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With Belmont in Saratoga, Horse Racing’s History and Hope Are Linked
The storied track is hosting the Triple Crown race as progress around safety and increased capital investment lift the battered sport’s prospects.
By Joe Drape
I focus on personalities and tales that appeal to a general audience as well as to sports fans.
I joined The Times in 1998 to cover college football and basketball. I also added horse racing to my portfolio. In 2004, I became an enterprise reporter across all sports, including the N.F.L., N.B.A and the NCAA. I have led award winning investigations on doping in horse racing, the rise and fall of daily fantasy sports and how the pandemic impacted the sports economy. I am a Kansas City native, a graduate of Southern Methodist University and have worked previously on the Metro Desk of the Dallas Morning News and as a national correspondent for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Because of my roots, I am very interested in stories that tell us what is going on in between the coasts. I have written seven best-selling books, including the New York Times best sellers, “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen” and “American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner’s Legendary Rise.” My latest book is “The Saint Makers: Inside the Catholic Church and How a War Hero Inspired a Journey of Faith.”
Like all Times journalists I am committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I want all of my work to be accurate and fair. I protect my sources. I make every effort to understand issues from multiple angles. When I am working, I always identify myself as a reporter for The Times.
Email: [email protected]
X: @joedrape
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The storied track is hosting the Triple Crown race as progress around safety and increased capital investment lift the battered sport’s prospects.
By Joe Drape
Controversy over doping and horse deaths has trailed the successful trainer for several years, but deep-pocketed owners have stuck by him.
By Joe Drape
An exploration of the troubled state of horse racing in the U.S.
By Joe Drape
At the 150th Kentucky Derby, the sport is grappling with how to ensure the safety of racehorses.
By Joe Drape, Gabriel Blanco and Claire Hogan
The brash owner Mike Repole will take a break from tweaking horse racing’s powers when his colt Fierceness runs in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
By Joe Drape
The breakdown of 12 horses in the days surrounding the celebrated race a year ago has led to existential questions about the sport and its future.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
Last year, 12 horses died at Churchill Downs, and another 13 died at Saratoga. In a new documentary, two reporters examine the issues surrounding the sport.
By Melissa Hoppert
For those wanting to trace the evolution of money and college sports over the past half-century, Southern Methodist offers a perfect example.
By Joe Drape
The wagering situation involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter shows that people adjacent to the players and coaches can also be a risk.
By Ken Belson and Joe Drape
Baseball’s pitch clock is just one example of how professional sports are competing for public attention in an ever-evolving entertainment world.
By Joe Drape and Tania Ganguli
Investigators looking into 12 deaths couldn’t single out a cause, but called for safer tracks, better medical care and lighter workloads for horses.
By Joe Drape
New York racing officials, addressing a deepening concern for the industry, say they will use diagnostic technology and synthetic tracks to keep horses safe.
By Joe Drape
Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer, was suspended after his horse Medina Spirit failed a drug test at the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs said he “continues to peddle a false narrative” about what happened.
By Joe Drape
Jena Antonucci became the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race, a series that spans more than a century. “I wish more people can be like horses,” she said.
By Joe Drape
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert assess the contenders for the 155th Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
The careers of the trainers Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher exemplify the excitement of thoroughbred horse racing — and many of the sport’s most vexing problems.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
The track, the home of the Kentucky Derby, is moving races to another location while officials look into why 12 thoroughbreds have died at Churchill Downs in recent weeks.
By Joe Drape
After the deaths of a dozen thoroughbreds at the Louisville, Ky., track, officials are changing policies that may have incentivized trainers to race vulnerable horses.
By Joe Drape
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority called a summit of veterinarians in response to the deaths of 12 horses at Churchill Downs.
By Joe Drape
Returning to the Triple Crown trail after a suspension, Bob Baffert watched his colt National Treasure win the Preakness after another one of his horses died during an undercard race.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert look at the contenders for the 148th Preakness Stakes.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
When seven thoroughbreds died at Churchill Downs, it was significant news, but little was said about the individual horses. Here are their stories, beginning with a $13,000 colt called Snowball.
By Joe Drape
Forte, the Kentucky Derby favorite until he was scratched with an injury, failed a drug test last September. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, received a 10-day suspension and a $1,000 fine.
By Joe Drape
The colt went on to become America’s 2-year-old champion and was favored to win the Kentucky Derby until he was scratched from the race with an injury. The doping case still hasn’t been adjudicated.
By Joe Drape
Despite recent efforts to make horse racing safer, seven horses died at the track in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. Whose fault was it?
By Joe Drape
Mage, with Javier Castellano aboard, won by a length, bringing joy and relief to fans after a dispiriting run-up to the race in which seven horses died.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
The colt was taken out of the field with a bruised hoof at the end of a difficult week for the Derby and the sport.
By Joe Drape
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert assess the field for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
In the past week, two horses died after sustaining injuries and two horses conditioned by the same trainer collapsed and died at Churchill Downs, prompting an investigation.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
Enjoy today’s top racehorses while you can. It won’t be long before they quit racing and go where the real money is.
