Mostly retired writer/editor/investigator formerly w/Las Vegas Review-Journal, NBC News, msnbc.com, SF Examiner, etc. Still willing to suit up for good stories.
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Articles by Mike Brunker
Forget the Derby, Belmont field looks different at same length
The $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday might look at first glance like a slimmed-down replay of the Kentucky Derby, with five of the nine entrants exiting the Run for the Roses, including winner Golden Tempo and runner-up Renegade. But while the 158th running of the Belmont is being run at the same 1¼-mile distance as the Derby rather than its traditional 1½ miles, this race is shaping up as a much different contest than the one run five weeks ago in Louisville. Apart from field size — nine vs.
‘Chasing Dreams’: Kazushi Kimura On The Rise In Southern California Original
Ranked third in the Santa Anita standings, the 26-year-old’s rise — built on Woodbine success, elite mounts, and relentless training — positions him as one of California’s most promising riders. Kazushi KimuraBenoit Photo Key Points Kazushi Kimura, 26, is quickly rising in Southern California's competitive jockey scene. Kimura aims to become California's leading rider, win the Kentucky Derby, and major awards.
Breeders’ Cup: Forever Young picked to win Classic after Sovereignty scratches
DEL MAR, Calif. — The Breeders’ Cup culminates Saturday with nine horse races seemingly designed to confound even the best handicappers in the land, including the extremely competitive marquee race, the $7 million Classic. Following Friday’s five races for 2-year-olds, older horses of both genders step into the spotlight to settle divisional honors and possibly line up suitors for their second careers as stallions and broodmares.
Breeders’ Cup breakdown with picks for ‘Future Stars Friday’
DEL MAR, Calif. — Halloween is the ideal day to get the horse racing extravaganza known as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships underway, as agonizing defeats, shocking surprises and maybe some tasty treats await horseplayers who choose to test their handicapping skills on some of the most challenging races of the year. Over the course of two days, the Breeders’ Cup will hand out more than $34 million in purses and awards in 14 races on dirt and turf, all Grade 1s.
Belmont 2025 odds, picks, predictions, exacta, trifecta betting analysis
There will be no Triple Crown on the line in Saturday’s 157th running of the Belmont Stakes, but it still figures to be one hell of a horse race. The top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby — Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza — are among the eight horses entered in the $2 million race, which was shifted to Saratoga Race Course and shortened to 1¼ miles from its traditional 1½ miles for the second year in a row to accommodate the ongoing renovation of Belmont Park.
Preakness 2025 odds, picks, predictions, exacta, trifecta betting analysis
With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty absent from Saturday’s 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown is not the race we wish it was. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth betting. The good news is it could have been worse, with Derby runner-up Journalism and the well-regarded Sandman, who finished seventh in the Derby, joining the lineup shortly before entries were drawn Monday.
Tiztastic could end Kentucky Derby drought for owner Ron Winchell
If you want to get a sense of how hard it is to win the Kentucky Derby, just ask Las Vegas businessman Ron Winchell. The 53-year-old Winchell and his late father, Verne, founder of the Winchell’s Donuts chain, have been chasing a victory in the world’s most famous horse race for the better part of a century. The 13 horses they have run in the 1¼-mile race — both homebreds and sales purchases — have come as close as second, but the Winchells have yet to hoist the Derby trophy.
Brunker: Scratch alters win, exacta, trifecta picks for Kentucky Derby
With Journalism the solid favorite in Saturday’s 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, I’ve been called on to commit some journalism and offer my opinion on the best way to cash a ticket or two on “the fastest two minutes in sports.” Like the other 19 starters in the 1¼-mile race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, Journalism is a 3-year-old thoroughbred who will be attempting to run farther than he has ever gone.
Pleasanton training extension OK'd as group aims to renew racing
The Alameda County, Calif., fair board of directors approved a one-month extension to keep the Pleasanton racetrack open as a training facility while a new business entity explores the possibility of resuming horse racing during this summer’s fair. The extension approved late Tuesday gave trainers, owners and backstretch workers at least a temporary reprieve from the planned closure Tuesday of the Pleasanton training center, according to several people who attended.
Breeders’ Cup picks for Saturday’s 9 races, including $7M Classic
DEL MAR, Calif. — The Breeders’ Cup feast continues Saturday, with nine Grade 1 races with full, competitive fields of horses from around the world and opportunities galore for horseplayers looking to cash some big tickets. Day 2 will be highlighted by one of the more intriguing editions yet of the marquee $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which drew a full field of 14 runners from three continents. But the other races are hardly leftovers.
