Athletes amaze fans with remarkable feats beyond imagination, which is a huge part of the allure of sports. Thoroughbred racehorses remind us frequently that on any given day you never know what you might witness at the racetrack.
There should be no mention of the mighty Triple Crown champion Secretariat without pointing to jockey Ron Turcotte as an integral member of a dynamite team.
It might appear from watching replays of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in 1973 as if Turcotte was merely a passenger taken for a wonderful ride by the gleaming colt they called “Big Red.” But Penny Chenery, Secretariat’s owner, knew better.
We are almost two-thirds of the way through the 2025 season and it’s past time to start appreciating the accomplishments of returning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.
West Coast sprinters will get a little added distance Saturday in the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar. The $250,000 stakes did not attract any of the top three finishers from the Grade 1, six-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes on July 26 at Del Mar, creating a competitive field and that should offer wagering value in several starters.
In the only Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race held last weekend, She Feels Pretty delivered as the 0.45-1 favorite in the E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, holding off Diamond Rain by a head.
