Churchill Downs

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MILLION-DOLLAR WAR FRONT FACES WINNERS 3rd-CD, $118K, Opt. Clm. ($75K), 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 11:30p.m. Shadwell Stable's $1-million KEESEP buy ZAINALARAB (War Front) looks to take her record to two-for-two in her first try against winners here. A debut winner sprinting on the Belmont main track in September, she was subsequently sidelined and receives Lasix for the first time in this return. The bay is out of GSW Delightful Joy (Tapit), who is a daughter of GSW & GISP Graeme Six (Graeme Hall) and a...

Rob Masiello's fleet-footed Fiya (Friesan Fire) looks to remain unbeaten on the grass while making his first start of the year in Churchill's GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. The dark bay broke his maiden third out on the Laurel lawn last June before earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for a sharp allowance tally in July for trainer Michael Merryman. He was subsequently offered in the Wanamaker's July Online Auction, and Masiello ponied up $400,000 to acquire him. Transferred to Tom Albertrani, Fiya picked up right where he left...

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) makes her belated seasonal debut in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday. A romping winner of the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga last July, the dark bay added a two-length tally in the one-turn-mile GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, but she settled for second when Frizette runner-up Vequist (Nyquist) turned the tables on her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tim Hamm pupil recorded a couple breezes at Tampa in January,...

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) looks to return to the scene of her career-best effort in Friday's GI La Troienne S. for two-turn fillies and mares. A debut winner here as a juvenile for prior connections, the bay took last March's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn, but was a well-beaten third in the GIII Fantasy S. behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). She returned to Louisville for a six-length optional claiming romp in June, and was similarly dominant in the GIII Indiana Oaks in July. Let go at 15-1 in last year's GI Kentucky Oaks...

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) makes her sophomore debut at what figures to be a very short price in Churchill's GII Edgewood S. Friday. The 280,000gns Tattersalls October yearling bested her competition by five lengths first out here Sept. 1, and dominated both the GII JPMorgan Jessamine S. Oct. 7 and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 6 at Keeneland on the front end. She was second in the voting for the champion 2-year-old filly Eclipse. The bay's profile looks almost identical...

Godolphin homebred Maxfield (Street Sense) will look to bounce back from his first-ever defeat as the Churchill Downs graded action kicks off Friday with the GII Alysheba S. The 2019 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity hero was forced to miss that year's Breeders' Cup due to injury, and resurfaced a good-looking winner of the track-and-trip GIII Matt Winn S. some 11 months ago, only to be knocked off an elongated Triple Crown trail with a condylar fracture. He defeated Sonneman (Curlin) handily in both the Dec. 19 Tenacious S. and Feb....

LOUISVILLE, KY - Two years ago, Brad Cox got the phone call that every trainer wants to receive. "I got a call one day from Jimmy Bell and he said that he'd like to meet me at Churchill one morning," Cox said of his initial conversation with the Godolphin USA president. "It was an honor to get a call like that. We met in my office and he said that they'd like to send us some 2-year-olds. You knew there were gonna be runners in that group and that they'd...

Averly Jane came from just off the pace to remain undefeated in two starts and gain her black-type badge in Wednesday's Kentucky Juvenile S. Bohemian Frost took to the front through a quarter :21.84 and :45.34 as heavy 1-2 favorite Averly Jane remained in hot pursuit. A couple of lengths adrift of the free-running grey turning for home, the Wesley Ward trainee gradually overtook the pacesetter midstretch and strode clear to score with ease over an oncoming Vodka N Water. Bohemian Frost held on for third. "She's a naturally fast...

LOUISVILLE, KY - With the Churchill Downs backstretch and apron buzzing with socially distanced and mask-wearing fans, you could feel the excitement building during training hours on a steamy Wednesday morning. Cloudy skies and humid conditions greeted the GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders during the special, 15-minute training period beginning at 7:30 a.m. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert held court by the main gap and posed for a quick photo-op holding the lead shank of his overachieving $35,000 OBS July 2-year-old Medina Spirit (Protonico) as the main track was...

3rd-Churchill Downs, $114,814, Msw, 4-28, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.75, ft, 3 lengths. MOLLIE KATE (f, 2, Tapizar--Forbidden Brew, by Milwaukee Brew), sent off at 4-1 for this unveiling, broke sharply and soon led Tranquil Times (Firing Line) through a crisp opening quarter in :22.19. Clear of her rival and moving easily straightening for home, the John Ennis trainee was given moderate encouragement by James Graham in the stretch, cruising home an unchallenged three-length winner over Murgatroyd (Brody's Cause). The winner, a half to Paige Anne (Take Charge Indy), MGSP, $114,540,...

LOUISVILLE, KY - With the first Saturday in May just days away, TDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack caught up with the connections of leading GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get some of their 'Early Impressions.' In this edition, we check in with Hermitage Farm General Manager Bill Landes and Ocala, Florida, horseman Eddie Woods. Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) found another gear in the stretch to punch his ticket to Louisville in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Last year's 94-1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up, a $17,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February yearling...

LOUISVILLE, KY - Unbeaten champion Essential Quality (Tapit) was assigned post 14 in a full field of 20 assembled for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Tuesday's post position draw held at Churchill Downs. The Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star,' tabbed as the 2-1 favorite on Mike Battaglia's morning line, made it a perfect five-for-five for trainer Brad Cox with a hard-fought, neck decision over Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Luis Saez, disqualified from first aboard Maximum Security in 2019, has...