Elegant Horse Pictures and Western Art Blog

Here’s an great story about the California Equine Retirement Foundation that raises money for retired racehorses.  It a very good cause so click here

We have a new section for a lot of breeder’s cup pictures that we have acquired.  This section features pictures of such past winners as Alphabet Soup, Alysheba, Arazi, Favorite Trick, Flanders, and more.  We are still in the process of adding to it and we should have most of the winners going back to 1990 and many from the 1980’s.

Big Brown is now two-thirds of the way there.

He really didn’t have to exert much energy in the Preakness did he?  The fuel that he didn’t use in the Preakness should come in handy in the Belmont Stakes.

He’s obviously a very special talent in a year where there isn’t very much competition. 

I’ll make one prediction-he won’t be as short of a price in the Belmont as he was in the Preakness.  A lot of “wise guys” will be talking about the Japanese import Casino Drive  who is tailor made for the Belmont.  His half-brother, Jazil, won it in 2006 and his half sister, Rags to Riches, won it in 2007.  Talk about great bloodlines!

It should be very interesting.  The anticipation will be great and the TV ratings for ABC will probably go through the roof.  Remember, ABC will televise the race, not NBC.

I’m praying for his health.  As you might know, these creatures are quite fragile.

Don’t forget, I’ve got quite a few Big Brown pictures and art prints available for sale.  I should be getting more from the Preakness very soon 

We now have several Big Brown pictures and art prints from the 2008 Kentucky Derby.   We have pictures of him both pre-race and post-race.

We also have an Eight Belles picture of the filly in the Kentucky Derby post parade before her second place finish and very tragic ending.

It’s EXTREMELY difficult to pick a winner in a Kentucky Derby if you are limited to one selection.  It’s almost impossible this year.  I’m going to pick four horses and then I’m going to try to pick an exacta.  First, here are my throwouts:

Anak Nakal, Big Truck, Z Humor, Cowboy Cal, and Recapturetheglory

I believe that Pyro’s race over the synthetic surface at Keeneland can be excused.  The Arkansas Derby winner has proved to be a very important prep race in the last few years and it appears that horses coming from Oaklawn take to the Churchill Downs course very well.  Therefore, I’m including both Gayego, who has proven his versatility, and Z Fortune, who may be the better of Steve Asmussens two entries (he trains Pyro too).  Finally I’m also going to place the Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John who has a running style that fits this race quite well.  This is a race filled with early speed.  I’m putting those four horses on the top part of my exacta and I’m putting these horses on the bottom half:

Cool Coal Man, Tale of Ekati, Court Vision, Eight Belles, Z Fortune, Visionaire, Pyro, Colonel John, Smooth Air, Bob Black Jack, Monba, Adriano, Denis of Cork, Gayego, and Big Brown

So my exacta ticket will look like this 6, 9, 10, 19 with 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20

One final warning, the filly, Eight Belles, has some great speed figures and her trainer Larry Jones won the Oaks on Friday with Proud Spell.  Jones is a terrific trainer and it would be quite a feat to pull off the Oak/Derby double.  It’s not out of the question.

And don’t forget to check out our robust selection of horse racing art prints 

Longshots ruled at the Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland today which is strange because usually when Todd Pletcher trained horses finish one-two, you normally figure that they will be short priced.

The winner was Monba, who stalked his stablemate, Cowboy Cal, and landed in the winners circle.  Monba was ridden by Edgar Prado and paid $19.60. 

The even money favorite, Pyro, finished a shocking tenth.  Pyro stayed near the back the entire race and never made a move.

See hundreds of horse racing art prints and photographs on our website!

A big day of racing is over and not all went according to form.  A tired War Pass was nailed at the wire by Tale of Ekati under a very nice ride by Edgar Prado.

The Illinois Derby was a huge shocker.  Recapturetheglory took advantage of a big rail bias and scored under jockey ET Baird in what had to be the biggest win of his career.  This horse was aptly named as Louis Roussel, who has been out training business for several years due to health issues, was the winning trainer and he’s back in the limelight once again.

In the Santa Anita Derby Colonel John got a nicely timed ride by Corey Nakatani and came home the winner and defeating Bob Black Jack, who was all over the track.  In my view Colonel John is the most likely of Saturday’s winners to contend in the Kentucky Derby.

Don’t forget to check out our beautiful horse racing art prints. 

We have a new section devoted to the 2007 horse of the year and recent Dubai World Cup winner Curlin.  Curlin also won the Preakness and the Breeders Cup Classic last year so his list of credentials is growing. 

Curlin is also unusual because his owner, Jess Jackson, has elected to race him as a four year old.  In past years, most three year champions are retired to stud duty.

I have a facination with thoroughbred horse’s names and Curlin is named after a slave from Kentucky that fought for the union.

It appears that no one has told the colt about all the turmoil involving his ownership (a couple of his owners are in jail).  It has not affected his performance in the least.  In fact Curlin appears to be getting better and better.

Check out our Curlin Photographs and Pictures section.