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Exploring Famous Racehorse Names and Their Meanings
Scan the entries on a typical racecard and you'll see a wide assortment of ordinary nouns and phrases make up a significant portion of the names Thoroughbreds carry with them throughout their lives.
Features
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: One Horse, Two Women, and a Derby for the Show Me State
Bred by Emma Holt Prather, Elwood came east from California to contest the Kentucky Derby for his owner Lasca Durnell, not only giving Missouri its lone rosy victor but also becoming the first bred and owned by women.
Racing
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Juvenile performances
Since its inaugural running in 1984, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) has produced many impressive winners and exciting editions.
Breeders Cup
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint performances
The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) enjoyed its inaugural running in 2007. In the years since, the race has been a proving ground for the fleetest female racehorses in North America.
Breeders Cup
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile performances
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) is one of the younger Breeders’ Cup races, dating back to 2007. But the past 15 years have produced an impressive roster of winners.
Breeders Cup
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Sprint performances
Over the course of 38 editions, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) has produced a bevy of eye-catching winners. Let’s take a tour through history and rank the Top 10 best Breeders’ Cup Sprint performances.
Breeders Cup
Not Always the First Saturday in May: The Kentucky Derby’s Changing Calendar
Through war, pandemic, and the ever-evolving sport of horse racing, the Run for the Roses has rolled with the punches, finally settling into its familiar place on our calendar.
Racing
Top 10 best racehorses of all time
Ranking the greatest racehorse of all time is an exercise fraught with challenges and subjectivity. But I'm going to give it a try.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Winners of the Kentucky Derby (Venetian Way, 1960)
In 1960, with a Hall of Famer in the saddle, Venetian Way scored his signature victory for his soft-spoken owner and big-dreaming trainer, with his ultimate legacy coming in the form of another historic moment for America’s most famous race.
Racing
Mary Hirsch, father Max Hirsch and Jack Horner (Photo courtesy of Keeneland Library Cook Collection)
She Was the First: Mary Hirsch, No Sir, and the 1937 Kentucky Derby
In the 1930s, as racing grew from coast to coast, more women sought the chance to become a part of the country’s oldest sporting pastime. One of those was Mary Hirsch.
Racing
Royalty and Roses: The Nobility Comes to Churchill Downs
Not only has the Kentucky Derby played to many Thoroughbred kings and queens, but has also attracted its share of royalty to the day’s celebrations, including famed royal equestrienne herself, Queen Elizabeth II.
Racing
Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem Aug. 12, 2024
Jason looks back at Sunday's Longacres Mile and discusses the race and some of its amazing history.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Jet Pilot, 1947)
In a year sandwiched between Triple Crown winners, Jet Pilot capitalized on his good fortune and brought home a rosy victory for his famous owner and Hall of Fame trainer.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Taking a (Long) Shot at Roses
Though the early list for the 1972 Kentucky Derby featured names like Riva Ridge and No Le Hace, as the race grew closer, a maiden named One Eyed Tom grew closer to making his owner’s Derby dreams come true. However, to make his shot at rosy glory a reality, the gelding needed to pass one very important test: the gate test.
Racing
Sprint great Groovy deserving of a Hall of Fame nod
Groovy, arguably the most significant Texas-bred since the days of King Ranch, was a powerhouse. When he was allowed to specialize at what he did best, that is.
Racing
A Battle of Titans: The 1917 Brooklyn Handicap
On June 25, 1917, another memorable clash played out at old Aqueduct Racetrack, as three Kentucky Derby winners and three Hall of Famers made that dirt oval their arena in a historic battle of titans. In this epic saga, the finale yields a surprising twist as these superstars play off each other over nine furlongs on the Gotham stage.
Racing
2024 Belmont Stakes: Dornoch, Mage join club of U.S. classic-winning siblings
Dornoch, a full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) star Mage, put their dam, Puca, in rare company by taking the Belmont (G1).
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Watch Out!
