Hoppertunity seeks title defense in San Antonio
Hoppertunity will look to join an illustrious group as a dual winner of Saturday’s $300,000 San Antonio (G2) at Santa Anita. The 1 1/8-mile prelude to the Santa Anita H. (G1) was won by the […]
Articles by Vance Hanson
Why skipping Dubai makes sense for Arrogate and other post-Pegasus thoughts
Even before Arrogate’s tour de force in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) on Saturday, connections were on record saying the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in late March was pretty much off […]
Arrogate on top of the world in Pegasus
One week after California Chrome claimed a second Horse of the Year title over Arrogate in a runaway at the polls, his younger rival turned in his own runaway performance in their highly anticipated re-match […]
Past winners Twilight Eclipse, Charming Kitten square off in W.L. McKnight
Turf stakes feature prominently on Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup (G1) undercard at Gulfstream Park, highlighted by a pair of 1 1/2-mile fixtures born across town at the former Calder Race Course (now Gulfstream Park West). […]
2016 Eclipse Awards: A vintage year for future Hall of Famers
It certainly didn’t require waiting for Saturday night’s Eclipse Award announcements to make plain what many of us already knew: 2016 was a vintage year for Thoroughbreds on the American turf. But now that the […]
Classic Empire – 2016 Champion Two-Year-Old Male
Having tasted Kentucky Derby (G1) success with Monarchos in 2001, owner John Oxley will hope to add a second with the more precocious Classic Empire, who heads into this year’s classic trail the favorite after […]
Rawnaq – 2016 Champion Steeplechaser
Owner Irv Naylor and trainer Cyril Murphy, who celebrated an Eclipse Award victory by Dawalan a year ago, had the good fortune to campaign the country’s leading steeplechaser in 2016 as well. Rawnaq proved an […]
Drefong – 2016 Champion Male Sprinter
By two-time grass champion Gio Ponti and out of a mare by Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)-winning Horse of the Year Ghostzapper (who happened to be a pretty good miler, too), there wasn’t necessarily a genetic […]
Breeders’ Cup winner Finest City kicks clear late in Santa Monica
Although favored to claim the 2016 Eclipse Award as the nation’s leading female sprinter, Finest City ensured herself of at least one victory on Saturday with a season-opening romp in the $200,000 Santa Monica (G2) at […]
Potential wet track a variable in wide-open Lecomte
As was the case at Oaklawn Park earlier this week for the Smarty Jones, there’s a strong possibility of an off track for the next Kentucky Derby (G1) prep on the schedule. That would be […]