The 1968 Triple Crown is history. Racing weathered the storm of the Dancer’s Image disqualification in the Kentucky Derby and the additional controversy that would have followed had Forward Pass won the Belmont Stakes and joined the ranks of the immortals. Fortunately, 4-year-old superstars Dr. Fager and Damascus stepped up in the summer to bring the sport back to a sense of normalcy. Now it is 1969 and all the major players from the previous year are gone, including our hero Stage Door Johnny. It is time for new faces to emerge on the scene and for new superstars to …Read More
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Belmont Buddies – Part 2
May 30th, 2021Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Belmont Buddies and the Crowns They Denied – Part 1
May 29th, 2021This is Part 1 of the story of two horses, who both denied what would have been historic Triple Crown sweeps and were champions themselves. Not only did they share that common bond on the racetrack, they would form a lifelong friendship as stallions, with each sharing the title of oldest living Belmont Stakes winner…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
The Race that Changed the Belmont Stakes
May 24th, 2021The Road to the Belmont Stakes had been pretty straightforward for a number of decades until one trainer’s decision and his belief in his horse created a whole new strategy on how to get there. It is a strategy that has since proven successful on a number of occasions and will be utilized by several trainers this year…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Of Rombauer, N.J.-breds, and Secretariat
May 17th, 2021At first glance there doesn’t seem to be much of a back story behind Preakness winner Rombauer, but in actuality it is a story that is rich in history and now can finally be told thanks to the heroics of the son of Twirling Candy…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Black-Eyed Preakness
May 12th, 2021Before getting into handicapping and analysis let’s first look at the cheery side of this year’s Preakness. You have a chance to win some terrific prizes by entering the “Steve Cannon” Preakness Contest that is now UP AND READY. And it’s free of charge. So make sure you check it out and put in your entry. Even if you don’t hit the Grand Prize, which I have to say is pretty awesome, there are three additional prizes that would be Grand Prizes themselves in most contests, especially if you are a Secretariat fan. I am particularly drawn to the third prize, which I am sure Secretariat fans would fight to the death to obtain. Thirty lashes for all those who don’t enter and miss all the fun…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
The Day the Two Big Reds Met
May 6th, 2021It is odd seeing the Man o’War Stakes run a week after the Kentucky Derby this year. For years this mile and a half event was run in the fall and usually decided the grass championship. One of its most memorable runnings came in 1973 when the great Secretariat broke the course record in his grass debut. An original shoe worn by Big Red in the Man ‘o War Stakes will soon be made available for purchase or auction soon, but in the meantime, here is a look back at one of Secretariat’s most remarkable victories…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Recap: The Stuff of Dreams
May 2nd, 2021Even a Bob Baffert victory in the Kentucky Derby, as common as it has become, occasionally has a back story to warm the soul. This is one of those stories…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby 2021 Handicapping Analysis
April 28th, 2021This column likely will confuse you even more than you already are, but I will try to break down the race in as many ways as I can and throw some possible wagers at you. But things change quickly and there are some bets on which I am noncommittal at this point, so I likely will be posting updates in the comments section through Saturday. My Rankings tell you who I believe are the best overall horses based on talent, pedigree, eye test, and rate of improvement. This column will focus more on wagering and finding value. Of course, in many instances they are one and the same…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Final Derby Rankings: Week 15
April 25th, 2021Although the long road to the Derby is over and the Rankings will soon prove to be mere folly, as long as we all had a good time and made new friends it was a journey to remember. We still have a feeble attempt at handicapping on Wednesday evening and then it’s back to “Askin’ Haskin” and weekly columns about those special horses and races from the past and whatever subject pops into my head. And watch out for an interesting contest coming up before the Preakness. I want to thank everyone for all your wonderful, informative, and well-researched comments and for making this the best Derby trail I’ve been on since I started Derby Dozen 22 years ago…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Rankings: Week 14
April 19th, 2021Well we are down to those long agonizing two weeks of just waiting, watching the training, and finally the anxiety of the post position draw. And of course hoping that everyone stays healthy. There isn’t much more to say about these horses that hasn’t been said before, so it’s now pretty much in your hands to decipher everything and try to make some sense of one of the most baffling Derbys in years with so many inexperienced horses with so many question marks. I see a lot of Travers horses in this field. So we have one more Rankings column and then our handicapping column and then most of us will be able to relate to the saying, “There is nothing like a horse to make a person feel like an ass…”
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