The maiden colt Great Redeemer became a part of Derby history thanks to his unconventional connections and inauspicious Run for the Roses, including a close call of the photographic kind.
Racing
Mystik Dan inspires a look at the closest finishes in Kentucky Derby history
Mystik Dan’s victory in a three-way finish in Saturday’s 150th Kentucky Derby (G1), with Sierra Leone and Forever Young noses apart, immediately posed the question...
Racing
Top 10 fastest Kentucky Derby times in history
From a legendary Triple Crown winner to a high-priced yearling who stole the heart of a Japanese racing enthusiast, here are the 10 horses with the fastest winning times in Kentucky Derby history.
Racing
The 10 best Kentucky Derby winners of all time
The greatest Kentucky Derby winners didn’t just run the race of their lives as three-year-olds on the first Saturday in May. They built resumes, often as older horses, that stand the test of time.
Kentucky Derby
150 years of Kentucky Derby winners: 1975-2023
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
150 years of Kentucky Derby Winners: 1925-1974
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
150 years of Kentucky Derby winners throughout the years: 1875-1924
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results.
Racing
Kentucky Derby dynasties: Visualizing today's most successful bloodlines
The 150-year history of the Kentucky Derby is more than written records, photographs, crackly old broadcasts, race replays, and personal memories.
Kentucky Derby
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Worth, 1912)
In Louisville, the big show went on as racing fans once again celebrated another Kentucky Derby, its victor a champion colt whose brief time on the racetrack left the sport wondering “what if?”
Racing
Five of the biggest shocks in Kentucky Derby history
Unlike games of chance that you might encounter in a casino, the result of a Thoroughbred horse race is far from a random outcome event. That’s not to say that there aren’t inexplicable surprises from time to time. In its century and a half of longevity, the Kentucky Derby has seen its share.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: A Memorable Absence
In 1951, though, the black-and-white photo of Count Turf, flanked by his owner and others, is missing an important face, making this particular Derby one to remember for one unfortunate reason.
Racing
Best of Hanson: 2023 Anthology
In a break from recent years, the historically themed pieces I wrote during 2023 were all published at TwinSpires.com. Therefore, it makes sense that my ninth annual anthology would be available on the TwinSpires Edge, too.
Racing
Late Bloomer, Bowl Game underrated stars of the Super 70s
For a racing fan in 1970s America, it was an era of indulgence and pure gluttony. Roughly two dozen Hall of Fame inductees made their mark on the flat during those 10 illustrious seasons, and that doesn’t even begin to count many other talents whose exploits have receded more rapidly from the collective memory.
Racing
The Churchill Downs match still in doubt after a century
Match racing in the United States has a spotty history, but one of the few that (mostly) lived up to the hype occurred 100 years ago this week at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: The Ups and Downs of Tango Shandy
The slip of a saddle at an inopportune time, like the middle of the Dubai World Cup in the case of California Chrome, can become a challenge even greater than the 1,000-pound animals running alongside. In one particular jump race nearly 40 years ago, a slip of a saddle and the question of a foot caused a horse, his rider, and his trainer enough consternation to last a lifetime.
Racing
Dubai World Cup winners in Breeders’ Cup Classic: Close, but no cigar
The relationship between the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) was forged early on, with a pattern set by Hall of Famer Cigar.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: Kingston Goes the Distance
Bred by a Pillar of the Turf in James R. Keene, Kingston’s longevity on the racetrack comes in not only in the number of times he raced but in the wins he accumulated over his nine seasons, his greatness sealed in the record books and the Hall of Fame for all time.
Features
Horsey History in the Tar Heel State: Where Breeding and Racing Have Surprising North Carolina Roots
Though live racing has not been part of the sporting landscape for generations, North Carolina has deep roots in the early history of both Thoroughbred racing and breeding, roots even older than the United States itself.
History
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Ascot winners
A ubiquitous presence at the Royal meeting until the last few years of her life, Elizabeth II enjoyed a fair amount of success at the fixture.