Breeders’ Cup analysis, odds, picks for Friday’s 5 races
DEL MAR, Calif. — The sumptuous buffet known as the Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar racetrack for the third time Friday, with five races featuring 2-year-old horses serving as an appetizer before Saturday’s nine-race main course, topped by the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Kruljac, The Chosen Vron have 1 stall, big Del Mar presence
Del Mar, Calif. Trainer Eric Kruljac’s stable doesn’t take up much space on the Del Mar backstretch. In fact, it’s just a single stall. But the horse who inhabits it, The Chosen Vron, is a larger presence than his humble quarters in barn PP would suggest. Click here for Del Mar entries and results.
Pleasanton aims to fill void left by Golden Gate Fields' demise
Pleasanton, Calif. Can a handful of fairs keep horse racing alive in Northern California following the demise of Golden Gate Fields? We are about to get our first inkling. The bucolic racetrack in Pleasanton, an affluent suburb 40 miles southeast of San Francisco, will take the first step on that uncertain journey when it opens Friday for its annual meeting coinciding with the Alameda County Fair.
Favored Sierra Leone looks vulnerable in shortened Belmont Stakes
You can tear up or at least revise your playbook for betting on Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes. The third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is a different animal this year. There will be no Triple Crown trophy on the line for the 10 horses entered in the Belmont Stakes after different horses won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Preakness Stakes horses, odds, predictions, picks: Tuscan Gold to spring upset
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will be favored in Saturday’s 149th Preakness Stakes following the scratch of morning-line choice Muth, but a follow-up victory is not assured with several fresh faces joining the fray and two Derby also-rans returning for another go.
Mystik Dan favored in Preakness, but quick turnaround poses problem
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will be favored in Saturday’s 149th Preakness Stakes following the scratch of morning-line choice Muth, but a follow-up victory is not assured with several fresh faces joining the fray and two Derby also-rans returning for another go.
Fierceness is Kentucky Derby’s dominant horse, but questions remain
Picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby boils down to a deceptively simple question: Can the fastest horse run his best race under the toughest circumstances he has encountered? The fastest horse is undoubtedly Fierceness, conqueror of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as a 2-year-old and more recently the winner of the Florida Derby, a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
Barn tour: Glatt has candidates to fill Dr. Schivel’s shoes
Arcadia, Calif. Trainer Mark Glatt is looking to fill a big hole in his stable following the retirement of top sprinter Dr. Schivel, but the veteran conditioner says he has several young horses and a couple European imports who could ease the sting of the stable star’s departure.
Trainer Wong is provisionally suspended after B sample test
Jonathan Wong says he is considering abandoning his career as a horse trainer after being provisionally suspended under new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority rules following a positive result of a B sample of blood taken from a filly he trained for the banned substance metformin. "I don’t even know if I want to (go back to training) to be honest with you.
Del Mar CEO hopes Golden Gate closure has a silver lining
Del Mar, Calif. With 45 years at the helm of the racing palace that Bing built and broad experience in the Thoroughbred industry, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO Joe Harper usually has a pretty good handle on where California’s horse-racing industry is headed. But he’s not sure what things will look like in the state after the planned shutdown of Golden Gate Fields at the end of the year.
First Look: Keeneland, Oaklawn races top weekend stakes
Keep track of graded stakes on HRN: Stakes Schedule | Stakes Tracker | Stakes Results The road to the Kentucky Derby reaches its end this weekend with the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland, but there is graded-stakes action aplenty in other divisions to help divert attention from the 3-year-olds. And you won’t even have to wait until Saturday to get the stakes party started.
Rick Dutrow regains N.Y. training license after 10-year ban
After serving an unprecedented suspension of more than 10 years for drug violations that he unwaveringly denied, controversial Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow regained his New York trainer’s license. He will resume his career as a conditioner of Thoroughbreds on Thursday, when the first horse is due to arrive at his barn at Belmont Park. “I’m so excited.
Dettori's goal of Kentucky Derby mount hangs in the balance
Legendary jockey Frankie Dettori has checked off most of the goals that he set for himself when he began his nearly yearlong farewell tour at Santa Anita in late December. But one important one – landing a mount in Kentucky Derby 2023 – hangs in the balance as his winter sojourn at The Great Race Place draws to a close. Check out HRN rankings of Kentucky Derby 2023 contenders.
Betting angle: Quarter-horse trainer picks spots at Santa Anita
Arcadia, Calif. Here’s a betting angle for use once in a blue moon. When a top quarter-horse trainer who rarely races Thoroughbreds at major tracks suddenly shows up with a long shot, it’s time to pay attention. A case in point came Friday, when Paul Jones, not only a top trainer but a legend in the quarter-horse game, sprung a surprise with Scatchmejamin in the third race at Santa Anita. Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.
The Quest to Make the Metaverse a World of New Smells and Tingles
LAS VEGAS-For most Americans, even those who spend considerable time working and playing on the internet, the wait for the metaverse is beginning to feel like Estragon and Vladimir's planned rendezvous with Godot: It's always on the way but never seems to arrive. What they may not realize is that the metaverse is here and has been for some time. It's just not yet all it's cracked up to be.
