horse breeding

(Newser) - The people of Dixon in Illinois thought comptroller Rita Crundwell funded her lavish lifestyle through her successful horse-breeding operation. But investigators say she did it by robbing the small city blind. Crundwell, Dixon's finance chief since the early '80s, has been arrested and accused of embezzling more than...

(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...

(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...

(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...