Churchill Downs

Vicki Oliver has dreamed of making it to the starting gate on the first weekend of the Churchill Downs spring meet for her entire career, but the Kentucky Derby was never the race she had in mind. Vicki and Phil Oliver established their stable in 1999 and have since had several top graded winners go through their program including Grade I winners Personal Diary (City Zip) and Last Full Measure (Empire Maker). The majority of their stable's top performers have been fillies, and many of those pupils were supplied by...

Churchill Downs Racetrack has partnered with Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale on the Kentucky Derby Foster Family Initiative, which will welcome nearly 300 representatives from Kentucky's Foster Care sector as guests to the Kentucky Derby. McIngvale was inspired by his recently-adopted grandson, Brodie, in June 2019. Churchill Downs will be working with long-time charitable partners Maryhurst and Boys & Girls Haven to identify foster parents, alumni and social service workers and staff in the industry to host for the Derby.

Steve Kornacki, who has gained a cult following as the national political correspondent for MSNBC, will join NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Kornacki, who has been praised for his ability to explain the complicated election process, will apply his analytical perspective in segments entitled "Meet the Contenders." He will also offer insights on notable betting trends. Kornacki also contributed to NBC's Football Night in America programming over the winter, where he broke down the oft-confusing NFL playoff scenarios. "After successfully tackling FNIA,...

'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin), undefeated in four career starts and winner of her seasonal debut in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 3, was made the 5-2 favorite from gate 10 on Mike Battaglia's morning line for Friday's 147th running of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. One of three in the race for her outstanding sire, Malathaat--a daughter of 2013 Oaks fourth Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy)--defeated Millefeuille (Curlin, gate 14) in the GII Demoiselle S. last December and was very game in...

Shortleaf Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Caddo River (Hard Spun) will not make the line-up for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever over the weekend. "We noticed he was off his feed and took his temperature yesterday afternoon. It was slightly elevated," trainer Brad Cox said. "It's just really bad timing being this close to the Derby. We drew blood on him [Sunday] morning and his white cell counts were a little high. We just can't run him on Saturday with being a little off his game." The defection...

Several GI Kentucky Oaks-bound fillies put in their final major workouts Saturday morning leading up to Friday's Churchill Downs Classic. Leading the Churchill Downs worktab, Phoenix Thoroughbred's Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map), winner of the Mar. 27 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks in her most recent start, worked a half-mile in :49.20 under Danny Ramsey for trainer Kenny McPeek. "She had a breeze last week in :59, which was a bullet work," McPeek said. "So today I just went a half with her, something simple, again just a basic maintenance work. She's...

Godolphin's Essential Quality (Tapit) headlined a quintet of hopefuls that put in their final major works at Churchill Downs Saturday morning ahead of next weekend's Run for the Roses. Also working on an overcast morning were Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun (Into Michief), Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Super Stock (Dialed In) and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin). Heading the Brad Cox Derby team, last season's juvenile champ worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, the likely...

GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks workers were out in full force Friday morning at Churchill Downs. Breezers included: The Todd Pletcher-trained quartet of Known Agenda (Curlin) and Sainthood (Mshawish), who were clocked in 1:01.00 (17/50) together under the Twin Spires; Dynamic One (Union Rags) who covered a half in :47.80 (1/108) alongside GSP Prime Factor (Quality Road); and GII Wood Memorial S. upsetter Bourbonic (Bernardini), who went in :49.60 (71/108). "Known Agenda is not the most aggressive work horse," Pletcher noted. "He is not an Always Dreaming (the...

Before the first race is run Saturday on Opening Night of its 38-day Spring Meet, Churchill Downs Racetrack announced that purses will be raised an additional $3.1 million thanks to revenue from the historical racing machines at Derby City Gaming. Total purses offered in the first condition book for horsemen, which covers 190 races over 19 dates through Thursday, May 27, have grown to $22,822,100 for a daily average of $1,201,163. That represents a 5.9% increase from the previously published $21,544,000. Maiden special weight races are now worth $115,000 during...

The gaming corporation that owns Churchill Downs Racetrack is abandoning plans to build a $300 million hotel and historical horse race (HHR) gaming facility on the first turn of the track. Instead, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) will focus on a three-phase expansion of its Louisville-area properties, with expected completion dates for each project dovetailing with the runnings of the next three GI Kentucky Derbies. Bill Carstanjen, CDI's chief executive officer, said during a Thursday earnings conference call that he was not at liberty to divulge details about the new projects...

A week after taking a spin around the Keeneland turf course, Like the King (Palace Malice) returned to the Keeneland main track Saturday morning, drilling three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.80 (1/3) (see below) for the GI Kentucky Derby. With former jockey Julio Garcia at the controls, the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner worked in the company of newly minted Sovereign Award winner Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie) and broke off three lengths behind his stablemate before drawing on even terms at the sixteenth pole. "That was a good work...

Three Santa Anita-based sophomores headed to the GI Kentucky Derby tuned up Saturday morning over their home track. Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who will have his fair share of backers off his front-running victory in the GII Louisiana Derby, went three-quarters of a mile in :1.14.20 for two-time Derby-winning conditioner Doug O'Neill. Flavien Prat, who was tabbed earlier this week for the ride, was aboard. "He looked solid. So far, so good," said O'Neill. Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who remained perfect in three starts with his front-running success...