Churchill Downs
Damon's Mound (Girvin) made his 4-1 odds look like quite a gift in this unveiling, rolling home to a daylight victory and 'TDN Rising Star' honors Saturday at Churchill Downs. Off to a slow start, the Florida-bred advanced to be a three-wide fifth, keeping tabs on the front runners through a :21.85 opening quarter. Drawing even approaching the turn, the bay took command as the half went in :45.49 and bounded clear with ease to graduate by 12 1/2 lengths. Easy Big Boy (Cloud Computing) was the best of the rest...
Holiday weekends are often synonymous with exciting race cards and this Fourth of July weekend is no exception with a dozen graded events on tap Saturday that include some of racing's best. The highlight of the day's action is the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who is making his first start back since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 in Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S. A dominant winner of last year's GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile...
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Disarm (c, 2, Gun Runner--Easy Tap, by Tapit) turned it on nicely in the stretch to report home an encouraging third on debut at Churchill Downs June 19. The chestnut's worktab, dating back to late March, was led by a four-furlong bullet in :46 4/5 (1/28) at Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen's Louisville base June 6. Outfooted early and under a ride in eighth through an opening quarter...
They may just have five 2-year-olds in their budding stable, but John Bellinger and Brian Coelho of BC Stables are off to a fast start under the expert guidance of trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Their third starter became their first winner and what a winner she was! The stable's lone filly Summer Promise (Uncle Mo) romped to 'TDN Rising Stardom' in her debut at Churchill Downs Saturday. "She is a special filly," said Bellinger, who was in the winner's circle Saturday with his wife Gina. "Wayne was in Ohio for...
Churchill Downs Racetrack officials have opted to suspend racing over the Matt Winn Turf Course for four stakes events on Saturday and Sunday "to allow the root system on the new course to continue to develop", the track said in a release.. Racing on turf at Churchill Downs was initially paused June 11 with hope for a possible return on closing weekend of the Spring Meet. The decision to cease was made following turf training over the seven-furlong grass oval Tuesday. "The root system for the new Bermuda-hybrid continues to...
Walter Rodriguez, a 24-year-old native of El Salvador, rode the first winner of his career when he guided Rationalmillennial (Orb)--owned and trained by Jose Corrales--to victory in the sixth race at Laurel Park Sunday. "I kept looking at the right side to make sure nobody else was coming because I wanted to go around the horse in front of me, and after that I knew I had it," Rodriguez said. "It's very, very exciting. It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of help from all my friends."...
7th-Churchill Downs, $92,690, Msw, 6-26, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.44, ft, neck. MARDUKAS (c, 2, Always Dreaming--Blue Kisses, by Pulpit) pulled off a 44-1 shocker to become his freshman sire (by Bodemeister)'s first winner in his second career start, a notable improvement from his prior effort at track and trip when he finished seventh June 8. Tracking from third on the fence early, he rode the saved ground into the lane after a :46.24 half, and prevailed late by a neck in a long drive for home. Cortese (Speightster) followed him...
A colorful pioneering family of bloodstock agents, horse traders, bronc riders and trainers has lost a mainstay in Thomas R. Bell, Jr. who passed away Friday night at age 93. "Three generations [of Bells] were responsible for two Kentucky Derby winners," said his son, trainer Thomas R. Bell II, known as Ray. Bell and his father, the World Champion rodeo cowboy Thomas R. Bell, purchased Tomy Lee, who won the 1959 Kentucky Derby for trainer Frank Childs. Ray Bell selected Charismatic as a weanling for Bob and Beverly Lewis. The...
Susan Moulton's Andthewinneris (Oscar Performance), an impressive debut winner over the turf at Keeneland in April (video), will move to the main track when he makes his second start in the Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs July 4. The bay colt had his second work over the Churchill main track Sunday, going four furlongs from the gate in :49.60 (50/95). He worked the same distance in a bullet :46.80 (1/156) June 18. "There were, and still are, a lot of options we had for him after he broke his...
They could only scrape together a field of four for Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont Park, run two weeks after they had a field of four in the GI Acorn S. Saturday's third race at Belmont fared no better. Only four went in the Wild Applause S., and three of them were trained by Chad Brown. And it isn't just a NYRA problem. The number of stakes run across the country that have attracted five horses or fewer is alarming. Since May 7, GI Kentucky Derby Day, there...
Top of the Charts (Maclean's Music) proved his impressive debut was no fluke with another good-looking score against winners at Churchill Downs Saturday. He wired a six-panel maiden special weight at this oval in his May 28 career bow, graduating by 2 3/4 lengths and earning an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Gelded after that debut, the bay was the slight second choice at 9-5 ($1.90) behind another son of Maclean's Music named Favorite Outlaw ($1.80), who earned a whopping 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his second-out graduation at Oaklawn in...
A week ahead of their expected clash in the $750,000 GII Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs, 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and fellow Grade I winner Americanrevolution (Constitution) each breezed five furlongs beneath the Twin Spires Saturday morning. The adjudicated winner of the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby, Mandaloun hit the track at 5:30 a.m. and covered the five furlongs while working on his own in 1:00.80 under the watchful eye of trainer Brad Cox. His previous moves had come in the company of his GIII Oaklawn Mile-winning stablemate...