Archive for April 2016

2016 Miami Mile Preview

For the thirtieth time, the Miami Mile will be contested.  Such a race will be run not in Miami (as it used to be), but will be run at a mile.  The Miami Mile serves as the feature of the Saturday April 30th card at Gulfstream Park as the south Florida transitions from its championship... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
April 27, 2016 at 8:48 pm
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2016 Bewitch Stakes Preview

Last week, open company got a chance to go three turns on the Keeneland grass in the Elkhorn.  On Keeneland’s closing day (Friday, April 29), the long-winded fillies and mares get their day in the mile and a half Bewitch Stakes. This race, being run for the 55th time this year, takes its name from... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
April 26, 2016 at 7:24 pm
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2016 Elkhorn Stakes Preview

As it has been through the winter and spring, this weekend’s theme at Picks and Ponderings remains the number three. However, instead of three-year-old preps…this weekend features three-turn races. In another piece, Paul Mazur previews the Charles Town Classic, a three-turn, nine-furlong race over the West Virginia bullring.  This piece instead focuses on the twelve-furlong... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
April 20, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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2016 Charles Town Classic Preview

“If you build it, they will come.” It may be one of the most often quoted lines of cinema, but a practical application of it exists in the horse racing world at an oval in the mid-Atlantic.   A more representative quote would be “if you fund it, they will come.” Hollywood Casino at Charles Town... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
April 20, 2016 at 6:35 pm
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2016 Beaumont Stakes Preview

The Beaumont Stakes is the final three-year-old points race of the year.  Keeneland hosts one final Derby prep on Saturday, and then this final Oaks prep on Sunday.  Unlike most of the recent preps, they do not offer enough points to get their winners into the big race — but for horses on the bubble,... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
April 14, 2016 at 1:16 pm
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2016 Lexington Stakes Preview

Any horses waiting for the last minute to qualify for the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks have found that proverbial last minute. One 100-point Derby prep — and a perennially live one, at that — remains this weekend.  Paul Mazur takes a look at that race, the Arkansas Derby (GI). Keeneland, on the other... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
April 13, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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2016 Arkansas Derby Preview

This piece is jointly submitted for Thorofan’s Handicapper’s Corner. Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas brings down the curtain on its 2016 meet with its traditional closing day feature, the Grade One $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby.  It carries, like other April preps, a 100-40-20-10 allotment of Kentucky Derby qualifying points.  The Arkansas Derby was first created... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
April 13, 2016 at 9:03 pm
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2016 Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks Preview

This weekend is the weekend four weeks out with seven races yielding points to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.  And they’re the balance of this week’s coverage at Picks & Ponderings.  All seven preps are covered in our divide-and-conquer format; so be sure to also check out the other previews.  Nicolle Neulist tackles the... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
April 7, 2016 at 8:12 pm
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2016 Wood Memorial and Gazelle Stakes Preview

This weekend is the weekend four weeks out with seven races yielding points to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.  And they’re the balance of this week’s coverage at Picks & Ponderings.  All seven preps are covered in our divide-and-conquer format; so be sure to also check out the other previews.  Nicolle Neulist tackles the... Read more »
By Paul Mazur,
April 6, 2016 at 9:20 pm
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2016 Fantasy Stakes Preview

Picks and Ponderings provides full coverage of the busiest weekend of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks prep races this weekend. Here, we focus on the one three-year-old prep race at Oaklawn: the Fantasy Stakes.  Oaklawn has a Derby prep as well — but that will not be run until next week, as part of closing... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
April 6, 2016 at 9:02 pm
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