The Quest to Make the Metaverse a World of New Smells and Tingles
British Airways Staff Can Now Wear Jumpsuits and Hijabs After a five-year redesign effort led by British designer Ozwald Boateng, 30,000 frontline staffers working for British Airways will be dressed in new uniform options that include hijabs and jumpsuits for women by the summer of 2023, The Guardian reports. The uniforms largely were made from sustainable recycled polyester and sustainably-sourced cotton, British Airways said.
The Tech Issue That Could Unite a Deeply Divided Congress
LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Despite a divided Congress, an influential Senate Democrat says legislation addressing the technology “arms race” with China and issues related to social media could be passed in the current two-year term. With some analysts saying that U.S. technology companies are lagging behind their Chinese rivals in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced energy, Sen.
This Exoskeleton Could Save a Worker's Life
It's no science fiction plot that robots are coming for humans' jobs, but a German company is taking a page from the automaton playbook to help flesh-and-blood workers stay in the game. German Bionic Systems, based in Augsburg, is one of many companies around the globe that have developed engineered " exoskeletons "-external frameworks modeled after the shells of creatures like crabs and insects-to increase physical strength and prowess and let humans accomplish tasks the normal body cannot.
The Tech Industry Plots Its Comeback After a Hellish 2022-Starting With CES Original
LAS VEGAS, Nevada-The tech industry's troubles of 2022 have done little to dampen the bubbly enthusiasm at the vast annual trade show known as CES, long known for its trade-show-meets-tent-revival vibe. The show, which opened Thursday in Las Vegas and is expected to draw around 100,000 industry participants from around the world, is on the rebound after being forced to switch to a remote gathering in 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic and operating in a hybrid format last year.
Saturday guide: Odds, PPs, picks and more for Harlan's Holiday
Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Park isn’t the richest or most prestigious of the eight graded stakes to be run on the last day of 2022, but it grabs the marquee spot on Horse Racing Nation's stakes roundup by virtue of its possible impact on next month’s Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results. The key local prep for the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus on Jan.
Wes Lanter, handler of famed Kentucky stallions, dies at 58
Wes Lanter, who worked with some of Kentucky’s greatest stallions over more than half a century in the racing industry, has died, according to his longtime friend, trainer Eric Reed. He was 58. A native of Lexington, Lanter had been hospitalized for the past 11 weeks after falling while staying at Reed’s house in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, and then battling congestive heart failure, Reed said.
Breeders’ Cup Saturday picks: Bet against Flightline at your peril
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Hype or history? The answer will be known in a matter of hours, when undefeated Flightline attempts to add to his short but scintillating resume by winning the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course. The deck appears stacked in favor of the John Sadler-trained 4-year-old, who has won his first five starts by a cumulative 62¾ lengths at distances from 6 furlongs to 1¼ miles, all while appearing to be on cruise control.
Breeders’ Cup: Best bets for Friday’s races at Keeneland
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Months of anticipation will come to 14 thundering conclusions over the next two days as the Breeders’ Cup draws many of the world’s top thoroughbred racehorses to the heart of Bluegrass country.
Del Mar 2022: Newgrange moves from Baffert to D’Amato
Del Mar, Calif. Sold less than three weeks ago, two-time Grade 3 winner Newgrange has been transferred to barn of Phil D’Amato with plans to race him this summer at Del Mar. Bought at a Kentucky auction for $325,000 by Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch, the 3-year-old Violence colt had been with trainer Bob Baffert. Click here for Del Mar entries and results. D’Amato had intended to make another change with Newgrange.
Influential turf sire Kitten's Joy dies at age 21
Kitten’s Joy, one of the most influential Northern American turf sires of recent years, has died, owners and breeders Ramsey Farm announced Friday. According to a statement from Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Paris, Kentucky, where the 21-year-old stallion had stood since 2018, the stallion died Friday morning in his paddock. "Though apparently in optimal health with no signs of concern, it is believed that the 21 year old stallion most likely died of a heart attack, said Hill 'n' Dale owner John G.
Judge does not grant Baltas his wish to race at Del Mar
A judge denied a lawsuit motion by trainer Richard Baltas seeking to force California racing authorities to accept his race entries, pending resolution of a complaint alleging that his staff improperly administered race-day medications to horses in his care.
Lone Star handle plunges with interstate simulcasting blocked
Handle on racing from Lone Star Park plunged Saturday after state regulators blacked out the track’s simulcasting signal to other states rather than comply with the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which took effect on Friday. Through the first four races Saturday at Lone Star Park, total handle was $83,683, or less than $21,000 per race. That compares to a total handle of $488,051, an average of just over $122,000 per race, through the first four races on the previous Saturday.