By Joe Drape
Baffert was barred from Triple Crown races after Medina Spirit tested positive for a prohibited drug at the 2021 Kentucky Derby. But owners keep sending him expensive horses — and he keeps winning.
By Joe Drape
His ankle hurt after a hit in the second quarter of the Super Bowl, but mostly, he said, he wanted to fire up his teammates.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
The Phoenix Open is known as golf’s most raucous event. This year’s tournament collided with an influx of football fans in town for Super Bowl LVII.
By Joe Drape and Doug Mills
Mahomes, known for his sense of fun and improvisation on the field, has become a kind of elder statesman, settled in his family life, his business endeavors and his community.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
Kansas City running back Jerick McKinnon has become a reliable playmaker for Patrick Mahomes, who counts on him to catch passes and throw shockingly effective blocks.
By Joe Drape
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a leg injury in the first half; after backup Chad Henne led a touchdown drive, Mahomes returned in the second to seal the game.
By Joe Drape
Trevor Lawrence overcame early interceptions to lead the Jaguars back from a 27-point deficit against the Chargers, and the 49ers ran away with a win over the Seahawks.
By Joe Drape and Kris Rhim
To understand the rigors of the N.F.L., we asked players how they cared for their hands and feet through the 2022 regular season.
By Ken Belson and Joe Drape
An uncle of Damar Hamlin, a Bills safety who went into cardiac arrest during Monday’s game, said Tuesday night that doctors were working to get his nephew breathing on his own without a ventilator.
By Ken Belson
An 80-1 shot who won this year’s Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike is preparing to race as a 4-year-old. “He is twice the horse that he was in May,” his trainer said.
By Joe Drape
Backup quarterbacks have been thrust into action at a high rate this season. A handful are keeping their playoff-bound teams afloat.
By Joe Drape
Government oversight of sports betting offers scant consumer protections and looks to the industry to police itself, The Times found.
By Rebecca R. Ruiz, Kenneth P. Vogel and Joe Drape
The 4-year-old colt, never seriously challenged in six starts, won by 8 ¼ lengths. His owners must decide whether to keep racing him or retire him to the breeding barn.
By Joe Drape
The 4-year-old colt is undefeated in five races, winning by an average of more than 10 lengths. The Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday will be his first big moment in the spotlight.
By Joe Drape
Britt Reid, son of Kansas City Coach Andy Reid, was sentenced to prison for severely injuring a 5-year-old girl in a crash after he drank alcohol on the job. Her family has railed against the plea deal reached in a football-mad city.
By Joe Drape
Thursday’s matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert went to Kansas City thanks to an interception by cornerback Jaylen Watson.
By Joe Drape
Reid told police he’d had “two or three drinks” before crashing into two cars after leaving the Kansas City N.F.L. team’s facility. The collision caused a 5-year-old girl to have brain trauma.
By Joe Drape
Two entrepreneurial barbers with video cameras are documenting the overlooked characters of thoroughbred racing, with an emphasis on Black grooms and trainers.
By Joe Drape
The Broncos bet big on Russell Wilson, the Packers went all in on defense and Tom Brady endures. But did any N.F.L. team position itself to ascend higher than the Los Angeles Rams this season?
By Ken Belson, Joe Drape, Jesus Jiménez, Emmanuel Morgan, Kris Rhim and Jenny Vrentas
The accomplished jockeys in upstate New York’s summer racing season rival those from the 1970s heyday of Steve Cauthen and Ángel Cordero Jr.
By Joe Drape
The favorite at post time, Mo Donegal won by three lengths, becoming the third horse to win a Triple Crown race in 2022. The Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was sixth.
By Joe Drape
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert assess the contenders for the 154th Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
Sonny Leon became a big name in the sport when he steered Rich Strike to victory in the Kentucky Derby. But he says he’s happiest on small-time ovals.
By Joe Drape
Lisa Lazarus is the chief executive of a new organization created by Congress whose job is to eliminate doping and abuse in thoroughbred racing.
By Joe Drape
He held off Epicenter to win the middle race of the Triple Crown series.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
The winner of the Kentucky Oaks and the second-place Derby finisher, Epicenter, are the top horses to watch in the 147th Preakness.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
The 86-year-old trainer has saddled 45 horses in the race during his long career. Will Secret Oath give him his seventh Preakness and 15th Triple Crown victory?
By Joe Drape
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert look at the contenders for the 147th Preakness Stakes.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
Rich Strike’s owner said he had decided not to push the horse to run only two weeks after he came out of nowhere to win at Churchill Downs.
By Joe Drape
The colt’s jockey, trainer and owner are anything but racing royalty, but they are the kind of story the sport needs right now.
By Joe Drape
At the Kentucky Derby, the 80-1 long shot Rich Strike showed that horse racing isn’t just for the humans and horses with fancy pedigrees.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape
This was featured in live coverage.
By Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert