In The Gate

We count down the top American thoroughbred races of 2020. Plus, Barry Abrams says farewell (for now) - ESPN Audio will not be offering this podcast in 2021.

Keith Jones, the 2nd-longest tenured track announcer in American racing (behind Richard Grunder at Tampa Bay), turns off his mic for the last time after 34 years at Parx Racing near Philadelphia. Plus, what does the domination of 1 of the 3 foundation sire lines of the sport over the other two mean for the future of the breed?

What must horse racing do to connect with its would-be future audience, Gen Z? A roundtable panel discusses this issue.

With Gulfstream Park West closed for good, what is the future of racing in South Florida? Plus, if you could implement a rule that would lower the fatality rate for racehorses, would you do it? Not everyone has.

As 2021 nears, so does the expanded commitment by many major racetracks - including the three Triple Crown tracks - to ban Lasix from horses competing in stakes races. Plus, will winter racing soon be coming to the island of Antigua?

Kentucky Derby-winning Bob Baffert has hired a vet just to oversee the dispensing of medication to his horses. What does that mean for the industry? Plus, what can larger racing countries learn from the threat to the thoroughbred breeding industry in Norway?

Former Marine office and Keeneland president James E. "Ted" Bassett reflects, on this Veterans' Day, on being wounded in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, turning down the presidency of the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain to take an entry-level position at the then-unheralded Keeneland Race Course, and a distinguished career in the sport that resulted in his Racing Hall of Fame induction in 2019.

Our panel of experts break down the biggest races of Breeders' Cup weekend? Will any of Bob Baffert's 3-pronged Classic attack overcome Tiz The Law? Will American horses overcome the mighty Europeans like Magical on the turf?

In the Breeders' Cup Classic, Tiz the Law looks to avenge his Kentucky Derby loss. Plus, owner Bo Hirsch - who sends out Distaff contender Ce Ce - fondly remembers hanging around in his childhood with stars like John Wayne and Jimmy Durante.

Jockey David Cohen returns from physical and other challenges with a chance for Breeders' Cup glory. Plus, Factor This - once claimed for $62.5K - has a chance to take down royalty in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Lifelong owner/trainer Barry Abrams (not to be confused with the podcast host) loses his 15-year battle with throat cancer a month before his most successful horse - Mo Forza - runs in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Plus, Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver comes from a dynastic, iconic family whose story involves cunning, seduction, unspeakable violence, and one of the most iconic brand names in the world...the House of Chanel

Trainer Ken McPeek sends out 4-time graded stakes winner Swiss Skydiver against Kentucky Derby winner Authentic in the Preakness. Plus, how will the Kentucky Supreme Court's ruling on so-called "historical horse racing" impact racetracks' ability to sustain themselves?

Will the star-crossed Maximum Security continue his push toward the Breeders' Cup when he tackles stablemate Improbable in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita?

Who will win the 146th Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks? Plus, jockey Manny Franco has the best seat in the house for the Derby - aboard the Belmont Stakes winner, Tiz The Law.

Trainer Tommy Drury finds himself in the unlikely position of saddling formidable Kentucky Derby contender, Art Collector. Plus, a leading owner/breeder in Libya rebuilds after a rebel militia ransacks his farm and kidnaps his horses.

Co-owner Captain Autry Lowry is even braver than his Kentucky Oaks-bound filly. Plus, should American racing replace the claiming system?

Owner Sol Kumin bids for a 2nd Ky. Derby win with Authentic. Plus, among those not in attendance on Derby/Oaks day are school kids who rely on those days to help fund their schools' sports.

Tiz The Law takes on Uncle Chuck and other contenders in the Travers Stakes. Plus, Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector looks to solidify his Kentucky Derby status in the Ellis Park Derby. Molly Jo Rosen analyzes.,

Leading Kentucky Derby contender HONOR AP runs his final Kentucky Derby tuneup in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar. Plus, jockey Umberto Rispoli, who is in his first year of riding here in the United States, leads the Del Mar jockey standings.

Presumed Kentucky Oaks favorite Gamine fails a drug test in May, then wins the Grade I Acorn Stakes by 18 lengths in June. Should she have been allowed to run at all? Plus, a revolutionary new kind of betting on horse racing - fixed-odds wagering - is about to roll out in the United States.