Author: Derek Simon

A race-by-race look at Triple Crown champion Justify’s brilliant, albeit short, career, with video footage from his wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Derek Simon Derek Simon is the Senior Editor and …

Yesterday, I published a piece by my colleague Michael Cox entitled “Does Triple Crown Winner Justify Have a Weight Problem?” Right after I posted it, I sent Michael the following message: I think you might …

Racing’s summer hot spots — Del Mar and Saratoga — are now up and running and both have great races slated for this weekend, including Sunday’s Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) at Saratoga, which lured …

OK, so here’s the deal: When I picked the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) to be the US Racing Race of the Week, I did so based solely on name recognition. I mean, this is …

As it typically does, the Oceanside Stakes drew a full field on opening day at Del Mar on Wednesday. Here is a look at the main contenders: 2-TEXAS WEDGE (9-2) has met the Brisnet speed …

Saturday’s Delaware Park card appears to be loaded with value — and I especially like the two graded stakes races. In the eighth race, the Kent Stakes (G3) for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on …

I witnessed a robbery yesterday. Not the kind involving weapons or ski masks or a W-4 form, but a robbery nonetheless. It occurred in the sixth race at Thistledown, where the horse that crossed the …

There are several great races on tap for Saturday, including the Stars & Stripes Festival at Belmont Park, featuring two Grade I turf affairs for 3-year-olds, the Delaware Oaks (G3) at Delaware Park and four …

Belmont Park will be the focus for many racing fans and horseplayers this weekend, as the Stars & Stripes Festival takes place on Saturday. The 11-race card is headlined by two Grade I events — …

Among the great things about sports is that they allow us to rise above, or at least ignore temporarily, our present circumstances. In 1995, I was newly single (I suggested to my girlfriend at the …

When I used to go to the races as a kid, I followed the same pattern. I’d get a program to supplement a tattered and marked-up edition of the Daily Racing Form, find a comfortable …

Although the Bashford Manor (G3) is the feature race at Churchill Downs on Saturday, I was drawn to the Debutante, which is the seventh race on the closing-day card and features a field of eight …

Saturday’s card at Monmouth Park features three graded stakes races, including the Philip H. Iselin (G3) for three-year-olds and upward racing 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the Eatontown Stakes (G3), a 1 1/16-mile …

I hate excuses. In fact, one of the things that makes playing the ponies so appealing to me is that bad luck is irrelevant. Sure, one can whine and complain that their horse missed the …

Santa Anita Park’s feature race on Saturday is the San Carlos Stakes (G2), a seven-furlong affair for 3-year-olds and upward that lured American Anthem. The Bob Baffert trainee, who was once among the favorites for …