Owner says a healthy Flightline will race at age 5
Flightline, the undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Met Mile in his most recent start, will mount a 5-year-old campaign if he remains healthy and continues to relish racing, one of the colt’s co-owners said Wednesday. “If he is healthy and he wants to continue to race … we would absolutely love to keep him on the racetrack another year," Kosta Hronis, whose Hronis Racing is one off five ownership interests in the John Sadler-trained colt, told Horse Racing Nation.
Juan Hernandez closes in on first Santa Anita riding title
Jockey Juan J. Hernandez is not yet a household name in some parts of the country, but that’s unlikely to be the case much longer given the wave of success he is riding in Southern California. Hernandez, 30, is on the verge of sewing up his first riding title at Santa Anita Park, with 91 wins – 18 more than perennial leading rider Flavien Prat – through Memorial Day, with just nine racing days remaining in the 76-day winter-summer meet.
Hank ‘The Hammer’ Goldberg will key 2 horses in Ky. Derby
Las Vegas Hank “The Hammer” Goldberg is no longer prowling the backstretch at Churchill Downs for ABC Sports or ESPN, but that doesn’t mean the longtime broadcaster and handicapper isn’t focused on cashing a ticket in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Nevada racebooks reach deal for horse races from Churchill Downs
Nevada racebooks and Churchill Downs Inc. have signed a contract, ending a long-running dispute over the racetrack’s simulcast signal. The development is expected to allow horseplayers in the Silver State to enjoy the full wagering menu on this year’s Kentucky Derby for the first time in three years. The deal between the Louisville racetrack operator and the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association was announced Tuesday and was being sent to Nevada gaming regulators for approval.
Deal done: Nevada finally gets full betting again for Kentucky Derby
Las Vegas Nevada racebooks and Churchill Downs Inc. have signed a contract ending a long-running dispute over the racetrack’s simulcast signal, a development that is expected to allow horseplayers in the Silver State to partake of the full wagering menu on this year’s Kentucky Derby for the first time in three years.
Vegas, Churchill are optimistic about Ky. Derby betting deal
Las Vegas Nevada resorts are racing the clock to avoid a disruption in betting on the Kentucky Derby for the third straight year because of a contract impasse between the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association and Churchill Downs Inc.
Mike Brunker horse racing column: Riding off into retirement
I’ve read many a retirement column over my more than four decades in the news business, but I’ve never written one until now. Friday is my last day at the Review-Journal, a milestone that saddens, frightens and delights me at the same time. I’m going to miss my colleagues, I know that much.
Clark County adds 12,701 new COVID-19 cases over 3 days Original
Clark County on Monday reported 12,701 new COVID-19 cases and 21 additional deaths during the preceding three days. State COVID-19 data was not updated Monday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, so hospitalizations and the 14-day moving averages for new cases, deaths and the test positivity rate for the county could not be calculated.
Bob Baffert, Churchill Downs appeared headed to courtroom
Bob Baffert and the owner of Churchill Downs racetrack are squaring off for what is shaping up to be a pivotal courtroom battle over the company’s two-year ban of the Hall of Fame trainer following a positive drug test by his charge, Medina Spirit, the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby.
County adds nearly 8K COVID-19 cases over 2 days; total tops 400K
Clark County on Monday added nearly 8,000 new COVID-19 cases during the preceding two days as the omicron variant continued to rampage, pushing the county’s case total past 400,000. Updated figures from the Southern Nevada Health District showed 7,899 new cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus on the weekend, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 400,870.
The best of 2021, through one scribe’s Eclipse Award ballot
One of my favorite things about turning the page on a new year is the opportunity it affords to revisit the one just past. In this space, that means reliving a few brief shining moments of 2021 that might have been overlooked or underappreciated during what overall was a tough year for the sport of horse racing. My annual trip down memory lane comes from doing my homework before voting in the annual Eclipse Awards, which will be presented Feb. 10 at Santa Anita Park.
Clark County adds more than 8.1K new COVID cases over 3 days
Clark County on Monday reported more than 8,100 new cases of COVID-19 over the preceding three days as the omicron-fueled surge of the disease continued unabated. Updated figures from the Southern Nevada Health District showed 8,104 new cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus from Friday through Sunday, pushing the total for the county to 377,518 cases.
Flightline’s a superstar, but is he one of horse racing’s greatest?
How do you measure greatness? That’s been a topic of much discussion this week among racing fans following Flightline’s near effortless victory in Sunday’s $300,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. By every gauge, the John Sadler-trained 3-year-old colt’s performance in the 7-furlong race was sensational. The son of Tapit out of an Indian Charlie mare won by 11½ lengths while geared down and was never seriously challenged by any of his six rivals, including Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Dr. Schivel.
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