Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Malaysia Busts 80+ Lovers in Valentine's Day Raids Muslims face up to two years in jail »

NEWS ABOUT: horse racing

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Switch to grid view »

Belmont Horses 9-1-1 Win on 9/11

Track has weird coincidence on anniversary

(Newser) - Go figure: Horses wearing the numbers 9, 1, and 1 won the first three races at Belmont Park on the anniversary of 9/11, reports the New York Post . “The odds were probably about a million to one,” says the trainer at the stable that owns the first two... More »

No Triple Crown: Shackleford Wins Preakness

Animal Kingdom comes up short after late charge

(AP) - No Triple Crown again this year: Shackleford won today's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. He fended off a late charge by Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, who finished just a half-length behind, ahead of third-place finisher Astrology. Shackleford also ran in the Derby, but he finished fourth after leading most... More »

Animal Kingdom Wins Kentucky Derby

Nehro is second and Mucho Macho Man third

(AP) - Animal Kingdom sped past the leaders in the turn at Churchill Downs today and roared down the middle of the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby. Jockey John Velazquez guided the 3-year-old colt, who finished ahead of Nehro and Mucho Macho Man. Favorite Dialed In was never a factor. More »

Female Jockey Aims for History at Derby

Rosie Napravnik is sixth woman to ride in Kentucky Derby

(Newser) - New Jersey native Rosie Napravnik hopes to make a little history today by becoming the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. She heads into the day with 20-1 odds aboard Pants on Fire, reports the Star-Ledger in a profile. Napravnik, 23, will be the sixth woman to ride... More »

Kentucky Derby: Root for the Horse With No Balls

Comma To The Top is the people's champion

(Newser) - Looking for a rooting interest at Sunday’s Kentucky Derby? Well, you should be cheering for Comma To The Top, argues Edward McClelland of Slate , for one simple reason: "He can’t produce sperm." Which means he’ll be able to race for another three years. “If... More »

No Happy Trails for Kentucky Derby Horses

The way we treat thoroughbreds is a disgrace, says Marlene Fanta Shyer

(Newser) - You might imagine that the horses who run in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby live lives of "pampered luxury." But you’d be wrong, writes Marlene Fanta Shyer in the Christian Science Monitor . “The truth is often closer to years of abuse and a brutal end at a... More »

Kentucky Derby Caller Quits, Cites Crippling Anxiety

Diet, prayer, breathing, going to a shrink didn't do the trick for Tom Durkin

(Newser) - "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" turned out to be the most hellish for the man who has been tasked with calling the race 13 times. Tom Durkin's annual preparation went well beyond poring over photos of horses and flash cards and toting around a notebook containing more... More »

Brit Racetrack First to Ban Whipping

Officials cite animal welfare concerns

(Newser) - The whip is on the way out at Britain's Towcester racecourse. Bosses at the course, one of the country's toughest, will require riders to stick to the "head and heels" system, in which the whip can only be used for steering. "It is the Towcester board’... More »

Struggling Charity Leaves Ex-Racehorses Starving

Some horses put down as foundation falls behind in payments

(Newser) - One of the world’s top charities supporting retired racehorses has fallen far behind in payments to support the horses, leaving scores of the creatures malnourished, starving, or dead; at least two have had to be put down, the New York Times reports. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in upstate New... More »

Did Sarah Palin Get a Boob Job?

Tipster reports former Alaskan governor sporting 'instant boobage!'

(Newser) - The rumor comes from Wonkette's Facebook page , but it never had a chance of staying there: Sarah Palin may or may not have gotten breast implants. The tipster is a woman, and "women seem to keep very careful mental records about such things," Ken Layne writes . "And... More »

Derby, Preakness Champs Will Skip the Belmont

Super Saver, Lookin at Lucky will sit out third leg of Triple Crown

(Newser) - The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners will not run in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the June 5 Belmont Stakes, their trainers said today. Lookin at Lucky's victory in yesterday's Preakness made 2011 the 32nd straight year without a Triple Crown winner, notes USA Today . It also took... More »

Lookin At Lucky Wins Preakness (Over First Dude)

Derby winner Super Saver didn't finish in the money

(Newser) - The Triple Crown will go unclaimed for another year. Lookin at Lucky won the Preakness today, denying Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (who didn't finish in the money) a shot at the honor. Jockey Martin Garcia guided Lookin at Lucky down the stretch to a close victory over First Dude... More »

Super Saver Wins Muddy Kentucky Derby

Jockey Calvin Borel wins back-to-back races

(AP) - Jockey Calvin Borel steered Super Saver through the mud to win his second straight Kentucky Derby and third in four years. The win ended trainer Todd Pletcher's 0-for-24 Derby drought. Borel put him in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs with a perfect ride along the rail and through the... More »

Rain Cancels Derby Workouts

Race expected to go on, just soggier

(AP) - Heavy rain has postponed early morning workouts at Churchill Downs, where all 20 Kentucky Derby horses are still expected to start. Most turf races were being moved to the main dirt track today, at least until late in the day. That sparked numerous scratches in minor races. Kentucky state veterinarian... More »

Derby's Forgotten Legacy: Black Jockeys

They once ruled the sport, until Jim Crow came along

(Newser) - When the Kentucky Derby gets under way today, not one black jockey will be in the race. Which isn't exactly news. But consider this: For the first Derby, in 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were black. In fact, black jockeys—the first were slaves—thoroughly dominated the sport through... More »

Horse Racing Bubble Has Burst

Economy leaves Kentucky on losing end of bet

(Newser) - The Kentucky Derby is fast approaching, and normally that would mean a flurry of horses being purchased for generally outrageous sums. But not this year. Lending for horse racing has plummeted to $400 million this year, down from roughly $1 billion in 2007, and stud fees are way down, thanks... More »

Speed Gene Helps Horse Breeders Hedge Bets

Blood test shows proclivity for maximum speed or stamina

(Newser) - Sounds like a breeder's dream: Researchers in Dublin say they've identified a speed gene, with variations that predict whether a racehorse is better suited for short-distance sprints or longer tests of stamina. Comparing the genetic codes of 179 winners with their track records, they identified three variants of the myostatin... More »

Bookie Forgets Bet, Threatens to Kill Horse

Gambler panicked, tried to keep thoroughbred from race

(Newser) - A UK bookie was convicted yesterday of threatening to kill one of the world’s top racing horses in a desperate attempt to make up for a bet he’d forgotten to place for his high roller clients. Self-professed gambling addict Andrew Rodgerson’s job was to place bets for... More »

UK Man Busted in Teen Jockeys' Arson Deaths

Man held in tragedy that shocked the racing world

(Newser) - British police investigating the deaths of two promising young jockeys in a fire have arrested a man on suspicion of arson. Irish jockey Jamie Kyne, 18, died along with Jan Wilson, a Scottish 19-year-old, when fire ripped through an apartment complex housing young riders in September, the Independent reports. More »

For Owners, Horse Racing a Sure Bet (to Lose)

The ponies are a labor of love with small stakes, high costs

(Newser) - Thoroughbred racehorses aren’t cheap to buy—and then you have to house them, feed them, pay the vet, the trainer, the jockey, etc. And if you actually intend to make money, they have to win. And even then, since most horses never make the elite high-stakes races, owners have... More »

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne