Chelsea Hackbarth, Author at Horse Racing News | Paulick Report

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Would Do What He Did’

Fans tuning in to Sunday’s Sunland Park Derby card may be surprised by the appearance of jockey Felipe Valdez’ name in the program. With a mount in seven of the day’s 11 races, the 43-year-old Valdez is in the midst of a comeback he truly never saw coming. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, including […]

It’s Not Magic, It Just Looks Like It: Soft Tissue Therapy Opening New Doors In Equine Wellness

It almost looks like magic when Christian Langeder works on a sore horse, helping its pain disappear almost instantly. The Australian equine therapist has become especially well-known for his viral Tik-Tok videos; he regularly shares before-and-after clips of horses that have received his treatments, making it easy to see the often-astounding improvement in mobility and […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Educated Risk’ Proves A Practical Move

Leslie Amestoy walked away from the OBS auction ring when bidding rose above $180,000. That was the budget she and her husband, Pierre, had considered for the son of Practical Joke, after all. Minutes later, Pierre Amestoy returned to the table and showed his wife the sales ticket: he’d bought the colt for a final […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Having Pennsylvania-Bred On Road To The Classics Is ‘Why We’re In The Game’

It was a perfect “circle of life” moment: breeder Christian Black watched Angel of Empire upset the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds from the foaling office at Blackstone Farm in Pennsylvania, patiently awaiting the birth of the next generation. “I believe I ran out and jumped up and down like a 20-year-old […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘More In The Pipeline’ After Monomoy Girl

Near the conclusion of two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl’s career, the following suggestion was made to breeder Brendan Gallagher: “You want to enjoy it while it’s happening, because it’s never going to happen again.” “Well, I said to that person, ‘If I really thought it would never happen again, I’m not so sure I’d […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Kirstenbosch No Garden Variety Homebred For Keith Abrahams

Owner/breeder Keith Abrahams was quietly confident in Kirstenbosch ahead of last weekend’s Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita. The filly, named for a famous botanical garden in Abrahams’ native South Africa, proved his confidence was not misplaced when she won by a nose.  Kirstenbosch became the second homebred graded stakes winner to race […]

What Did You Read? Paulick Report’s Top Stories Of 2022

As we close the book on 2022, it’s time for our traditional look back on the most popular stories of the year by traffic, as measured by Google Analytics. We’ve done this for eight years now (see previous editions of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). Many of this year’s most popular stories […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: More Derby Dreams Take Root In New Mexico, Iowa

Thirteen and a half years ago, the diminutive bay gelding named Mine That Bird was hauled over 1,000 miles from New Mexico to Churchill Downs by his trainer, Chip Woolley. His 50-1 upset will forever remain a legend in the history of the Kentucky Derby. This year, another trainer from New Mexico could be poised […]

Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Cash’s Commitment To Racing Is Through The Roof

Trainer Norman L. “Lynn” Cash won his first graded stakes race in the Oct. 29 Kelso (G2) with 42-1 longshot Double Crown, but it is a starter allowance horse who has really put his fledgling stable on the map.  “I tell people that if I hadn’t claimed Beverly Park, nobody would know who I am,” […]