John Rotz, Hall of Fame jockey, dead at 86
“Gentleman John” Rotz, the retired Hall of Fame jockey and former Jockey Club steward in New York, died July 12 at the age of 86 at his home in Warrensburg, Illinois. Rotz’s riding career spanned […]
Belmont Stakes
Essential Quality runs down Hot Rod Charlie to win Belmont
Shrugging off his first career setback, a troubled fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Essential Quality determinedly overhauled pacesetter Hot Rod Charlie and drove to a 1 1//4-length victory in Saturday’s $1.5 […]
Belmont Stakes Report: Playing speed in final jewel of Triple Crown
Saturday’s 153rd running of the $1.5 million Belmont S. appears competitive, with little separating the top five runners on the morning line based upon performance numbers, but the final leg of the Triple Crown will […]
153rd Belmont Stakes field and ML
After a troubled fourth as the Kentucky Derby favorite, Essential Quality has been established as the 2-1 morning line choice for Saturday’s 153rd running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. The once-beaten colt will face seven challengers in the final jewel of the Triple Crown. […]
Caveat emptor: the 2021 Belmont Stakes and its resemblance to an older classic
Like snowflakes, no two races are exactly alike. While attempts to draw comparisons between past and present can be tricky business, the composition of the Belmont S. (G1) field on June 5 has the potential […]
Get to know the 2021 Belmont Stakes contenders
After skipping the Kentucky Derby (G1), Rombauer exploded from off the pace to win the Preakness S. (G1) going away at odds of 11.80-1. Now he’s expected to bid for divisional leadership in the June 5 Belmont S. (G1), where several Derby alumni and a few new shooters are likely to pose fresh challenges. […]
Essential Quality, Vequist among 326 nominees for 2021 Triple Crown
The 2021 Triple Crown attracted a total of 326 nominations by the early deadline of Jan. 23, including unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion Essential Quality and his filly counterpart, Vequist. Free Brisnet past performances […]
Best of Hanson: 2020 Anthology
The cessation of racing in most jurisdictions during the darker days of the pandemic last spring afforded me the opportunity to produce a few more historically-oriented features during the course of the year than would […]
Kentucky Derby Report: Tiz the Law solidifies favoritism
Resident Kentucky Derby aficionado James Scully analyzes the Road to the Kentucky Derby! […]
Tiz the Law romps at odds-on in Belmont Stakes
Tiz the Law assumed control leaving the far turn and rolled to an impressive 3 3/4-length victory in the $1 million Belmont Stakes, scoring as the 4-5 favorite in the opening leg of the 2020 Triple Crown. […]