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Royal Ascot Wednesday

Ten more to follow on Day 2 of the storied English meet, on the day after Animal Kingdom's historic try. Read More

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Royal Ascot Thursday: 7 to Follow

Two down, three to go. Wednesday provided another six-race spectacle at Royal Ascot as Al Kazeem nailed Mukhadram, a thief in the night until strides before the wire, in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. My friend George Baker pulled off the upset of the week when Belgian Bill rallied from last of the far pack (they split in two) to win the Royal Hunt Cup, he paid $215 to win in the U.S., and no, I didn’t bet. Oh, ye of little faith, indeed. American Sweet Emma Rose looked like she had stolen the Queen Mary before succumbing late to a wild rally by Rizeena.

Shop Talk: More from Motion on Animal Kingdom, Ascot

More from trainer Graham Motion in time for Royal Ascot. He talked jockeys, medication, training, opportunity as Animal Kingdom prepared to run in Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes. . .

Ascot Eve: Animal Kingdom aims for history

Twelve days ago, Graham Motion sat on a small couch in an office in an old house in Fair Hill, Maryland and stopped talking. The question really wasn’t fair, but made the trainer get quiet. Real quiet. What would it mean to win at Royal Ascot with Animal Kingdom?

Royal Ascot Tuesday: 10 to Follow

Turn off the phone. Call in sick. Lock the door. Whatever it takes, just get in front of your computer and/or television and watch Opening Day at Royal Ascot. Watch, bet, genuflect…the racing is superb, the pageantry sublime. This year, it’s even better from an American standpoint as Animal Kingdom lights up the first race. Here are the top 10 horses/stories to watch, at least from an America perch, Tuesday. In race order.

McCarthy on comeback trail

Not a particularly nice day at Laurel Park in mid-December, those are few and far between. The track was quite sloppy from a cold rain falling all morning. The crowd was sparse at best but that never stopped racing before. Jockeys dismounted in the paddock as not to get their boots dirty, but one was missing, apprentice jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Groupie Doll inches her way back

Seven months have passed since reigning female sprint champion Groupie Doll made her last start, a narrow nose loss to Stay Thirsty in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, but her return to the races is not far away.

Abstraction Distraction

Dave Carroll pulls the phone away from his ear and yells down the hall. “Aisling, you know the bridle Mom got for Abstraction? What’s that called? How do you spell that…?”

Wine Princess packs pedigree power

By a Horse of the Year out of a Horse of the Year. Sure it’s been done before. Sometimes with success, other times without. It’s always fun regardless, for breeders, horsemen, fans of the game.

The One and Only Alice

“Alice . . . Alice Dubai . . . Alice UK . . . I’ve got a lot of Alices.” Actually, Graham Motion has just one Alice though she shows up multiple times in his iPhone contacts and seems to do the work of three people.

Welcome to Fair Hill, Derby Winner

If you’re a clover plant in northeastern Maryland, be afraid. Be very afraid. Kentucky Derby winner Orb checked into the Fair Hill Equine Therapy Center Sunday afternoon and, if Wednesday was any indication, he’s not in town for the views.