THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

Belmont Selections

Race 6: Grade 1 TVG Acorn The TVG Acorn was placed at the front of the Pick 6 sequence, and this would appear to be at least partially due to the presence of  #2 Turbulent Descent.  The daughter of Congrats is 5 for 6 lifetime, losing only to Zazu last

Shackleford Not Rusty in Preakness Victory

“There he is – go up and see him!” These were the words of encouragement I spoke to my wife on Thursday morning at Pimlico when we arrived to see the final Preakness workouts.  ”He”, of course, referred to her favorite 3-yea

Preakness Full Card Selections

It just wouldn’t be Preakness without some picks here at the Aspiring Horseplayer, would it?   Much has happened between the last time I had the opportunity to post and now.  Most significantly, I managed to nail my first Kentucky Derby winner cor

Derby Trail Heats Up – Premier Pegasus and Uncle Mo Romp

With less than two months until the 2011 Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, the 3-year-old thoroughbred division is starting to take shape as we separate the legitimate contenders from the numerous pretenders.  On Saturday racing fans were tre

Ten Memories From Breeders’ Cup 2010

“We sat and heard in silence. What other expression had we that was not meant for such an awful universe of battle?” – Lt Frank Haskell –  Gettysburg, PA – July 3, 1863 It’s hard to believe that the 2010 Breeders’

Saturday Breeders’ Cup Selections

Race 4: The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Similar to yesterday’s card, we start out with a race I don’t have a particularly strong opinion about.  Not a single runner in the entire field has a previous start over the Churchill dirt.  We

Ladies’ Classic – Breeders’ Cup Friday Selections

What’s this?  A new post from The Aspiring Horseplayer on Breeders’ Cup Eve?  Surely your eyes deceive you! Clearly the rumors that I had retired to pursue my dream of chasing scantily clad Sherpa women through a series of increasingly compl

How One Moment Can Captivate a Nation

The story line runs near and dear to any racing fan’s heart.  A sport that has been long cherished and held in high regard around the world struggling to find relevance on the national stage here in the U.S.  Fans of the sport long feeling somewha

The cream rises to the top

Following a turbulent spring in which the 3-year-old division never really sorted itself out the way many of us had hoped – this Saturday provided an opportunity to establish a firm sense of where things stood among the ranks of older females and ma

Belmont State of Mind

“I’m the new Sinatra and since I made it here I can make it anywhere.  Yeah they love me everywhere.” The above statement is contained in the opening lyrics of the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys hit “Empire State of Mind” – which in

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