Relive our Top 20 most popular stories from the last 12 months listed by numbers of views at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.
1. Breeders’ Cup miracle: the tearjerking story of the racehorse and the boy who wished upon a star, by Steve Dennis
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Cody’s Wish landed the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2022 – with his teenage pal Cody Dorman, confined to a wheelchair owing to a rare genetic condition, on hand at Keeneland. Read the story here – plus Steve Dennis’s interview with Cody’s father Kelly and his moving tribute to Cody Dorman after his tragic passing following this year’s Breeders’ Cup.
2. ‘It’s pretty dangerous’ – Chantal Sutherland ‘gun-shy’ of Gulfstream geese after freak injury, by Jon Lees
A news story from May in which the top female jockey expressed fears about riding at Gulfstream Park – unless the track finds a solution to the wandering geese which she blamed for a nasty injury. Read the story here – and here is Chantal’s thought-provoking entry in our What They’re Thinking series.
3. The world’s ten most expensive sires for 2023, by Nancy Sexton
Our annual round-up of the stallions who command the highest fees on the planet – with a couple of new entries in the Top Ten for 2023. Read the story here
4. Eureka moment: Secretariat’s son Maritime Traveler is a welcome surprise, by Patricia McQueen
Patricia McQueen’s tireless pursuit of Secretariat’s progeny unearthed a new name last year in the shape of a 33-year-old retired former teaser at Bridlewood Farm in Florida. Read the story here – and Patricia visited the last of the family line again towards the end of 2023. Story here
5. ‘Tough to swallow … local stables were shut out stone cold’ – Jay Hovdey examines the West Coast whitewash at the Breeders’ Cup
With only two second-place finishers in 14 races, any supposed home ground advantage counted for nothing in California – so what went wrong at Santa Anita? Read Jay Hovdey’s View from the Rail column here
6. ‘In the end, the bad outweighed the good’ – jockey Jack Gilligan reflects on life in the US as he returns to Newmarket, by Graham Dench
Interview with jockey trying to rebuild his career in Britain after nearly a decade in America, where he rode more than 400 winners – and saw both positive and negative aspects to the Stateside version of the sport. Read the story here
7. Who’s the daddy? Top ten greatest sires of the last 100 years, by Nancy Sexton
A magisterial two-parter featuring the likes of Northern Dancer, Nearco, Sadler’s Wells, Galileo and the rest … Read part one here and read part two here
8. UK syndicate eyes once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Secretariat descendant Brave Emperor, by Jon Lees
Hopes were high that a British-trained horse descended from the legendary Secretariat might join the international cast of runners at the Kentucky Derby after topping the European Road To The Kentucky Derby series. Read the story here … he never made it to Kentucky, by the way, but he did win four Group races in Europe.
9. Billy the Kid: meet the teenage sensation leading the way among British jockeys – aged 16, by Steve Dennis
Young tyro Billy Loughnane, who ended the season as champion apprentice in the UK, was making big headlines after a remarkable 23 winners in January. Relive the interview by Steve Dennis here.
10. A new Asmussen rides into town: aspiring jockey Keith is the latest in a famous racing dynasty, by Ken Snyder
Based at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas in the formative stages of a riding career, 24-year-old Keith J. Asmussen is the son of Steve Asmussen and nephew of Cash.Read the interview by Ken Snyder here – and Keith has since surpassed his his father’s record as a jockey. Story here
11. Great racetracks we have lost: Hialeah Park – the ‘last word in racetracks and beauty’, by Rachel Pagones
In an evocative piece, Rachel Pagones traces the storied history of a late, lamented Florida venue renowned for its elegance – and its famous flamingos. Read the story here
12. Welcome to the world’s greatest jockey school – with graduates headed by John Velazquez and Ortiz brothers, by Ken Snyder
Focus on Puerto Rico’s Escuela Vocacional Hípica (EVH), located at the island’s racetrack, Hipódromo Camarero, which has a proud record of producing top-flight riders. Read the story here
13. ‘Calvin Borel’s reaction to winning on Mine That Bird was movie magic’ – focus on a big-screen Kentucky Derby, by Jay Hovdey
As part of his popular series Horse Racing at the Movies, our equine film correspondent got in the Kentucky Derby mood with 50 to 1, a movie where the truth was more unlikely than any fiction. Read the story here
14. What They’re Thinking: Ron Anderson – I have a few nightmare stories … I turned down American Pharoah
Our questions are answered by top jockey’s agent Ron Anderson, who celebrated 50 years in racing in January. Read the story here
15. What They’re Thinking: DeShawn Parker – We all pull our pants on one leg at a time and you gotta have the horse
Our questions are answered by the popular and prolific award-winning rider with more than 6,100 winners to his name. Read the story here
16. ‘He treated $5,000 claimers like G1 stars’ – interview with Bill Spawr, retired after 45 years as a trainer, by Jay Hovdey
Breeders’ Cup-winning veteran of the Southern California scene is a fund of lively anecdotes – as Jay Hovdey discovered in a recent interview following the trainer’s retirement in March. Read the story here
17. ‘Blood, sweat and tears’ – Jareth Loveberry takes on racing’s elite in Kentucky Derby with Two Phil’s, by Jon Lees
Blue-collar jockey with ‘J Love’ emblazoned on his breeches enjoyed a rare moment in the spotlight on Larry Rivelli-trained colt in America’s greatest race. Read the interview here … Two Phils finished second to Mage at Churchill Downs.
18. What They’re Thinking: Lisa Allpress – The standard of riding needs to improve
Strong words from four-time New Zealand premiership-winning jockey who made history in Saudi Arabia in 2020. Read the story here
19. Jay Hovdey’s Favorite Racehorses: Cigar – ‘Grizzled veterans said they hadn’t seen a horse followed with such passion since Secretariat’
In a memorable instalment of his unmissable series, Cigar’s biographer Jay Hovdey recalls what it was like to write the story of the equine great who equalled Citation’s record of winning 16 straight races. Read the story here
20. Rancour at the mic: Dubai race caller heads home saying Larry Collmus is lined up for World Cup, by Nicholas Godfrey
In a shock move, race caller Alistair Cohen left Dubai, citing the decision to replace him with top US race caller Larry Collmus for the Dubai World Cup card as the reason for returning home to South Africa. Read the story here
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