Churchill Downs

'TDN Rising Stars' Gamine (Into Mischief) and Improbable (City Zip), each victorious in Grade I company at Saratoga in their most recent appearances, tuned up for their next engagements at Del Mar Saturday morning. Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine, towering winner of the GI Longines Test S. Aug. 8, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 (XBTV video) in the company of her stakes-winning stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Quality Response (Quality Road). With Juan Ochoa in the saddle, the $220,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1.8-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sales topper was timed...

Victoria Ranch's King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) tuned up for the $3-million GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill that was clocked in :58.20 (see below), the quickest of 40 works at the distance. It was the second consecutive Churchill bullet for the strapping bay, who went the same distance in :59.40 (1/46) Aug. 15. With Miguel Mena in the irons, the GII Tampa Bay Derby upsetter broke off in :11.40 for the opening eighth of a mile, then was timed in subsequent splits of :23 (flat) (:11.60 interval), :34.80 (:11.80)...

Just nine days after unveiling plans to allow about 23,000 spectators to attend the running of the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs announced Friday that no fans will be allowed to attend the race. "We have made the difficult decision to hold this year's Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 without fans," read a statement from the track. "Churchill Downs and all of our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do all we responsibly can to protect the health, safety...

Nothing can overshadow the GI Kentucky Derby, but the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks will come as close as it gets. The showdown between the brilliant 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) and the indomitable Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) could make for the most compelling race of the year. Both have been so good that it is hard to see one losing, but one must. This is the 3-year-old version of Rachel Alexandra versus Zenyatta. With Swiss Skydiver polishing off the competition once again in last Saturday's GI Alabama S., the last...

C R K Stable's GI Kentucky Derby contender Honor A. P. (Honor Code) worked five furlongs prior to the first race at Del Mar Saturday, covering the distance in :59.40 (4/96) with jockey Mike Smith in the irons. The dark bay sophomore clipped off fractions of  :23.80, :36.00 and :47.40 on a fast Del Mar track with trainer John Shirreffs watching the move from the frontside. Del Mar clocker Toby Turrell, who timed the move, caught Honor A.P. going six furlongs in 1:11.40, seven-eighths in 1:23.80 and a mile in...

Victoria Ranch's King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), off since a runner-up effort in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby, worked a bullet five furlongs in :59.40  (1/46) Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. With jockey Miguel Mena aboard, the bay colt worked through splits of :24.40, :36.80, and :48 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12. As he neared the wire, Mena had to navigate King Guillermo through a trio of slowing horses and directed the colt from the rail to the far...

After originally floating plans that would have required any jockey intending to ride during the Sept. 1-5 meet that includes the GI Kentucky Derby to arrive in Kentucky by Aug. 24, Churchill Downs is now requiring that all jockeys be in the state by Aug. 31. The details were in a document distributed by Churchill officials to the Jockeys' Guild late Thursday. Many jockeys, particularly those who ride regularly in New York and California, were on the fence about riding in the Derby as, under the Aug. 24 guidelines, it...

Since the last edition of the TDN's Kentucky Oaks Top 10, the question has become, "How good is Gamine?" The daughter of Into Mischief followed up her explosive win in the GI Longines Acorn S. with another stellar effort in the GI Longines Test S., which she won geared down and by seven lengths over the talented Venetian Harbor (Munnings). After the defeat, Venetian Harbor part-owner Domenic Savides said it's unlikely she will contest the Oaks. That leaves three horses, Gamine, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Speech (Mr. Speaker), heading the...

Churchill Downs Racetrack officials have released a detailed 62-page health and safety operations plan that will limit attendance to the 146th running of the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday, Sept. 5 to less than 14% of total capacity from the 2015 attendance record. The Kentucky Derby, first staged in 1875, is the longest continually-held major sporting event in the United States and was originally scheduled for May 5. A record crowd of 170,513 attended the event in 2015. Due to physical distancing protocols and other safety measures in place to mitigate...

Gerry Sandin, who grew up near Bay Meadows Racetrack and played Little League with future trainer Bill Morey, always knew he wanted to own racehorses one day. The California native finally made the dream a reality when he purchased a son of Curlin at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale this year and he was cheering the colt on from his Bay Area home when Pico d'Oro became his first winner while breaking his maiden in stakes company in the Runhappy Juvenile S. at Ellis Park Sunday. "That was...

Projected autumn purse levels for maiden special weight races on the Kentucky circuit were revealed during a video meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory committee on Tuesday. Ben Huffman, director of racing at Churchill Downs, said, "We're going to have two [MSW] purses. We're going to supercharge [GI Kentucky] Derby week, like we've been doing. And that maiden purse Derby week is going to be $97,000. The remaining nine days are going to be $75,000." Churchill had closed out its spring/summer season at the $79,000 level for...

Churchill Downs may require all jockeys riding during the short meet surrounding the GI Kentucky Derby to be in the state of Kentucky by Aug. 24. Churchill Downs Senior Director, Communication & Media Services Darren Rogers said the rule is being considered but no official decision will be announced until later in week. Rogers added that Churchill is also expected to announce shortly a complete list of protocols that will be in place for the Derby, including how many fans will be allowed to attend the race. For jockeys who...