Royal Ascot
A King's Coronation on 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket
While much of the racing world’s attention on Saturday is focused on the Kentucky Derby (G1), earlier in the day, an heir to a centuries-long legacy will be crowned at a venue rich in tradition.
International
Kentucky Derby scratches that changed history
While a comprehensive list of Kentucky Derby scratches since 1875 is not possible, these four withdrawals perhaps were the most significant.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track: I Am Woman, Watch Me Win!
In the first years of the 19th century, Alicia Meynell rode in not one but two match races against a man on an English racecourse, demonstrating that same self-assurance and drive that many a woman, including Annie Oakley, would need in their male-dominated pursuits.
Features
Seabiscuit: 10 interesting facts about the legendary horse
Here are 10 interesting facts about America's favorite equine underdog.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track: And the Winner Is…
Rumor had it that it was not Bend Or who ran down Robert the Devil at Epsom, but a horse named Tadcaster, an accusation of mistaken identity that was resolved more than a century later.
History
The Heart that Wears the Crown: Gallant Fox
Gallant Fox’s victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes were the first to come with the name “Triple Crown,” as those intervening years saw the three races enter the sport’s consciousness with that sobriquet attached.
Triple Crown
Tall Tales of the Track: Sysonby, the (Almost) Unbeatable
A skeleton of a horse once hung in the American Museum of Natural History, the limbs positioned as if in flight.
History
The Heart That Wears the Crown: Sir Barton
Thoroughbreds are fast and powerful athletes and the most elite are the ones whose names become a part of our collective consciousness, but, like familiar faces like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, they were living, breathing beings who interacted with the world around them and left a distinct impression on those who cared for them.
Triple Crown
Tall Tales of the Track: Death Rides Along
The story of the jockey who died in the middle of the race.
History
True Crime in Horse Racing: Shergar, Stallion Lost
This month, we explore the ultimate cold case in horse racing, an international mystery that captivates to this day. Who kidnapped Shergar and why?
Features
A desire to pay off gambling debts may have been behind the tampering with some horses in the 1990s.
True Crime in Horse Racing: Small Sponges, Big Problems
As racetracks wrestled with questions about security and access, everyone from fans to owners grappled with the idea that someone was hurting horses on purpose. Who was harming horses and why?
Features
True Crime in Horse Racing: What Happened to 'Red' McDaniel?
This month, True Crime in Horse Racing looks at the life of this California trainer and the mystery behind his tragic death.
Features
10 things to know about the Breeders' Cup Mile
Inaugurated in 1984 as part of the first Breeders’ Cup gala, the Mile is designed for specialists at the distance. Yet its honor roll includes several champions of a broader range.
Breeders Cup
10 things to know for the Breeders' Cup Turf
One of the original Breeders’ Cup fixtures dating back to the 1984 genesis, the Turf has retained its character as a 1 1/2-mile test.
Breeders Cup
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf: 10 things to know
Established in 1999, the Filly & Mare Turf was the first new race added to the Breeders’ Cup slate since its 1984 inaugural.
Breeders Cup
Breeders' Cup: Top 12 international winners
International competition is an essential element of the Breeders’ Cup, going back to its inaugural in 1984. Here are the 12 best internationals who starred at the World Championships.
Racing
Queen Elizabeth II: A Life with Horses
Among those mourning her passing was the sport of horse racing, who remember Queen Elizabeth for her skills in the saddle, her passion for breeding, and her affinity for the racetrack.
Features
Stories of the Queen's links to New Zealand and Australian racing
Any contact the Queen had with people in the thoroughbred industry in former colonies would be fondly remembered.
International
World's great races named for Queen Elizabeth II
No fewer than five major jurisdictions have international Group 1 races named after Queen Elizabeth II.
International
Flightline evokes memories of all-time greats in Pacific Classic
Flightline’s manner gave a worldwide audience that spine-tingling sensation of watching a performance of historic proportions unfold in real-time.
Racing
What is the greatest Travers Stakes moment?
