John Allen riding Gotta Take Care jumps the last hurdle on his way to win the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle during Mosstropper Steeplechase Day...

Horses and jockeys jump a fence past the grandstand at Fakenham racecourse during racing at Fakenham on May 7, 2013 in Fakenham, England...

(Douglas Lees) Michael Wharton’s Grinding Speed continued his dominance of the Great Meadow Course when he drew clear in the stretch to ...

OK, you’re almost at the finish line (pun intended). Tomorrow is the 88th running of the Virginia Gold Cup and the first to feature pari-m...

A general view of the course during the Phoenix Security Hurdle Race.  (Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe) The Sedgefield Races on May 2,...

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ALFA BEAT (#10) (Douglas Lees Photo) Champion steeplechase owner Irv Naylor will play a strong hand in the $75,000 Virginia Gold Cup whe...

(AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Here’s how this goes. Everybody has said, “I went to the Gold Cup and I never saw a horse.” Har-Har. It’s an old joke. Let it go. This yea...

By Joe Clancy, www.ThisIsHorseRacing.com THE WINNER (LEFT) (Douglas Lees Photo) For a day with only one race, the Maryland Hunt Cu...

Pay not attention to the weather.  Gold Cup weekend will be here soon, and all will be well! (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe) Runne...

All photos by Douglas Lees.  The 9th fence at the 111th Grand National in  Butler, Md. Left to right: Brands Hatch (Jackson Roberts,...

Tim Donworth riding Zest For Life make their way through 'Joe's Water Splash' to win The Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Breen Memo...

Almost always one of these critters ends up running in the Virginia Gold Cup... All photos by Douglas Lees. Amelia McGuirk savors her...

Add to the list of cooler, picnic, hat, sunscreen and sunglasses a new must have item:  CASH. Yes, one of the nation’s largest stee...

Don’t panic, it’s easy. Pari-mutuel wagering is the kind of wagering you will find at any racetrack in America.  The easiest way to expl...

Auroras Encore ridden by Ryan Mania celebrates winning the John Smiths Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 6, 2013 in Liverpool...

(Samir Hussein/Getty Images) Man, Jack Russells are supposed to be cute, but this lot is downright ug-lee. What? These aren’t ...