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Racing Hall of Fame member Cigar, whose 16-race win streak from 1994-96 included victories in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), died at age 24 Oct. 7 at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington. Cigar, who died from complications following surgery for severe osteoarthritis in his neck, had resided at the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Champions since 1999. In all, the son of Palace Music—Solar Slew, by Seattle Slew, won 15 stakes including 11 grade/group I scores. Cigar earned Horse of the Year honors in 1995 and 1996, and was named champion older...

Doug O’Neill has been the face of horse racing for the better part of two months... On this day, O’Neill was just a regular horseplayer all excited about cashing a Kentucky Derby future-book ticket. Okay, so he wasn’t a typical bettor, as he was holding the only 200-1 ticket on I’ll Have Another bought at the Buffalo Bill’s race book, but since he was clean-shaven, he could have walked in incognito if the three Vegas sports reporters waiting for him hadn’t been tipped off to his arrival. O’Neill’s $100 ticket was bought at 4:48 p.m. Pacific on Feb. 3, the...

The Maryland Racing Commission voted Tuesday in a special hearing at Laurel Park that 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who set records that still stand at the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and the Belmont States (gr. I), also set the record in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico 39 years ago. In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the official time of the Preakness was changed from 1:54 2/5 to 1:53. Secretariat is one of 11 Triple Crown winners. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/70679/secretariats-preakness-time-a-record

With Union Rags going down in the Florida Derby (gr. I) last weekend, there is room for a new No. 1 on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) trail. Perhaps it will come from one of the main contenders in the $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial (gr. I) April 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Either Withers (gr. III) winner Alpha or the undefeated Gemologist could lay claim to the top spot if they were to impressively win on Saturday, and those two will lead a field of eight in the 1 1/8-mile race....

Trainer Bob Baffert was released from a Dubai Hospital March 29, three days after suffering a heart attack following his arrival in the United Arab Emirates to manage his horses for the World Cup. Baffert, 59, is expected to attend the races March 31 at Meydan Racecourse. He has two starters on the program, Game On Dude in the $10 million World Cup (UAE-I) and The Factor in the $2 million Golden Shaheen (UAE-I). At 1:39 p.m. in Dubai, Baffert put out a statement on Twitter: "Just released from hospital. Going to my hotel and relax with my family. Glad...

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had a heart attack early March 26 while in Dubai, where he was preparing to run Game On Dude and The Factor in Dubai World Cup races March 31. Baffert’s assistant, Jim Barnes, said from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., that Baffert was “doing very good” after having three stents inserted in two arteries. Barnes said he had spoken to the trainer’s wife, Jill, who had accompanied her husband to the Middle East, along with their young son, Bode. Barnes said Jill Baffert told him the procedure went well, and “everything should be...

The cast for the $1-million Preakness Stakes (G1) is finally fully assembled as a trio of classic aspirants, including Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Animal Kingdom, arrived at the Pimlico Race Course stakes barn early Saturday morning. The crowd began arriving shortly thereafter and all were greeted by Sunny skies and a cool breeze, foreshadowing what could be one of the nicest days of weather a big event in American racing in years. Animal Kingdom shipped southwest from trainer H. Graham Motion’s base at Fair Hill Training Center at 5:32 a.m. EDT and arrived in Baltimore at...

Toby's Corner, who upset juvenile champion Uncle Mo in the Resorts Casino New York Wood Memorial (gr. I), has been withdrawn from the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Late on May 2, Motion noticed the colt was off in his left rear and Toby's Corner was sent to New Bolton Center in West Chester, Pa., to be examined. The colt spent the night at New Bolton and all the tests proved negative. He returned to Motion's farm near Fair Hill earlier May 3. Officials at Churchill Downs said May 3 that additional details would be...

The $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) was shaping up to be the most intriguing Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) prep of the season anyway. With speedball Flashpoint now involved, it has become a must-watch race for all those handicapping the Triple Crown. Dazzling Hutcheson (gr. II) winner Flashpoint and four of the top Kentucky Derby contenders are among a field of eight that was drawn for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby. The April 3 event at Gulfstream Park is the feature on a 12-race card with a probable post time of 5:42 p.m. EDT. Despite drawing...

I now have an M-1 carbine and have some questions. Maybe someone here can help me? It has the bayonet lug so I assume that means it was refurbished after the war. Some of my questions...how does one remove the upper stock? Is there a serial number on the barrel under the upper? How does one remove the rear sight? It covers the manufacturer's name.

