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Tickets are now available for the 10TH annual America’s Best Racing (ABR) Pre-Preakness Party. In celebration of the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes, the ABR Pre-Preakness Party is set to be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Mt. Washington Tavern in Baltimore, Maryland.

The focus of the horse racing world in North America hones in on Churchill Downs this week, as contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve arrive to the iconic Louisville track and begin training in preparation for the 151st Derby May 3.

To me, the most important thing you have to learn how to do when it comes to bringing young horses of any breed along is to trust the process. It oftentimes feels like for every step you take forward, you take two or three back. That has definitely been the theme of the last couple months or so for Valobra, aka “Maverick” and me both.

I had major surgery in early February that kept me out of the tack for about six weeks. During that time, I sent Maverick to get some training hoping it would be a good leg up to have us show ready by early May.

Allison Andrews wasn’t actively searching for a second horse, but she often found herself browsing the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program website, just in case something special caught her eye. During one of those casual scrolls, she came across Diamond Bachelor.

A seasoned war horse with a unique facial marking, he stood out from the rest. Diamond Bachelor, aka “Maverick,” raced a total of 62 times in his career and earned over $445,000. He even ran in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Tom Pedulla is interviewing prominent owners, trainers and jockeys as they travel the Road to the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 3 at Churchill Downs. 

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