Churchill Downs

There appears to be something for everyone--pari-mutelly speaking--in Saturday's GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes, the final age-restricted contest on the grass on the Kentucky circuit for 2025. Donamire Farm's GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes hero Troubleshooting led home a top-four sweep for the outstanding Not This Time when last seen in the GIII Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland back on Oct. 25, and he looms the one they'll have to beat at or around his 7-2 morning line. Placed once from three tries on the dirt to begin his career, he has conversely...

Appearing to relish the muddy going at Churchill Downs on Thursday, Theodore George (Curlin—Sweet Tapper, by Tapit) came from off the pace to graduate with a confident 2 ¼-length victory over Cant Stop Munnings (Munnings). Theodore George was seventh in his career debut going 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf here on Nov. 1, was given an 8-1 chance while getting blinkers on for this off-the-turf return. Pinched back at the start, the chestnut settled in a stalking fifth going around the first turn as Bessamay (Oscar Performance) led through...

Kentucky-based artist Grayson Reynolds has designed both the official Mint Julep Glass and "Art of the Kentucky Derby" for the 152nd running of the GI Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, Churchill Downs announced Wednesday. This year's glass features three horses racing at different strides surrounded by roses as a nod to the garland draped over all Derby winners. The names of every official Kentucky Derby champion--from Aristides in 1875 to Sovereignty in 2025--wraps around the back of the glass. Reynolds' official Derby 152 artwork showcases five Thoroughbreds charging from...

Sponsored by Pedigrees 360 Into Mischief and a Bernardini mare: on the face of it, "the Sovereign remedy" for a sophomore round Churchill Downs in 2025. It produced the GI Kentucky Derby winner, and has now given us a filly moving rapidly through the ranks in Shred the Gnar, winner of the GIII Chilukki Stakes after a six-month layoff. If anything, however, it feels overdue for the dominant stallion of our times to come up with one or two stars from daughters of such an outstanding broodmare sire. Interestingly, the...

A total of 20 stakes worth $3.977-million will highlight Turfway's Winter/Spring meeting and is anchored by the 55th running of the GIII Jeff Ruby Stakes--with Kentucky Derby points on the line--Saturday, Mar. 21, the track announced Monday morning. Racing at the Northern Kentucky institution will be kicked off by the Holiday Meet Dec. 3-27 and will feature seven stakes led by Synthetic Championships Night Saturday, Dec. 13--which offers $1-million across four of those black-type contests. All stakes purses at both meets include contributions from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. Combined,...

The sixth race Wednesday at Churchill Downs was, on the surface, rather unremarkable. It was just a $30,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds, normally the type of race where even the winner usually doesn't amount to much. But the race, won by a horse named Awesome Hawaiian (Awesome Bet), turned out to be one of the most remarkable and heartwarming stories of the year. You probably know prominent owner John Stewart and his family and their work to save horses from slaughter. But 99 times out of 100 those horses never...

Six of the eight races on the 27th annual Claiming Crown program Saturday at Churchill Downs were decided by a length or less, and the "blue-collar Breeders' Cup" featured robust fields, with seven of those eight contests luring at least 11 and as many as 14 starters. The Claiming Crown began in 1999 as a way to showcase and reward horses who compete in the types of races that form the backbone of day-to-day American racing, and its annual programs are conducted under starter-allowance conditions pegged to previous-race claiming prices....

Coming off a six-month layoff, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) showed no signs of fatigue Saturday, wiring the field in the GIII Chilukki to take her first graded stakes race. Beaten just a neck as the favorite on debut in Florida at Gulfstream Park for trainer Brian Lynch, the lightly-raced daughter of leading sire Into Mischief then rocketed into 'Rising Star'-dom in her second start going one mile in a 6 1/2-length romp while still in the Sunshine State March 16. Brought into prime...

Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) has proven almost unbeatable through most of her career, that is until she ran into Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) last time out in the Oct. 11 GII Queen Elizabeth Cup at Keeneland and had to settle for second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. Despite the disappointment of losing her unbeaten tag in her latest start, Laurelin lost none of her luster since the filly that beat her that day, Lush Lips, realized a staggering $3.7 million at the recently concluded Keeneland November Sale....

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) hosted a regional breeders workshop at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to identify best practices and areas of growth for the industry, the organizations said in a joint press release on Friday. Racing executive Doug Reed presented on his work in Iowa and New Mexico featuring the feasibility of regional programs. Other panels focused on Maryland, New York, and Virginia, and the mare reimbursement practices in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Ontario. In addition, Corey Johnsen, a Thoroughbred breeder,...

8th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 4:25 p.m. ET Travis Boersma's Flying Dutchmen gave $330,000 for PRIZE PICK (Tiz the Law) at last year's Keeneland September sale and watched the value of his acquisition appreciate markedly owing to the racetrack success of his year-older full-brother Tiztastic. Twice graded-placed at this venue in 2024, that dark bay colt came from well-back to win this year's GII Louisiana Derby. Also a half-brother to the stakes-winning and Grade II-placed Interpolate (Into Mischief), Prize Pick is pegged as a 6-1 chance on the...

Tickets for the 152nd running of the GI Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve will go on sale to the public Thursday, Nov. 13 at noon ET, Churchill Downs announced Wednesday. Two-day all-inclusive reserved tickets to the 152nd GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, held Friday May 1, and Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, will be available for purchase online, including recent renovations such as the Ford First Turn Reserved seating as well as the Starting Gate Courtyard, both featuring stadium-style seats and easy access for concessions and wagering windows. Limited...