Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- In a division still crying out for a clear-cut leader, a full field of sophomore fillies will take centerstage in a deep renewal of Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Trainer Brad Cox will have three chances, including the top two choices on the morning-line, to collect a third Oaks trophy following wins with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020. After sweeping the Oaklawn Park series for 3-year-old fillies, Godolphin homebred and 5-2 Oaks morning-line favorite Wet Paint (Blame) shoots for a fourth straight...
Privately purchased after an impressive 8 1/2-length win when unveiled at Keeneland April 19, Youalmosthadme made it two-for-two with a win as the heavy 1-5 favorite in the Kentucky Juvenile S. at Churchill Downs Thursday. The only filly facing a field of maiden colts, the bay was sent right to the front to set a sharp opening quarter in :22.52. Only briefly challenged into the far turn by Tranche, she easily turned back that rival with a surge past the quarter pole and came home on cruise control, hitting the...
Churchill Downs has suspended Saffie Joseph, Jr. indefinitely and until further notice, the track announced Thursday. The announcement came on the heels of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)'s order to scratch all horses trained by Joseph from racing at the track, including Lord Miles (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. The news came at the end of a day of announcements from Joseph and others, after two of Joseph's horses died at Churchill this week, regarding whether or not he would seek to run his horses over the weekend....
4th-Churchill Downs, $123,249, Msw, 5-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.44, fm, 6 1/2 lengths. GLORIA'S PRINCESS (f, 3, Cairo Prince--Gloria S, by Tapit) took on two turns Apr. 1 over Gulfstream Park's turf and finished 1 1/2 lengths for second. As the heavy 3-2 chalk in this spot, the gray filly showed speed and controlled the early fractions as the pacesetter into the backstretch. Around the far turn, Gloria's Princess began to extend her lead and down the lane she accelerated past the eighth pole to win going away by...
Here are the final TDN Top 20 rankings, listed in "likeliest winner" order for the main field (also-eligibles noted separately below). 1) PRACTICAL MOVE (c, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) O-Leslie & Pierre Jean Amestoy & Roger Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $90,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-2, $884,200. Last Start: 1st Apr. 8 GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Morning Line Odds: 10-1. Practical Move rates as the likeliest winner of the Derby and...
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the more buzzed about workouts leading up to the first Saturday in May has been Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg})'s eye-catching, five-furlong bullet in :59 for trainer Keith Desormeaux at Churchill Downs last weekend. The steam behind the last-out Feb. 25 GII Rebel S. winner continued to build on a very lively backstretch as he led out the GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses with authority at 7:30 a.m. on another chilly and breezy Wednesday morning. 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) is certainly another...
After four equine fatalities suffered on the track over five days at Churchill Downs, the track issued a statement Wednesday saying that they share the concern fans had expressed over the past week, and would continue to "press for answers." Kentucky Derby hopeful Wild On Ice (Tapizar) suffered a fatal hind-end injury on April 27 after a work at Churchill and was later euthanized. Take Charge Briana (Curlin) broke down in the fifth race over the Churchill turf course Tuesday. While there would appear to be no connection between those...
A lithe, dappled bay daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, whose striking features and poetic stride make her easy to pick out on the main track at Churchill Downs, GI Kentucky Oaks contender Southlawn has certainly caught the attention of many leading up to her Run for the Lilies this Friday. But what many may not know is that trainer Norm Casse's stable pony, who escorts the filly to and from the track each morning, is also a star in his own right, as he is none other than multiple stakes...
After it had finally sunk in that he had won the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby with an 80-1 shot named Rich Strike (Keen Ice) that no one gave a chance, trainer Eric Reed started looking forward to when he would have his next taste of glory. Five races and 364 days later, he's still waiting. The year following the Derby has not been particularly kind to Rich Strike. He ran second in the GII Lukas Classic, but was out of the money in his four other starts. His 3-year-old campaign...
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - TDN Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of leading GI Kentucky Derby contenders to get their 'Early Impressions.' After pairing up matching 100 Beyer Speed Figures for trainer Tim Yakteen while capturing the GII San Felipe S. and GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Practical Move (Practical Joke) has firmly established himself as the best of the west heading into the Kentucky Derby. Last term's GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner brought $230,000 from owners Leslie and Pierre Amestoy and Roger Beasley out of the...
With 20 questions and a tiebreaker facing contest participants, entries are now open for the 2023 Thoroughbred Idea Foundation Derby Prop Contest, the organization said in a release Wednesday. The entry portal closes at 11:00 a.m. E.T. this Saturday, May 6. Players should keep track of their answers as you will not be able to revisit the survey portal once you submit your entry. Should a horse named directly in a prop be scratched, all answers to that prop may be counted as correct. Winners will be notified by email...
7th-Churchill Downs, $115,095, Msw, 5-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.85, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. SWEET AZTECA (f, 3, Sharp Azteca--So Sweetitiz {MSW, $180,480}, by Grand Slam) trained forwardly ahead of this debut, both at the Trackside training center and over the local strip, and was bet down from 8-1 to be off at just over 9-2 on debut. Hustled along to dispute the early pace through a quarter-mile in :20.82, the homebred grey maintained a narrow advantage as they raced around the turn. Bracing for an outside challenge from fellow firster...