Legends of the Track: 'Warrior' Shiskin Passes Away, Tour Punchestown Racecourse, home of tomorrow's 2024 Punchestown Festival, Is Spectacular Bid One of the Greatest Ever? + Free PP's for Parx 6
Legends of the Track: 'Warrior' Shiskin Passes Away, Tour Punchestown Racecourse, home of tomorrow's 2024 Punchestown Festival, Is Spectacular Bid One of the Greatest Ever? + Free PP's for Parx 6
Monday Edition - April 29th, 2024 (Edition 71)
IN TODAY’S EMAIL
The Greatest Kentucky Derby Winners: Is Spectacular Bid One of the Greatest Ever?(USA)
The World’s Greatest Racetracks: Take a Drone tour of Punchestown Racecourse, home of the 2024 Punchestown Festival which kicks off tomorrow (IRE)
Jump Racing News: Racing saddened by death of 'warrior' Shishkin (GB)
The Kentucky Derby: Favored Fierceness Brings Repole World to the Derby (USA)
Podcast of the Day: Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast (USA)
Race of the Day: Free PP’s for Parx - Race 6 (USA)
THE GREATEST KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS
(Photo by Bob Coglianese)
When you ask sports lovers who the great racehorses from the 1970s were, they’ll probably mention three, maybe four horses: the pure power and dominance of Secretariat, the undefeated Triple Crown campaign of Seattle Slew and the unforgettable duels between Affirmed and Alydar.
One horse often forgotten is Spectacular Bid.
Perhaps it’s because his career ran into the 1980s, but it’s most likely because he failed in his bid to win the 1979 Triple Crown. He won the first two legs with relative ease, but a bad ride by his jockey, Ronnie Franklin, coupled with an injury from a safety pin (and yes, there was a safety pin), caused him to finish third in the Belmont Stakes. He did not become the 12th Triple Crown winner.
Most fans, disappointed in the result, quickly forgot about the Bid. And his loss was the beginning of a painful and frustrating Triple Crown drought: It was 37 years before fans saw another horse win all three races.
But are we too quick to dismiss Spectacular Bid? The answer is a resounding yes. I’ll go so far as to say he belongs near the top of the list of the greatest horses of all time. Here’s why.
Read the full article at pastthewire.com
*The content and images featured in this article were originally produced and sourced from the pastthewire.com
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THE WORLD’S GREATEST RACECOURSES
Drone footage of Punchestown Racecourse (IRE)
They’re coming home! The winners, the heroes and the champions return to the home of Irish jump racing tomorrow for the grand finale of what has been a history making season, as the 2024 Punchestown Festival kicks off from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May.
Take a drone trip around Punchestown Racecourse on YouTube
JUMP RACING NEWS
Racing saddened by death of 'warrior' Shishkin (GB)
Nicky Henderson: ‘He was our star and we will never forget him.’
Nicky Henderson has reported the tragic news that his popular stable star Shishkin has died due to an injury suffered at Seven Barrows.
The 10-year-old was due to contest the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.
Shishkin won 14 of his 21 races, including Cheltenham Festival victories in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the following season’s Arkle.
Among his other Grade One triumphs was a memorable defeat of Energumene in the 2022 Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
Read the full article at attheraces.com
THE KENTUCKY DERBY
Favored Fierceness Brings Repole World to the Derby (USA)
Outspoken owner hopes third time is the charm with Derby morning-line favorites.
The least surprising news surrounding the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) is that Mike Repole has contrarian thoughts about the conventional wisdom in horse racing.
If you read the Kentucky Media Guide, it shows that the billionaire owner is 0-for-7 in the Kentucky Derby.
But Repole begs to differ.
"I've had nine Derby horses, either by myself or with partners," the 56-year-old self-made businessman said.
How's that?
"I had seven horses that ran in the Derby and lost and two that were morning-line favorites that were scratched, so I'm 0-for-9, even though I've only run seven times," the Queens, N.Y., native said. "To me, when you scratch the morning-line favorite for the Derby, it's a loss."
Welcome to Repole World.
When last seen a year ago at the 149th Kentucky Derby, Repole was seething over the race day scratch of Forte , the reigning 2-year-old champion he co-owned with Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable, marking the second time in 12 years that Repole's 2-year-old champion failed to run in the famed opening leg of the Triple Crown after being installed as the morning-line favorite.
Read the full article at bloodhorse.com
PODCAST OF THE DAY
Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast (USA)
Jason looks back at the weekend of racing including action from Churchill Downs and Keeneland. He also discusses the Kentucky Derby and Oaks draws as we kick off Derby week coverage.
RACE OF THE DAY
Free PP’s for Parx - Race 6 (USA)
Free past performances for today's race of the day— Parx - Race 6
Classic Horse
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Riders Up!
Best, Steve