Richard Eng

What do trainers Hal Wiggins, Jimmy Jerkens and Tim Ice have in common? They developed Grade I winners Rachel Alexandra, Quality Road and Summer Bird, respectively, and then had their star horses taken away.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The stage is set for the first ladies of racing. Now all Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta have to do is show up.

If you see 301 hyperactive horseplayers at Red Rock today and Saturday, don’t be alarmed. The jitters are real, as the contestants pursue a $500,000 first prize in the 11th annual $982,000 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship.

In giving Rachel Alexandra the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, we officially pinned the first loss on Zenyatta. And it was not a pretty sight.

A decision came down this week that will affect the horse racing industry much more so than who — Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta — wins Horse of the Year.

This is a good time for out-of-town horseplayers to think about a trip to Las Vegas. Two big-money handicapping tournaments are coming soon: The Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship will be at Red Rock on Jan. 29 and 30, and the Horseplayer World Series will be at The Orleans from Feb. 18 to 20.

I suspect I will go to my grave firmly believing that lots of people like horse racing but don’t know about it yet. I guess you could call that being an eternal optimist.