The Travers S. has been a fixture at Saratoga for more than a century and a half. What is your favorite moment from that illustrious history?
History
The Science of Racing: Vision and Blinkers
The Science of Racing looks at a horse’s vision and how changing the way they see the world around them can affect performance.
Education
True Crime in Horse Racing: Hawthorne on Fire
When a devastating fire hit Hawthorne in 1978, attention immediately turned to what – and who – could have caused the blaze and why.
Features
The 10 Best Races in Australia
Here is a look at 10 of the best races in Australia, in chronological order.
History
Jason Beem's Thursday Column for Aug. 11, 2022
Jason discusses this weekend's Longacres Mile and looks back at some of his favorite editions of this race.
Features
After the Racetrack: Kelso Was Brilliant On and Off the Track
This legend sailed into retirement with ease, showing the same consistency and excellence that had earned him a place in the sport’s Hall of Fame.
Racing
True Crime in Horse Racing: A Deadly Night Out
For Triple Crown winning jockey Willie Saunders, the trappings of fame led to a night out gone tragically awry, leaving a woman dead and his life forever changed.
Racing
The Science of Horse Racing: The Photo Finish Camera
Learn more about this essential piece of racetrack equipment, from the pioneers working with single-exposure cameras and film baths to a filmmaker who developed the system we know today.
Racing
Secret Oath follows historic hoofsteps as filly in Preakness
The Preakness (G1) media guide lists six female winners from a total of 55 fillies who took on males in the classic.
Racing
True Crime in Horse Racing: Phar Lap
Since his sudden death in 1932, Australian champion Phar Lap has remained ingrained in the consciousness of the sport, both in his native land and here in North America.
Features
The ultimate Preakness Stakes quiz
How much do you truly know about the history of the Preakness Stakes? Take this quiz and find out!
Racing
Remembering the Run for the Roses: longtime attendee looks back on his best Derby memories
Charles VanDyne has attended approximately 60 editions of the Kentucky Derby. The still-practicing attorney from Ada, Ohio, who has been in his present office for 66 years, is proud to say he is 91 years old.
Racing
True Crime in Horse Racing: The Curious Case of the Missing Mare
Shergar's kidnapping is shocking but not unprecedented: a similar crime happened nearly six years earlier, when Canadian champion Fanfreluche was stolen from her paddock at Claiborne Farm.
Racing
True Crime in Horse Racing: The Real Peaky Blinders
Whether they were bribing authorities or intimidating bookmakers, gangsters like the Shelby brothers of Peaky Blinders made the racetrack a dicey place to be for several decades.
Features
Kentucky Derby Flashback: 2007 with Street Sense, Hard Spun, Curlin [VIDEO]
Kentucky Derby Flashback 2007 Street Sense, Hard Spun, Curlin and The Queen.
Racing
Racing
Secretariat's 10 Best Broodmares
Here are 10 of Secretariat’s best broodmares, including two names that you will find in the bloodlines of two more recent champions.
Racing
The Science of Horse Racing: The Stride
Let’s look at the particulars of the stride and how horses move at each gait.
Racing
True Crime in Horse Racing: The Notorious Life of Arnold Rothstein
From baseball to horse racing, Arnold Rothstein played a role in some of the more dubious sports moments of the early 20th century.
Racing
Secretariat's Top 10 Foals
The measuring stick for a great thoroughbred is not just their performances on the track, but also their ability to pass those talents on to the next generation.
Racing
Who is the greatest Phoenix Stakes winner?
The Phoenix S. has the longest history of any stakes race in the United States. But who is its greatest winner?
History
What is the History of entering a horse into a horse race?
The roots of racing in medieval England were planted when horses for sale were ridden in competition to demonstrate their speed to potential buyers.
History
The 10 best horses beaten by Secretariat
Secretariat's achievements are enhanced because he defeated these 10 star horses.
Racing
Letruska among 5 of the best horses to win in Mexico
Letruska is among the five best horses ever to win a stakes in Mexico. What makes Letruska's path toward stardom so interesting, and unique?
