Churchill Downs

In horse racing, an exceptionally fast race will often involve not just a speedy winner, but others who run faster than usual trying to keep up. That phenomenon arises again in this week's list of fast females, featuring six horses from three races. 6--IRISH MAXIMA, BAQ, May 9, Ruffian Stakes-GII, 1m Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (video) (m, 5, Maximus Mischief--Palace Pier, by Out of Place) O-Irish Three Racing; B-Pillar Property Services (Ky); T-John Servis; J-Frankie Pennington. Once again, Irish Maxima proved that when she shakes loose to a clear early...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Victorious Dream at Santa Anita. Ghaiyyath Filly Crowned In Arcadia The three-year-old filly Victorious Dream ran out a 1 1/2-length winner at Santa Anita for Michael McCarthy on May 10 (video). Bred by Paul Croke and raced by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Sabby Racing and Michael House, the daughter of Ghaiyyath and the Oasis Dream mare Perfect Dream carries some black type, after placing...

4th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:27 p.m. ET CUT THROAT should have his fair share of admirers to get first-crop sire Cyberknife (Gun Runner) off to a flying start with his first runner. A half-brother to the stakes-placed Arman (Bolt d'Oro) and April Vintage (Vino Rosso), the February-foaled chestnut is out of an unraced half-sister to SW & MGSP Two Thirty Five (Stay Thirsty). The deeper female family includes Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Cut Throat breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat at this...

Chip Honcho (Connect) had his final major tune-up for the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes when he worked four furlongs in :50.20 (39/47) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Exercise rider Luiyi Ortiz was aboard for the work, which was one of trainer Steve Asmussen's typical easy half-mile moves the week of a race. Chip Honcho's big work came May 2, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 (1/14). "I think we're in a very good place with him right now," said Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and...

Stablemates Iron Honor (Nyquist) and Ottinho (Quality Road) worked four furlongs in :48.00 (10/184) in company over the Belmont Park dirt training track Saturday. The former is expected to line up in the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park and the latter remains possible for the June 6 GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Iron Honor, owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing, won the Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes and was most recently a troubled seventh in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial....

Two days after the stewards at Belterra Park imposed a $1,000 fine on the track's clerk of scales for failing to check the weight of an apprentice jockey prior to a May 2 race, an additional penalty carrying the same fine has been levied upon the rider, Summer Pauly. For TDN's original reporting on the May 7 ruling against clerk of scales Jose Sanchez, Jr., click here. That story explained how Pauly was facing unusual time constraints to make it to Belterra to ride a race scheduled for 2:05 p.m....

Back in the States and resurfacing on the worktab for the first time since his G1 Dubai World Cup heroics, Winchell Thoroughbreds's Magnitude (Not This Time) breezed at Churchill Downs Saturday morning. Out to work an easy half-mile, the Steve Asmussen trainee was clocked in :51.20, the 86th fastest move of 96 at the distance. It was his first published workout in North America since returning from Meydan. Also working four furlongs, among others from the barn, was MSW Braken Poppa (Aurelius Maximus), who is undefeated in 2026 from four...

On a busy Friday morning at Churchill Downs, 138 horses recorded a published workout with GI Preakness Stakes possible Silent Tactic (Tacitus) headlining a group which also included the G1 Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). The former, scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to an ongoing battle with a foot bruise, breezed four furlongs in :48.80 (48/111) for trainer Mark Casse. "He worked at 5:29 [a.m.], and I saw the video at 5:30," Casse said by phone from his main base in Ocala, Fla. "I thought...

The stewards at Belterra Park have imposed a $1,000 fine on that track's clerk of scales, Jose Sanchez, Jr., for failing to check the weight of apprentice jockey Summer Pauly before she rode the 3-2 favorite in the second race May 2. A ruling issued Thursday, described what happened: "During the post parade of race #2, the Board of Stewards radioed Outriders to bring #1 Bobby's Gift back to the Paddock to re-check jockey Summer Pauly's weight, due to Steward's concerns it was incorrect. The scale showed Ms. Pauly was...

Jose Ortiz is one of the nation's best jockeys, but he had never won the Kentucky Derby until he steered Golden Tempo to victory on May 2, 2026 at Churchill Downs. Jose talks to the Writers' Room team about the experience on this Overtime episode.

'Kentucky Roses,' a new Hallmark movie that premiered on their channel May 2 and began streaming through Hallmark+ May 3, is nothing short of a triumph for the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Set on the grounds of iconic Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, here's a film that has something for everyone. It's good, clean fun, but it also deals with myriad issues including class division, gender identity and the labyrinth that is family history. Most of all though, if you are trying to hook someone that knows next to...

We skipped last week as America focused on the Kentucky Derby, thus this slightly expanded list covering the last two weeks. 9) LOVELY EMMA, KEE, 4-22, Allowance, 5 1/2fT VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure-95 (f, 4, Twirling Candy--Salsa Diavola, by Mineshaft) O-C R K Stable. B-Nursery Place, Donaldson, Broadbent. T-Peter Eurton. J-Jose Ortiz. The Searing family's $600,000 yearling purchase appears ready to tackle stakes company now. This was her third consecutive win and third straight career-best Beyer. 8) SHOOT IT TRUE, CD, 5-1, GII Unbridled Sidney Stakes, 5fT VIDEO Beyer Speed...