Free Republic

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has spent millions trying to win the Kentucky Derby, and in the process plowing money into horse racing worldwide. Now with the overwhelming favorite, Dubai’s ruler faces increased scrutiny for allegations that he has violated human rights and orchestrated the disappearance of his own daughter. The controversy, well-known in the Middle East for a more than a year, has gotten renewed attention as Essential Quality prepares for Saturday’s race. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission received a complaint on Wednesday from a group of human rights attorneys and students at the University of Louisville seeking...

Authentic will look to become the 38th horse to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes when he breaks from the No. 9 gate on Saturday at 5:36 p.m. ET from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Twenty-four horses have won only those two races, while 13 others have gone on to win the Triple Crown. With the Triple Crown schedule flipped around, Saturday's 2020 Preakness Stakes marks the third jewel this season after the Belmont Stakes was held in June and the Kentucky Derby ran in September. Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law isn't in the 2020 Preakness Stakes field,...

After several attempts to dwindle down the capacity, the decision has finally been made to hold this year's Kentucky Derby without fans. Churchill Downs made the announcement to reverse course on Friday. It said, in part: "Churchill Downs has worked diligently over the last several months to plan a safe Derby with a limited number of spectators in attendance. We were confident in that plan, but dedicated to remaining flexible using the best and most reliable information available. With the current significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Louisville as well as across the region, we needed to again revisit our...

Justify’s emergence as the only undefeated Triple Crown champion after Seattle Slew and the 13th horse overall to complete the rare sweep went from a feel-good story to one awash in controversy on Sunday. Queens native Mike Repole, co-owner of fourth-place Vino Rosso and last-place Noble Indy in the field of 10, hopes Belmont Park stewards will question jockey Florent Geroux about his handling of Restoring Hope, Justify’s stablemate, for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Just won the Belmont. 13th Triple Crown winner, first undefeated winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

Now the big question: Is Justify going to the White House?

Can Justify win the Triple Crown after taking the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness?The 150th running of the Belmont Stakes is set for Saturday, and a Triple Crown is on the line with Justify coming off wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The race is set to get underway with a post time of 6:37 p.m. ET. Television coverage of the race will be carried by NBC, which begins pre-race coverage at 5 p.m. Further pre-race coverage can be found at NBC Sports from 3 p.m. Online streaming of the race will be handled by NBC Sports or...

If the strapping chestnut colt Justify wins the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become just the 13th horse in history to claim horse racing’s Triple Crown, two of the three groups that have an ownership stake in the horse’s breeding rights will be front and center during the celebration. WinStar Farm, one of North America’s leading thoroughbred racing and breeding operations, owns 60 percent of Justify’s breeding rights. China Horse Club owns 25 percent. A third group, a secretive entity that holds the remaining 15 percent, will remain out of the spotlight because it vigorously avoids any public attention. It...

Penny Chenery, who took over her father’s thoroughbred farm with little knowledge of horse racing and became one of the few prominent women in the sport as the owner and breeder of Secretariat, perhaps the fastest horse who ever raced, died on Saturday at her home in Boulder, Colo. She was 95. Her death was announced by her family. When Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes in 1973, capturing the Belmont by an astounding 31 lengths, he was a national celebrity. He appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated and attracted thousands...

American Pharoah will run in the Breeders Cup Classic. He will retire after the race. Should he prevail today - He will be the only horse ever to win the Triple Crown and the BC classic.

1./ American Pharoah 3/C L Victor Espinoza 126 Bob Baffert 4/5 2./ Dortmund 3/C L Martin Garcia 126 Bob Baffert 7/2 3./ Mr Z. 3/C L Corey Nakatani 126 D. Wayne Lukas 20/1 4./ Danzig Moon 3/C L Julien Leparoux 126 Mark Casse 15/1 5./ Tale of Verve 3/C L Joel Rosario 126 Dallas Stewart 30/1 6./ Bodhisattva 3/C L Trevor McCarthy 126 Jose Corrales 20/1 7./ Divining Rod 3/C L Javier Castellano 126 Arnaud Delacour 12/1 8./ Firing Line 3/C L Gary Stevens 126 Simon Callaghan 4/1

ELMONT, New York - American Pharoah entered the pantheon of US thoroughbred racing's all-time greats by winning the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become the first horse to capture the coveted Triple Crown in nearly four decades. In winning his seventh straight race, American Pharoah becomes the 12th horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes and the first since Affirmed in 1978. According to JTA, a win was a triumphant stand for Ahmed Zayat, an Orthodox Jew from Egypt who has become one of the biggest forces in horse racing but has mostly tasted bitter defeat...

It looks as though President Obama found some time to take the Triple Crown before going on to win the NBA Finals, at least according to his former senior adviser, Dan Pfeiffer. Dan Pfeiffer ‎@danpfeiffer Another accomplishment -- Obama first President to have a Triple Crown winner since Carter Astounding. A nation thanks you. Reality check, please.

As American Pharoah came out of the far turn and squared his shoulders to let his rider, Victor Espinoza, stare down the long withering stretch of Belmont Park, a sense of inevitability surged through this mammoth old grandstand. The fans in a capacity crowd strained on their tiptoes and let out a roar from deep in their souls. It was going to end, finally — this 37-year search for a great racehorse. No, a battered old sport was looking for an immortal thoroughbred, one worthy to stand alongside Sir Barton and Assault, War Admiral and Whirlaway, Count Fleet and Citation,...

Like Any Great Athlete, Triple Crown Hopeful Has His Peculiarities ___ Like a lot of athletes, American Pharoah has his quirks. The brown colt is easy to pick out on the racetrack: he’s the one with the shortest tail. American Pharoah will try to become horse racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner and first since Affirmed in 1978 when he runs in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. California Chrome failed in his bid last year. Trainer Bob Baffert describes the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner as “a really kind, sweet horse.” That’s an unusual temperament among racehorses, most of which are...

American Pharoah became the first horse in over three decades Saturday to earn the Triple Crown, placing 1st in the Belmont Stakes after winning the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby earlier in the season. In one of the sporting world's rarest feats, the bay colt with the unusually short tail defeated seven rivals in the grueling 1 1/2-mile race, covering the distance in 2:26.65 to end the longest stretch without a Triple Crown champion in history. American Pharoah is the 12th horse and first since Affirmed in 1978 to win three races on different tracks at varying distances over a...

American Pharoah accomplished one of the rare feats in sport Saturday, becoming the first horse in 37 years and just the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown. Related Stories Favored American Pharoah draws fifth post for Belmont AFP The Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing, explained SB Nation 'Pharoah' takes on history in Triple Crown bid at Belmont AFP Distance, rivals challenge American Pharoah's Triple try The Associated Press Belmont Stakes 2015 schedule: American Pharoah races for history SB Nation The heavily favored colt completed the quest by running away from seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes, three weeks...

Wow. Flat-out, nearly wire to wire. What a runner.

Scheduled race time: 6:50pm (ET)