Burnham Square

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the legendary D. Wayne Lukas, white cowboy hat, shades and all, leading the charge aboard his stable pony, Thursday's exclusive 15-minute training session for GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks entrants was off and running on another partly cloudy and warm, humid morning at Churchill Downs. The 89-year-old, four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer was accompanying Virginia Derby hero American Promise (Justify), who will become his 51st starter in Saturday's Run for the Roses. Doesn't get much better than that. Flying Mohawk (Karakontie {Jpn}), an enticing 30-1...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A year after recording a historic double with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Kentucky Oaks and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in the GI Kentucky Derby, jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. is coming back for more. The native of Lafayette, Louisiana will pilot the stretch-running GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Burnham Square (Liam's Map), a live contender for trainer Ian Wilkes in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, and the Kenny McPeek-trained GI Central Bank Ashland Stakes runner-up Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) in Friday's Kentucky Oaks. The aforementioned...

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding...

Five Kentucky Derby hopefuls were on track Saturday morning during the special training period for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs, but one, GISW Tappan Street (Into Mischief), has been withdrawn from the big race with an injury. As reported early Saturday morning, the son of Into Mischief had just completed a five furlong breeze when regular rider Luis Saez felt that 'something was off' afterwards. X-rays back at the barn revealed a condylar fracture, and while trainer Brad Cox reports it is not a major injury, it will...

Under what was described as "perfect conditions" by analyst Kaitlin Free, a busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs ensued as seven GI Kentucky Derby contenders logged published workouts for the "Run for the Roses" and a pair of GI Kentucky Oaks contenders also drilled for their connections, according to a press release from the track on Saturday morning. The tab included top Derby point getter Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who went a half-mile in :49.40 under pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes...

Trainer Ian Wilkes enjoyed a banner day Tuesday, winning both of Keeneland's Grade I features--the Toyota Blue Grass with Burnham Square (Liam's Map) in addition to Positano Sunset's (Goldencents) score in the Resolute Racing Madison. "Both horses got back last night to Churchill," Wilkes said Wednesday morning from his main base in Louisville. "Everything is all good. It was a really exciting day for everyone involved." Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square got up in the last stride to edge East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) by a nose in the Blue Grass with...

If you're among the many currently absorbed by his autobiography, you'll be indebted to Arthur Hancock for sharing a series of Charlie Whittingham maxims. And one is of particular value to anyone routinely assessing pedigrees: "Never say anything bad about a horse until he's been dead at least 10 years." Plenty will have been sorely tempted to disregard that stricture in the case of Authentic, after the 2020 Horse of the Year fell so far short of his billing with his first juveniles last year. Retired at $75,000, much the...

Whitham Thoroughbred's homebred Burnham Square (g, 3, Liam's Map--Linda, by Scat Daddy), a disappointing fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park last out Mar. 1, bounced back in a big way with a well-timed, last-to-first, nose victory over 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) in Tuesday's postponed GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland. It was another 3/4 of a length back to 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music) in third. Favored MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick...

Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC's Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who won the GIII Holy Bull Stakes Feb. 1 but finished fourth Saturday as the 9-5 choice in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, will most likely skip Gulfstream's GI Florida Derby Mar. 29 and instead ship to Keeneland for the GI Blue Grass Stakes Apr. 5. "He'll probably go to the Blue Grass," said trainer Ian Wilkes. "I've got to ship sometime." Wilkes also noted the extra week between the Florida Derby and the Blue Grass "won't hurt him."...

Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who closed from last to first to capture Saturday's Coolmore GII Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, emerged as an exciting Triple Crown prospect in the first start of his 3-year-old season. "We were sort of hoping that was the way the race would pan out," Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said Sunday. "We didn't really know if he'd have enough ground to actually catch the horses on the lead with his running style, especially with the way the track seems to play for...

Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) kicked off his sophomore campaign in style with a dramatic, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, good for 50 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Last of six and urged along by Junior Alvarado to keep pace through a half mile in :47.07, Sovereignty began to get going with a four-wide blitz on the far turn. Still with his work cut out for him in third as they straightened, the 3-1 third choice leveled off...

As the calendar turns to March, Derby fever kicks into high gear with no fewer than six races awarding points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks respectively this weekend. Saturday features the return of the undefeated GII San Vincente Stakes winner Barnes (Into Mischief) for trainer Bob Baffert as one of a six-horse field in the GII DK Horse San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. The $3.2m FTSAUG grad lines up with a pair of well-regarded stablemates in Mellencamp (Constitution) and 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez...