all in Lifestyle

That combination of milk chocolate, caramel, nougat, and peanuts truly is satisfying. So, too, is the way the Snickers bar was named … especially for racehorse fans.

Minnesotan Franklin Clarence Mars developed a passion for candy making as a child when he had a mild case of polio. It was during that time that his mother, Alva, taught him how to hand-dip chocolate, so we owe Alva a debt of gratitude every time we inhale a Milky Way, a packet of M&M’s, or, yes, a Snickers.

The North American racing calendar rolls on into February this upcoming weekend, and the spotlight will fall on Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday,  Feb. 8, as it hosts the first of two prep races for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the Sam F. Davis Stakes.

After 40 years at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., stallion manager Richard Barry is retiring at the end of June. Born in Clondalkin, Ireland, Barry, 67, sat down with BloodHorse to reflect on the four decades he has spent managing some of the most important stallions in the world and talk about what it is like to get to know these incredible equine athletes.

BLOODHORSE: When did you come to America?

There is a new presence at Churchill Downs this week for the 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby, and he is big! In a world where world-class Thoroughbreds are sleek, Monnie Goetz has brought a hearty new pony to the racetrack.

BloodHorse, in partnership with Louisville, Ky.-based radio host Louie Rabaut, will launch a new podcast, BloodHorse Monday, Feb. 3.

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