In just two races, The Factor has blazed his way to a place among the most exciting three-year-olds in the nation. The Rebel Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park will be a crucial step in determining how far his talent will take him in horse racing. The War Front colt’s trainer, Bob Baffert, will look to Oaklawn for the second straight year as a proving ground for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Last February, Baffert sent a horse to Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the first time since 2001, and he may have wondered what took him...

The purse for this year’s renamed Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial (gr. I) has been increased to $1 million through a presenting sponsorship from Resorts World New York to the New York Racing Association, both parties announced March 17. “We are honored to be a part of this historic r ace that has been a staple of Queens for decades,” said Mike Speller, president of Genting New York. “From the beginning, one of our goals in building the new casino facility at Aqueduct has been to strengthen and support New York’s storied horse racing industry. Through this partnership...

Add one more (unofficial) victory to Uncle Mo’s sparkling ledger: he made it to Point B, the chance to pick up the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) trail on Saturday in the Timely Writer Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The bridge from two to three is not without peril—Uncle Mo is the 27th winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and four of his predecessors exited the Kentucky Derby hunt before their initial races at three, including Macho Uno, Vindication, and Midshipman since 2001. Trainer Todd Pletcher has been working with a fairly tight calendar since Uncle Mo returned...

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to winning the Kentucky Derby, suddenly less has become more. Three of the last four winners, Street Sense in 2007, Big Brown in 2008, and Super Saver last year came into the Derby with only two preps as 3-year-olds under their belts. And if all goes according to plan, the two current favorites for the 2011 Derby, Uncle Mo and To Honor and Serve, will take the same route with only two starts on their itineraries between now and May 7. To Honor and Serve will have the first of his two Derby...

Owners Jerry and Ann Moss will send their Horse of the Year Zenyatta to young stallion Bernardini in 2011. A son of two-time leading sire A.P. Indy , Bernardini was champion 3-year-old male in 2006. In 2010, with his first crop to race, Bernardini was the leading freshman sire by number of graded/group winners and by number of stakes winners. He sired a grade I winner in A Z Warrior and Italian group I winner Biondetti. Bernardini is out of grade I winner Cara Rafaela, by Quiet American , and stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley near Lexington. Zenyatta (Street Cry—Vertigineux,...

Zenyatta, the daughter of Street Cry who sustained her only loss in 20 starts when second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), was honored Jan. 17 as North America’s Horse of the Year for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. The winner, announced during the Eclipse Awards dinner, received 128 first-place votes, edging out Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame , who received 102 votes. The third finalist for Horse of the Year honors, Goldikova, received five votes. There was one abstention and two no votes. Moss congratulated the connections of Blame, noting “Blame is a wonderful...

Please forgive the vanity, but I am relatively new to shooting handguns. Sort of inherited some ammo- Federal 38 Spc Hi-power. 158 grain lead bullet. Hate to sound stupid, but here's my question-is this ammo I should use at the range, or something I should use for home/self defense?

The Greensboro Coliseum is now home to three of Mike Krzyzewski's landmark moments in his fabulous career. The venerable building is where Krzyzewski first squared off against Dean Smith, in 1980 in just the third game of his Duke career in the first round of the extinct Big Four Classic, which pitted the four ACC teams from North Carolina in a tournament every December before conference play began. It's where Krzyzewski's Blue Devils sent their first salvo to the rest of the vaunted ACC when they knocked off Michael Jordan and top-ranked North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals in...

We spent many weekends at my grandparents’ house when I was growing up and somewhere along the way, the ritual of watching the Kentucky Derby evolved. Grandpa and I would sit together in front of the television that first Saturday in May and talk about the runners. Then we would each choose a favorite and explain the reasons for our choices. Grandpa usually made his selection based on bloodlines. And so it was I learned about Man O’ War, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Gallant Fox, Count Fleet, Whirlaway, Stymie, Citation, Nashua and Assault, as well as entertaining stories about Will Harbut,...

Zenyatta's history-making winning streak ends by a nose to Blame in a thrilling $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) (VIDEO) under the lights at Churchill Downs Nov. 6. Blame is a homebred son of Arch for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider. “To be filled with anticipation and see it come through is a feeling can’t describe,” said Seth Hancock, president of Claiborne Farm, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. With the Classic, Blame won his third grade I race of the year. Earlier he won the Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap, and he finished second in the...