Racing
Scully: 10 Travers that stand out
The $1.25 million Travers S. is Saturday, and James Scully has compiled a list of his 10 favorite editions
Racing
Who is the greatest Queen's Plate winner?
The Queen's Plate has an illustrious history. But who is its best winner?
History
Singularly Meritorious: Purple Hearts of Horse Racing
General George Washington wanted something simple for the men serving with him in the Continental Army. He sought a way to recognize “any singularly meritorious action” by a soldier, an insignia that rewarded loyalty and valor and encouraged others to the same. With that in mind, on August 7, 1782, Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, a purple heart-shaped patch to be displayed on a recipient’s uniform. Nearly a century and a half later, another legendary general, Douglas MacArthur, took a cue from our first President and revived this award in 1932, calling it the Purple Heart.
Racing
One Hundred Years Ago, Colonel Bradley Goes for the One-Two
A century ago, the Kentucky Derby was blossoming into the Run for the Roses, America’s most famous horse race. Names now iconic in Derby history contributed to its growing popularity, these humans and horses synonymous with cascading blankets of roses and icy cups of mint juleps: Regret and Exterminator, Harry Payne Whitney and Colonel Matt Winn. In the 1920s and 1930s, another Kentucky colonel added his name to that list, Edward Riley Bradley.
Kentucky Derby
Some Things Stay the Same: One Hundred Days, One Hundred Years Ago
A century ago, January 21st saw racing in the midst of its yearly changing of the guard, the champions of 1920 giving way to their successors.
Racing
What is the History of the Word Handicapping?
Would you believe that the word "handicapping" actually originated from a bar game?
Education
What is the History of the Word Betting?
Betting was formally introduced into history by tracing back to both Ancient China and Ancient Greece.
Education
What is the History of Simulcasting?
Coined in the 1940’s, the term "simulcast" is a combination of the words "simultaneous" and "broadcast."
Education
What is the History of Wagering?
The word “wager” traces back to the 14th century Middle English term “wageure,” which means to make a solemn pledge or vow. Wager has since evolved to refer to betting.
Education
1945 - When the Kentucky Derby moved from May to June by Vance Hanson
When the Kentucky Derby ran in June. 1945 proved a record season for Thoroughbred racing with nearly $1.4 billion wagered following the lifting of the ban.
Racing
Phenom to Journeyman: The Riding Life of Bill Boland
For almost seven decades, Bill Boland has been able to call himself a winner of the Kentucky Derby. The Hall of Fame jockey recently looked back on his career and his stories are priceless.
Racing
LONGFORM: The Story of Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince: The leading lights of this generation of colts were also to a large extent an aristocratic one -- conceived of the best blood...
History
What are Zenyatta's Best Career Races?
Zenyatta finished with a career record of 19 and 1 out of 20 races. Her only second place finish was to Blame in the 2010 Breeders Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.
Racing
History is against Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Classic
Beholder will be going for a history-making win when starting in the 32nd Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland on October 31.
If the Henny Hughes mare breaks from the gate, she’ll become just the sixth distaffer to even compete in the 1 1/4-m ...
Breeders Cup
Among the Giant's killers, Beau Purple was best
Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who died this week at 85, is best remembered for defeating great champions rather than training them. Indeed, only one in his plethora of stakes winners – Sky Beauty in 1994 – ever topped a year-end poll as divisio ...
Racing
Genesis of a Triple Crown drought: Spectacular Bid & the 1979 Belmont Stakes
The 36-year streak of Triple Crown futility dates back to unquestionably one of the greatest racers in history, the mighty Spectacular Bid.
Coming into the 1979 Belmont Stakes, the Triple Crown had been captured three different times in the last s ...
Racing
POPULAR ARTICLES
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: One Horse, Two Women, and a Derby for the Show Me State
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Juvenile performances
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint performances
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile performances
History's Top 10 Breeders' Cup Sprint performances
VIDEOS
LATEST