Churchill Downs

Rafael Bejarano became just the 15th jockey to record as many at 500 victories at historic Churchill Downs when the debuting juvenile filly Just Cindy (Justify) validated 6-5 favoritism for trainer Eddie Kenneally Friday afternoon. A native of Peru who will celebrate his 40th birthday June 23, Bejarano began riding at the Louisville oval in 2003 and earned three riding titles (Spring, 2004-5, Fall 2005) before shifting his tack to California in 2008. Arguably Bejarano's finest hour in the saddle came beneath the Twin Spires in 2010, when he shoved...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-CD, $120K, MSW, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 2:13 p.m.    Homebred filly JUST AN ANGEL (Justify), bred by Mulholland Springs LLC and racing for owners L and N Racing LLC and Mulholland Springs, is the last foal out of GISP Battlefield Angel (Proud Citizen), making her a half-sister to GISP Manny Wah (Will Take Charge). Battlefield Angel herself was a half-sister to MGISP and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky), also campaigned by L and N Racing, and MGSW Blended Citizen...

Thursday's eight-race program at Churchill Downs has been cancelled because of excessive heat in the Louisville area. Racing at Churchill Downs is scheduled to resume Friday at 12:45 p.m. ET, although track officials will continue to monitor the forecast. Any decision about cancellations in extreme weather conditions is made through consultation with CDI's Equine Medical Director, track management and regulatory officials. Many factors, including temperature, humidity and wind speeds, are evaluated to ensure the safety and well-being of human and equine athletes. Churchill Downs will be open for simulcast wagering...

Wednesday's eight-race program at Churchill Downs has been cancelled because of excessive heat in the Louisville area. A National Weather Service excessive heat warning for Louisville remains in effect until Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. Heat index values of 105 to 109 are forecasted for Wednesday. Cancellations of races at Churchill Downs because of weather conditions are rare. Wednesday's cancellation was the 22nd in track history and only the second related to extreme heat, joining June 28, 2012. Racing at Churchill Downs is scheduled to resume Thursday at 5 p.m....

Jack Harlow, one of the most popular up-and-coming rappers in America, was in the spotlight at Churchill Downs when the 24-year-old delivered the 'Riders Up' call for this year's Kentucky Derby. The Louisville native made his visit to the races an all-day event by filming a music video for his new song entitled 'Churchill Downs.' Named a top new artist at last year's Billboard Music Awards, Harlow's popularity has skyrocketed this year after the release of his album Come Home The Kids Miss You, which includes his No. 1 hit...

Cyberknife, who earned a spot in the GI Kentucky Derby with his win in the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby, never factored on the First Saturday in May, but got a graded win under the Twin Spires with a dramatic victory in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs Sunday. Sent off the 1-2 favorite, the chestnut colt tucked in behind the early leaders to save ground on the first turn, but rushed up to press pacesetting Howling Time while racing keenly down the backstretch through moderate splits. Cyberknife...

Churchill Downs Racetrack has suspended racing over its Matt Winn Turf Course for at least two weeks, according to a release from the track. The move comes five days after they announced that they would limit usage of the course to two races per day, and a day after Gingrich, the 9-5 second choice in Friday's second race, was vanned off after he "went wrong" according to the Equibase chart. He was subsequently euthanized. The Matt Winn Course was newly installed for the current meeting which opened April 30. "In...

Churchill Downs Racetrack is looking for a new agency to develop Kentucky Derby and Oaks logos for the next three years, beginning with and including the upcoming 150th runnings of the historic events, which will take place in 2024. Churchill has officially issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) in the search for a qualified creative agency for the conception, development, and execution of event marks and style guides. "The event marks must further establish the Derby and Oaks as must-see global events, commemorate and celebrate the storied history of those...

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and partners appear to have another potential monster on their hands, as Gulfport (c, 2, Uncle Mo--Fame and Fortune, by Unbridled's Song) ran away from his rivals to graduate by seven lengths at first asking at Churchill Downs to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star' and the 10th overall for his successful stallion. Pounded into 1-2 favoritism with a best-of-63 half-mile from the gate in :46 flat at Keeneland on display, the $275,000 Fasig-Tipton July acquisition by Joe Pickerrell and Courtney Roberts's Pick View LLC...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD HOPES SECOND TIME'S A CHARM 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 12:50 p.m. Blueblooded Juddmonte homebred ARTORIUS (Arrogate) ran a huge race on debut at Keeneland Apr. 16, producing an eye-catching rally from well back to be second behind a 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Under Oath (Speightstown). The son of MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), who was recently profiled in Steve Sherack's "Second Chances" column, gets that second chance Friday in the Belmont opener. He faces a pair of well-related colts also making their second...

Just days after the one-year anniversary of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI)'s, ruling-off of trainer Bob Baffert over his repeated equine medication violations, the gaming corporation that controls the GI Kentucky Derby swatted back at the Hall of Fame trainer in federal court in an attempt to get a judge to dismiss a lawsuit initiated by Baffert that aims to reverse the two-year ban. "For the past eleven months, Bob Baffert has tried to dodge accountability for drugging Medina Spirit," CDI wrote in a reply brief filed June 6 in United...

Churchill Downs will be curtailing usage of its newly installed $10-million turf course for the remainder of the meet by capping grass races to a maximum of two per day and moving 19 races listed in condition books two and three to the main dirt track. The news arrived Sunday in the form of a note on the overnight for the June 10 races. On Monday, Churchill's senior director of communications, Darren Rogers, explained the reasoning to TDN via email. "We've decided it's best to limit turf racing to two...