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
Category Archives: Horse Racing
Preakness Week Happy Hour Reading–Wednesday May 13, 2015
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.
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.
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.
Baltimore Sun piece profiling the Infield Fest’s headliner. Get your glow sticks ready.
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.
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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Preakness Week Happy Hour Reading–Tuesday May 12, 2015
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.
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.
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.”
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 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.
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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Preakness Happy Hour–Monday, May 11, 2015
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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The Biggest Day: Handicapping The Kentucky Derby Pick 4
Happy Derby Day!! Kentucky Oaks Day was a great success for the Thorobros. We finally hit the Kentucky Oaks Pick 4, a goal that we had been chasing for years—and one which had been tantalizingly close before. We are hoping that our handicapping stays on point, and that we continue our hot streak into the biggest race day of the year.
As usual, Churchill Downs has put together a spectacular Derby Day card. The Pick 4 features four graded stakes, each with star-studded fields. From a betting perspective, we unfortunately do not see as much value in the Derby card as we did in the Oaks card, but you have to play the hand you are dealt.
Continue reading The Biggest Day: Handicapping The Kentucky Derby Pick 4
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12 Days of Derby: No. 1–2006 Barbaro
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.
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Handcapping The White Whale: Kentucky Oaks Day Stakes Pick 4
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.
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12 Days of Derby: No. 2 — Monarchos
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. Continue reading 12 Days of Derby: No. 2 — Monarchos
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The Thorobros Guide to Mint Juleps
So you have your seersucker suit, your Derby hat, your bowtie, your saddle shoes and a sweet belt with sailboats or some shit like that on it. You just got finished with a bunch of Natural Lights and you are wondering how you are going to blow your Pick 4 winnings in the time between the Derby and the Fight (Go PacMan). You are in the middle of the best sports day of the year. In short, you are having an awesome Derby Day. But what’s missing from this picture? That’s right, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep. But you can’t just have any normal mint julep – you have a seersucker suit on for God’s sakes. You need to have a Thorobros mint julep. And boy do we have some juleps for you. 
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12 Days of Derby: Number 3 – Smarty Jones
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 3: Smarty Jones (2004)
Smarty Jones is Philadelphia’s horse. He was not regally bred, he debuted at Philadelphia Park, a decidedly second-tier track, his trainer was John Servis, and his jockey was Stewart Elliott, who had toiled in relative obscurity for his entire riding career. Philadelphia is a blue collar town that cares passionately about its sports teams, and appreciates more than anything an athlete that shows up to work every day and always gets the job done. Smarty Jones certainly came to race every time he went into the starting gate and save for the final race of his career, he never had a horse hit the wire in front of him.
Continue reading 12 Days of Derby: Number 3 – Smarty Jones