – perhaps we will have a new addition to these rankings come May 3, 2015.

Our mission: rank and identify the top twelve Kentucky Derbies of the past 20 years.   The problem? “Greatest” is perhaps the vaguest and most subjective word in all of sports.  The same holds true in horse racing, and was a recognized limitation as we set out on this quest.   In the end, our top selection did not include any of the objective ingredients that you think the recipe for the “greatest” Derby would require.  There was no dramatic photo finish.  The field of Derby contenders was not particularly strong.  There was no rivalry.  The winning time was not incredibly fast.  But there was a dominant performance and a beloved horse, who transcends the actual qualities of the race he won. Barbaro’s 2006 Kentucky Derby was at or near the top of each of our ballots.  And that is entirely a credit to Barbaro, his unbeaten record,  his legacy, his tragedy, and his “what if”.   Our “greatest” Derby, coincided with the “greatest” horse and the most tragic but unforgettable tale of the past Runs for the Roses.

Continue reading 12 Days of Derby: No. 1–2006 Barbaro →

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Welcome to the Thorobros Pick 4 analysis for May 1, 2015, Kentucky Oaks Day. The Thorobros love the Kentucky Oaks. It is a fantastic day to go to the track, and even though there are more than 100,000 people at Churchill Downs, it still seems relatively quiet compared to the insanity of Derby Day. The Oaks Day All-Stakes Pick 4 also holds a special place in our hearts. In 2011, we had a live Pick 4 into St. Johns River, which was going to pay very nicely. Of course, we did not have Plum Pretty on our tickets. Needless to say, Plum Pretty held off a hard charging St. Johns River by a rapidly diminishing head, and the Thorobros were left prone on the floor of Philadelphia’s Center City Turf Club, which is never a place you want to be.

We promise, the Turf Club looks nothing like this in real life.

But with each spring comes renewal and rebirth, and the Thorobros are back again to chase the Kentucky Oaks Pick 4. It is our great white whale. Perhaps this is the year, or perhaps we will once again be gasping for air on the well-worn carpet of our local off track betting establishment. We consider it a win either way.

Continue reading Handcapping The White Whale: Kentucky Oaks Day Stakes Pick 4 →

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In the run up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Thorobros took a good hard look at the past 20 years of Derbies and tried to rank the top twelve. We were able to arrive at this highly scientific ranking through a complicated logarithm that generated a foolproof list of the best Kentucky Derbies of the past two decades. This year’s renewal of America’s most famous horse race looks to be particularly strong – perhaps we will have a new addition to these rankings come May 3, 2015.

Number 5:  2007 Street Sense

On November 4, 2006, Street Sense, trained by Carl Nafzger and ridden by Calvin Borel, dominated the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile held at Churchill Downs. The son of Street Cry’s ten length, rail skimming romp marked the largest margin of victory in the race’s 23 year history—a history that includes the “Here…indeed… is…a…superstar!” coronation of Arazi in 1991.  As a result of his performance, Street Sense earned two year old champion honors and was immediately stamped the early favorite for the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

This side of the Curse of Apollo, however, in 2007, no Derby jinx was more publicized than the failure of the previous 22 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners to win the Run For the Roses.  Further, no two year old champion had won the event since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

So that was the challenge facing Street Sense entering the 2007 Kentucky Derby– avoiding the misfortunes bestowed upon previous two year old champions and breaking the Breeders’ Cup Derby drought.

Continue reading 12 Days of Derby–Number 5: Street Sense (2007) →

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