Churchill Downs
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen surpassed Dale Romans as the winningest trainer in the history of Churchill Downs Friday, sending out Drop Dead Gorgeous (Strong Mandate) to win the opening race on the program. The victory was his 738th at the historic Louisville oval. "If anyone knows American horse racing, they know what Churchill Downs means to the sport," Asmussen said. "This is a very significant honor. I know the people who have been in this spot before, and been here consistently, and for us to have won the most...
Thoughtfully (Tapit), a $950,000 purchase by Heider Family Stables last summer at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, was bet down to odds-on debuting Thursday at Churchill and ran to the money with a dominant score to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star'. Showing a quintet of works at Keeneland for trainer Steve Asmussen capped by a half-mile gate breeze in :47 1/5 (3/29) June 2, the dark bay was backed at 7-10 and led early before deferring to sit third. Inching closer past a :22.65 quarter, she drew on even terms at the...
The New York Racing Association, Inc. will again partner with Churchill Downs to host a Cross Country Pick 5 Saturday, June 13. The wager will include racing from both Belmont and Churchill Downs, with live coverage of all the races in the sequence available with America's Day at the Races on FS1 and MSG+. Belmont will kick off the sequence with Race 7 at 4:32 p.m. EST. Action will alternate between the two tracks, with Churchill hosting the second leg with Race 8 at 4:46 p.m. followed by Race 8...
Churchill Downs announced that the G3 Ballysax S. at Dundalk would be added to the "European Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve". This season's Kentucky Derby will be contested Sept. 5. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the national authority for Thoroughbred racing in Ireland, worked to transfer the Ballysax from Leopardstown to Dundalk Racecourse. The 1 5/16-mile race for 3-year-olds will be held July 12 over Dundalk's all-weather synthetic surface. The points for the top four runners will be 30-12-6-3. "We're very appreciative of the cooperation shown by...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-CD, $79K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 1:34 p.m. ET Bidding on behalf of Heider Family Stables, bloodstock agent Donato Lanni went to $950K for THOUGHTFULLY (Tapit) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and the March-foaled bay takes her first step towards repaying that investment here. The dark bay was bred by Gainesway from Passion (Seeking the Gold), dam of GSW Annual Report (Harlan's Holiday) and MSW Giant Payday (Giant's Causeway). The filly's Grade I-winning second dam Furlough (Easy Goer) was responsible for...
The Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs is launching "Purses for a Purpose", a program to allow horse owners to pledge a portion of their horse's earnings to benefit backside workers and their families. "The backstretch community is a hugely important part of our sport, and we're more than happy to support it in any way we can," Brian DiDonato of Franklin Ave. Equine LLC, owner of Moonshine Dancing (Speightster) and Too Much Kandy (Kantharos), the first two horses to participate in Purses for a Purpose, said of his motivation...
Weekend-long contract negotiations that were supposed to result in a last-ditch effort to salvage the 2020 meet at Arlington Park did not result in a deal that was acceptable to both the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) and track management. The chief sticking point, as it has been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is Arlington's insistence on a two-year contract, while the ITHA wants to ink terms for only one year. As a result, the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) on Monday morning declined to vote on awarding race...
Four Graces (Majesticperfection) is proving that she may be just as talented as her older MGSW brother McCraken (Ghostzapper), scoring her first black-type victory while making her stakes debut in the GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Saturday. Seizing the early advantage from her inside draw, the Whitham homebred raced under pressure through an opening quarter in :22.27. Favored Edgeway (Competitive Edge) loomed boldly at the quarter pole and looked every bit a winner, but Four Graces had plenty left in the tank and turned back that foe for a sharp...
The lightly raced and flashy Volatile was pounded in the wagering and showed exactly why as he continues to build a set of past performances that look awfully similar to former stablemate at last year's champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya). Drawn six of six in a field with plenty of speed on paper, the overwhelming chalk perched three wide off the early pace of :21.48 set by the fleet Bobby's Wicked One (Speightstown) and was poised to pounce while deep at the entrance to the stretch as the half-mile was up...
G M B Racing's Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) breezed six furlongs in a strong 1:12.80 Saturday morning at Churchill Downs as he continues his preparations for the GII Stephen Foster S. June 27. "The most incredible thing about his work this morning was it hardly looked like he even did anything but he just cruised out there," trainer Al Stall, Jr. told the Churchill notes team. "Now, he's back in his stall and doesn't even seemed like any of it phased him one bit." The 7-year-old entire, third to Seeking...
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced on Thursday that the state's four historical horse racing (HHR) facilities can re-open Monday, June 8 after having been shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) released the following statement in response: "KEEP applauds Governor Beshear's announcement that historical horse racing (HHR) facilities can reopen on June 8, 2020. KEEP commends the Governor and the horse industry for working together on this solution, which will allow the facilities to operate at one-third capacity and provide a safe environment for the...
A competitive field of eight sophomore fillies are set to line up Saturday for the GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Downs. Four Graces (Majesticperfection) looks to follow in the hoofprints of her MGSW half-brother McCraken (Ghostzapper) and secure her first black-type victory here. A debut winner at Gulfstream Mar. 1, the Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred was fourth in a Hallandale optional claimer Apr. 10 and returned to winning ways in another optional claimer over this track and trip May 16. 'TDN Rising Star' Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents) looks to return to...