Well, that wraps my first National Handicapping Tournament in Las Vegas. Thanks to the NTRA staff, who were both inviting and gracious, and to both old acquaintances and new, just great travel pals in general. Here's a rundown of the week. WEDNESDAY: I arrive in Vegas and get settled in at Treasure Island, then head [...]

With a single optional race to play Saturday evening, Scottsdale, Arizona resident Dan Kovalesky was atop the leaderboard at the National Handicapping Tournament in Las Vegas. The 33-year-old nailed big-priced horses at Gulfstream early in the day to push his bankroll to a final tally of $260.80. That led Ray Arsenault and Frank Mustari in [...]

As the son of two economists, and an economist himself, Marshall Gramm was always going to have a knack for numbers. Now the 43-year-old is using his analytical skills to develop one of the most promising young stables in America…and to take a shot at the National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas. Gramm didn't make [...]

TVG racing analyst Dave Weaver has a busy Saturday ahead of him. In between playing for the $800,000 first prize at the National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas, the 42-year-old will make a quick jaunt to Miami to watch a horse he co-owns, War Story (Northern Afleet), compete in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup. [...]

It was, at the literal end of the day, a $13,000 Hail Mary. Heading into the final race of last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, Joe Appelbaum seemed hopelessly out of contention. In fact, Appelbaum, well known in the racing industry as co-owner of Off the Hook LLC, and as a pinhooker, advisor, owner and [...]

In the documentary Being AP, there's a quiet moment when Dave Roberts, agent for the legendary jump jockey A.P. McCoy, explains of his client, “If any horse can win any race, he'll ride.” This brief commentary on McCoy's singular vision–just win, baby–sums up an outstanding film from director Anthony Wonke that follows McCoy through what [...]

Hall of Famer Chris McCarron became just the second jockey recognized as an Honored Guest by the Thoroughbred Club of America, and used his platform at Sunday night's 85th annual Testimonial Dinner to urge the adoption of a federal bill to establish a Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority. “The status quo is not working, folks,” said [...]

The final figures ultimately were down, but by most accounts, the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which wrapped a 13-session run Sunday in Lexington, felt like a step forward for a marketplace still defined by its polarity. At the close of selling Sunday, 2,792 horses sold for gross receipts of $272,890,500. That resulted in an [...]

The striking visual impression of Arrogate's 13 1/2-length win in Saturday's GI Travers S. was confirmed immediately by the time of the race–1:59.36–and has been confirmed again after historically high speed figures were assigned to the track-record performance. “He looks like a superstar in the making,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who trains Arrogate for Juddmonte [...]

ORDOS, CHINA–It is Monday morning, the day after the Chinese Equine Cultural Festival in Ordos wrapped with a fun four-race card at Yiqi Race Course, and the weather is overcast and breezy. It's a welcome change after a weekend that was sticky hot. From the abundance of work and other vices, there are some sluggish [...]

ORDOS, China–It was an education disguised as a day of racing. Sure, yesterday's four-race card at Yiqi Race Course in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, had the look of a fun afternoon at the track. There were some quality horses by fashionable sires–Galileo (Ire) and Montjeu (Ire) among them. There was an international cast of jockeys from [...]

“It is said that when we dream alone, a dream is just a dream. But when we dream together, it is the beginning of reality.” That's how the China Horse Club's Eden Harrington began his keynote address at last night's gala dinner at the 2016 Chinese Equine Cultural Festival in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The CHC [...]