Mike Smith

Mike Smith will ride Justify for a shot at the Triple Crown in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. He’ll compete against nine other horse/jockey combinations — and all nine other jockeys will be men. In fact, over the past 48 years, more than 300 jockeys have ridden in Triple Crown races, and only six have been women. A female jockey hasn’t competed...

Brenda Betteridge closes her eyes, takes a breath, and pulls the trigger. She nails the gunman. “One more. Put it in the head,” a police officer instructed her, as she fired away at the cardboard prop representing a gunman. Betteridge is one of the dozens of teachers and other school administrators undergoing active shooting training with the Utah County Sheriff’s...

An art installation in front of an Orange County City Hall has people scratching their heads. Five statues, all hooded up, have people talking.

This is a Triple Crown season that will be remembered, though probably should be forgotten. Maximum Security was the winner of the Kentucky Derby for about 20 minutes, then got taken down over a claim of foul that will be debated forever. The Preakness was probably most notable for Bodexpress throwing jockey John Velazquez to the ground as they lurched...

The jockey shuffle heading into the Preakness has a “musical chairs” feel to it. Of the 13 jockeys in Saturday’s race, nine who rode in the Kentucky Derby are aboard a different horse in the Preakness. Most notably, Hall of Famer Mike Smith is now riding favored Improbable with familiar trainer Bob Baffert, bumping Irad Ortiz to Bourbon War.

The new favorite enters the Kentucky Derby seeking his first win of 2019 and tops several contenders on modest winning streaks that could factor large in the sport’s marquee race. Game Winner is now the favorite to win Saturday after Omaha Beach was scratched. He has already won more than $1 million and seeks a bigger payday of $1.86 million...

The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby kicks off this year’s Triple Crown of horse racing Saturday, May 4, on NBC. Coverage on Saturday begins at 11:30 p.m. PT and the race is set to start around 3:50 p.m. PT. You can watch it all live at home or on the go via NBC Live.

Even after the scratching of Omaha Beach, there is an absolute truth about this year’s Kentucky Derby. It is a fantastic betting race. Victory will not come easily on Saturday at Churchill Downs, but those who wind up cashing tickets will likely be stuffing large wads of cash into their pockets. There’s a simple reason for that: There are many...

Thanksgiving has come and gone and it’s already feeling a lot like Christmas, especially in San Jose. The annual holiday tradition of Christmas in the Park kicked off with a lighting ceremony of over 550 trees decorated by local schools and groups from the community at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

For the 39th year, Christmas in the Park kicked off with a lighting ceremony of over 550 trees decorated by local schools and groups from the community at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

There’s a reason Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is in demand when owners and trainers pick riders for the elite in thoroughbred racing.

Bob Baffert made himself right at home at Belmont Park again.

Justify’s victory silenced the skeptics who believed the colt was due for a loss.

Justify defied all the odds on his way to achieving Triple Crown immortality. The late bloomer won the Belmont Stakes by 1¾ lengths on Saturday, giving the sport its 13th Triple Crown champion. American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015 and now just four years later, racing is celebrating another sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Justify...

Justify defied all the odds on his way to achieving Triple Crown immortality. The late bloomer won the Belmont Stakes by 1¾ lengths on Saturday, giving the sport its 13th Triple Crown champion. American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015 and now just four years later, racing is celebrating another sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Justify...

The chestnut colt with the blaze running down his face appears to have rebounded well after victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

The chestnut colt with the blaze running down his face appears to have rebounded well after victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Walking into Belmont Park is like old home week for Mike Smith. The jockey knows the vast track with its sweeping turns like the back of his hand. Fans who remember him from his successful years riding the New York circuit will hoot and holler. Smith feels a comfort level at the track that has spelled heartbreak for so many...

Walking into Belmont Park is like old home week for Mike Smith. The jockey knows the vast track with its sweeping turns like the back of his hand. Fans who remember him from his successful years riding the New York circuit will hoot and holler. Smith feels a comfort level at the track that has spelled heartbreak for so many...

There are horses for courses, and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott thinks he has one ready to upset Justify’s bid for a Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes.