Although we had some movement this week, we now come to the make or break weekend when many of ranked horses compete in the Risen Star Stakes and Southwest Stakes, several of which were top 2-year-olds making their long-awaited debuts…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Rankings: Week 4
February 8th, 2021Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Rankings: Week 3
February 1st, 2021Because of all the activity this week and so many horses now firmly entrenched on the Derby trail we are extending the Rankings to a Sweet 16 to give as many horses as possible ample space and a place on the list of top prospects…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Rankings: Week 2
January 25th, 2021Lots of activity this week, with some eye-popping performances, and lots of movement in the Top 12, as we await next week’s Holy Bull and Robert B. Lewis Stakes, which should bring more major changes…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Derby Rankings Week 1: Back on the Trail Again
January 18th, 2021Welcome to the 2021 Kentucky Derby trail and the start of our Derby Rankings. Unlike the Derby Dozen, the rankings will not be limited to 12 horses, but we will begin with a dozen in order to properly introduce each horse in detail. All readers’ comments are welcome whether you agree or disagree. So please stop by every week, share your opinions, and hopefully we can create a much-needed diversion from these crazy and scary times. Let the fun begin…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Baffert vs Pletcher: A Tale of the Tape
January 11th, 2021With activity on the Derby trail starting to pick up, the one constant is that Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher are going to be loaded once again. But who are these two powerhouse trainers who dominate the road to Louisville every year? Let’s take a close look at them and what makes them so successful…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
The Greatest “Rabbit” Punches in Racing History
January 4th, 2021It is time for one final history lesson before we hit the Derby trail. And this is one topic you don’t normally read about. This one you can say is about horses and trainers having a bad “hare” day…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Merry Christmas Horse Racing
December 23rd, 2020Santa Claus has already gotten his COVID-19 vaccine, so he’ll be on his way once again on Christmas Eve. In his bag this year are some special presents for all his friends in horse racing. He made his list and checked it twice and thanks to our special connections at the North Pole, here is that list…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Invasor – A Life Changing Horse
December 14th, 2020I am not a collector of memorabilia and have never purchased a single item…until now. When two of the shoes worn by Invasor in the Suburban Handicap came up for sale on eBay from the extensive collection of the Estate of Julie Albright, I approached my friend and fellow Invasor lover Dianne Boothe and mentioned to her I would be willing to go half with her on the pair of shoes. The bidding kept increasing in the final minutes, but a savvy Dianne got the last bid in right at the buzzer and we had our shoes. To understand why these particular shoes were so important to me, you have to read the column to discover the importance of Invasor in my life and learn of his amazing journey that brought us together in such a profound way…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
An Authentic Winner of Vox Populi Award
December 5th, 2020When Penny Chenery came up with the idea for the Vox Populi Award 10 years ago it was to “recognize the racehorse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for the sport during the past year.”
Now that we have the official terminology of what the award represents, let’s see if we can decipher its meaning and see how it applies to this year’s winner Authentic.
Did Authentic win because he won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic and is a sure bet for Horse of the Year…
Steve Haskin Posting Archive
Kentucky Derby Back to Playing Music in May
December 1st, 2020With the Kentucky Derby likely back to the first Saturday in May, it is time to take a look at the (very) early contenders on the Future Wager’s Pool 1, as well as several more emerging from Churchill’s “Stars of Tomorrow” card…
