Churchill Downs
Beginning with the September Meet, Churchill Downs has established new "house rules" for claiming horses, the Louisville racetrack said in a release Thursday afternoon. The licensed trainer for claimant must have made a start at the current meet or within the state of Kentucky since July 7, which was the start of the Ellis Park meet. Also, a claimed horse may not race outside of Kentucky for 60 days following the date of the end of the meet during the which the horse was claimed or Jan. 1, 2024, whichever...
Churchill Downs released the 2024 "Official Art of the Kentucky Derby" by artist Wylie Caudill, the track said in a release Thursday. Originally from Cynthiana, Kentucky, Caudill gravitated to public art and expanded his street art to murals which can be seen across the state, many of which include his signature roses. His artwork for the Derby features 150 red roses representing the Winner's Circle surrounded by white, gold and cerulean roses to symbolize the colorful fans from around the world. "As a Kentucky Native, it is an immense honor...
A months-long investigation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has determined that there was no specific cause for the 12 equine fatalities that occurred at Churchill Downs this past spring. The detailed study released Sept. 12, however, has yielded a newly created "strategic response plan" that HISA believes "will either contribute meaningfully to the reduction of equine fatalities or allow further study and analysis for future implementation if confirmed by the data." Speaking at a press conference that followed the release of the investigation's findings, Lisa Lazarus, HISA's...
Churchill Downs Racetrack officials have made slight modifications to the upcoming Road to the Kentucky Derby, the series of select races that will determine the preference list for the 150th GI Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 4, 2024, the track said in a release Friday. The Road to the Kentucky Derby, which debuted in 2013, annually awards a sliding scale of points to the top five finishing positions in select qualifying races. At the conclusion of the series, the leaderboard will determine the preference list for...
The Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, placed the first in-person sports wager at Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet said in a release Thursday morning. The bet was a $20 parlay on the win "over" for the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville football teams, and the "under" for Duke University's squad. "Today is a great day to celebrate and have a little bit of fun doing so," said Gov. Beshear. "It has taken many years to get here, but sports wagering is finally a reality in Kentucky....
Like the wildfires fanned by this summer's hot winds, doomsday predictions of horse racing's demise have raged through the mainstream and trade press this year, fueled by a sickening spate of high-profile equine fatalities on the sport's highest-profile stages--tracks armed with some of the most stringent safety guardrails. This means these horses passed before the eyes of a slew of experts--from the riders to the trainers to the veterinarians and the regulators--deemed among the best in the business. If they can't single out these horses before catastrophe happens, who can?...
Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}), who crossed the wire second in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day was officially disqualified by the Churchill Downs stewards in an Aug. 26 ruling. The ruling came after the post-race urine sample and a subsequent split sample tested positive for the substance mofebutazone. In addition, trainer Phil D'Amato was fined $1,000 and owners Scott Anasstasi, Jimmy Ukegawa and Tony Valazazz had to forfeit $194,000 in purse earnings. D'Amato and the owners waived...
USA Today named the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs as a top-ten best attraction for sports fans in the 2023 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards, the publication announced Tuesday. The Museum, which ranked fifth on the final list, was the only attraction in Kentucky nominated. The Museum was nominated along with 19 other attractions by a USA Today panel in July with the public voting for their favorites online. "We're honored to make the USA Today 10Best list, and we're grateful for everyone's votes," Patrick Armstrong, Kentucky Derby Museum...
Horse racing is at an existential moment. Just weeks after a series of breakdowns at Churchill Downs cast a shadow over the Kentucky Derby, a wave of horrifying horse deaths at Saratoga Race Course has once again brought questions about safety to the forefront of public consciousness. This is a tragedy, as every horse that breaks down also breaks our hearts. However, I believe our sport has reached a tipping point, and I predict there will be a Silver Lining emerging from all these tragedies. In the past week, I...
Raceday fatalities create powerful news stories anywhere. Social Media has ensured that our world of racing is now a global community, with news and videos dispatched within minutes to knowledgeable audiences in countries far beyond the American shores. However, shock will have reverberated throughout horse communities of many nations at the recent tragedies that have occurred on the racetracks at Saratoga and Churchill Downs. We all wait with bated breath to hear the steps that the major U.S. racecourses will take to remedy a very challenging moment for our sport,...
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rattle N Roll (Connect)'s very promising and then down-a-bit career path is on a solid upward trajectory approaching the historic $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. With six wins--five of them in graded stakes--and just over $1.6 million in earnings, Rattle N Roll has been a big success for the Mackin family's Lucky Seven Stable. After a two-month break from competition, the chestnut will face seven others in the 1 1/4 miles Gold Cup, long one of the premier races...
Ellis Park Racing & Gaming's summer season has come to a close with a substantial 22% gain in all-sources handle and 48% increase in prize money awarded. In total, more than $60.4 million was wagered at the 24-day Ellis Park meet, $11 million more than 2022. Along with the sizable handle increase, the connections who raced at Ellis Park were rewarded with more than $14.1 million in prize money, an increase of 49% from 2022. (includes funds from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund). "The racing season at Ellis Park has...