Churchill Downs

Julien Leparoux, a two-time Eclipse Award winning rider, collected his 3,000th career win aboard Pike Place (Street Boss) in the third race at Churchill Downs on Thursday, the track said in a press release that same day. Leparoux, 41, launched his career in 2005. Raised in Chantilly, France, Leparoux's passion for horses led him to Southern California in 2003, where he began as an exercise rider for trainer Patrick Biancone. He transitioned to race riding and earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2006. Three years later he...

Horse racing and bourbon intersect in so many ways, but they really form a nexus around the themes of time and patience. Without either in the breeding shed or in the rickhouse, your chances at success will be severely hampered. There is nothing quite so powerful as a statement of age in the racing form or an age statement out of the barrel. When it comes to Thoroughbreds and specifically placing a strong emphasis on homebreds, John Ed Anthony's Shortleaf Stable personifies what many in the industry think a great...

Zedan Racing Stables' Barnes (c, 2, Into Mischief--All American Dream, by American Pharoah), a $3.2-million FTSAUG yearling, made trainer Bob Baffert's return to Churchill Downs a winning one Wednesday when just getting his head in front of Innovator (Authentic) on the line. The 1-5 favorite was hustled out of the gate, but was taken in hand and settled off the pace when Luis Saez, aboard Innovator, proved intent on gaining the early lead. Innovator was in front through the quarter in :21.90 with the heavy favorite buried in traffic along...

Trainer Brad Cox sends out the top two chances on the morning line for Friday's GII Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs, and those who support the duo from a pari-mutuel perspective will be looking for some positive cashflow to get a head start on their holiday shopping. Since being acquired privately by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's Wathnan Racing earlier this season, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has yet to taste defeat in three starts, including the GIII West Virginia Governor's Stakes in August, a neck defeat of Cooke...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET. The debuting $3.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate Barnes (c, 2, Into Mischief--All American Dream, by American Pharoah) is set to become the first starter at Churchill Downs for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert since the lifting of his well-documented, corporation-imposed three-year suspension. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Barnes worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (2/8) at Baffert's Santa Anita base Nov. 20 before heading to Louisville. His third dam is MGISW Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold), responsible for GISW Majestic Warrior (A.P....

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,685, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 11-24, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.24, ft, 1/2 length. STAR OF WONDER (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his 3 1/2-length debut victory going one mile at Churchill Downs June 2. He added a seven-furlong allowance tally Sept. 14 before suffering his first defeat when a well-beaten sixth in a nine-furlong allowance at Keeneland Oct. 24. Shedding the blinkers here, the 4-5 favorite lugged in at the break, but straightened out and rushed up to attend...

Multiple Grade I winner 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will be paraded at Churchill Downs Friday, Nov. 29 in the paddock during the ninth race, the race track announced Sunday afternoon. One of the candidates for Horse of the Year honors, the presumed champion 3-year-old filly will join the field during the walkover to the paddock and will remain there through the race, from approximately 4:30 to 4:50 p.m. Thorpedo Anna has won five races at the elite level this season, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, DK...

In a study of perseverance, Lagynos (c, 3, Kantharos--Steamy, by Speightstown), who has now run in 10 consecutive black-type events this year, finally got one to call his own when capturing the $300,000 GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes Saturday at Churchill Downs. Last seen fifth in a troubled trip Oct. 26 in the GIII Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland and seventh in the GIII Nashville Derby Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs, Lagynos races for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud. "He deserved this win," said Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen....

Golden Gamble (f, 2, Laoban--Me and Mine, by Bernardini) stamped herself as a filly to watch for trainer Ken McPeek with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at second asking traveling around two turns in the Churchill nightcap Saturday. The 5-2 chance found a perfect spot beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr. in an outside fourth through fractions of :23.60 and :48.17. Traveling nicely rounding the far turn, she made a flashy, three-wide move to stick her head in front approaching the quarter pole, and, despite racing a bit green as they straightened,...

Coming out of the chute at Churchill Downs in the GIII Chilukki Stakes, Two Sharp (Twirling Candy--Double Sharp, by Distorted Humor) had a singular mission ahead as she stretched her legs on the one-turn mile dirt course--make the front. The 3-year-old accomplished that task in spectacular fashion and cruised home for her first black-type and graded stakes score amid what continues to be a promising career at the races. The $925,000 Keeneland September grad taken home by Richard Rigney was named a 'TDN Rising Star' at second asking when she...

7th-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. The half-sister to Eclipse winner and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), PRETTY SASSY (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts as a homebred for Godolphin Sunday. The third foal out of GI Spinaway Stakes winner Pretty City Dancer, who sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for $3,500,000 at FTKNOV in 2018 and is a half to GISW Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), Pretty Sassy gets jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh. Lined up just inside of that runner is Brown Sugar...

It was perhaps the decision of a lifetime for Judy Hicks when she famously went up to Kenny McPeek after he purchased Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and asked if she could stay in for a small piece of the filly she bred. Just a year later, while still awaiting Thorpedo Anna's debut, Hicks went and made another similar arrangement. Hicks sold Thorpedo Anna's half-brother for $40,000--coincidentally the same price that 'Anna' had sold for--at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale. Afterwards, she approached Jake Ballis of Black Type Thoroughbreds and asked...