The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin put out by the Thoroughbred Horse Association. In 1935 the business was purchased by the American Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Since 1961 it has been owned by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, a non-profit organization that promotes Thoroughbred racing and breeding.
Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the publication's media kit states that the magazine "coverage includes race reporting, comprehensive analysis, events, trends, debate, farm management, pedigrees, people, profiles, medication issues, investigative reports, and breeding news and information, and anything newsworthy and important to the racing and breeding industry." ESPN has called The Blood-Horse the thoroughbred industry's most-respected trade publication.
The magazine won acclaim for its exclusive report indicating that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand had been slaughtered by his owners overseas after a marginal stud career. The news resulted in increased efforts to save retired racehorses.
The magazine is printed in full color by Blood-Horse Publications, located in Lexington, Kentucky and publishes several other off-shoot magazines. The Blood-Horse has an online version, at bloodhorse.com.
For the new millennium, Blood-Horse magazine compiled a Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century which was published in book form.
The similarly titled, Australian Bloodhorse Review is unaffiliated.
Blood-Horse books:
- Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments by The Blood-Horse Staff. Blood-Horse Publications (2006) ISBN :1581501390
- Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century by The Blood-Horse Staff. Eclipse Press (1999) ISBN 1-58150-024-6
- Handicapping the Wall Street Way by Mark Ripple. (2005) ISBN :1581501269