Horse Racing Fantasy Community

The infield at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness Stakes day has for decades been the scene of one of the best parties in Thoroughbred racing. It dates back to the days when patrons were allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages, making it a top destination for college students and other young people in the region.

With its position on the New York racing calendar moved up this year from late April, the historic Withers Stakes is once again a key prep race for horses with Kentucky Derby aspirations.

Tabbing the winner of the Kentucky Derby weeks or even months ahead of the actual race can boost a bettors bankroll as well as his reputation. Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, will offer handicappers the chance to do just that through its Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

It's been well-documented how 2011 was not exactly a vintage season for horse racing in the United States. A look at the recently-released World Thoroughbred Rankings, which was topped by European sensation Frankel, certainly confirms that fact. The highest ranked U.S.-based horse on the list was Drosselmeyer, the upset winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, who came in at No. 14.

Oaklawn Park opens its immensely popular live meet Jan 13. in the spa town of Hot Springs, Ark

Oaklawn Park, which opened for business in 1905, is considered one of the region's top tourist destinations and routinely attracts huge on-track crowds.

Distorted Humor certainly proved why he commands a $100,000 stud fee in 2011. The Kentucky-based stallion led all North American sires in total progeny earnings of $10.3-million last year, which bested runner-up Smart Strike, a former champion sire in his own right, by nearly $1 million.

The Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park offers an early glimpse of some of California's leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby. First run in 2001, the Sham was previously contested at 1 1/8-miles in mid-March.

The Kentucky Derby has long been known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” While that's certainly a catchy tagline, it's not exactly accurate. In fact, two winners of the 1 1/4-mile American classic, which was first run in 1875, finished the race in under 2:00.

Well that didn't take long. Just one day after we wrote about the potential abuses of betting exchanges, 11 people in Great Britain were found guilty of a race-fixing scandal that was the direct result of exchange wagering.

Among those convicted were four jockeys and two horse owners, who the British Horse Racing Authority said masterminded the plot.

Weemissfrankie, the top 2-year-old filly in California, will attempt to etch her name in the record books Saturday when she takes on five rivals in the $400,000 Hollywood Starlet.