Churchill Downs
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) remained on target for Saturday's GI Preakness S. after a 1 1/2-mile gallop at Churchill Downs Sunday morning. "He seems to be pretty sharp," Scott Blasi, who oversees trainer Steve Asmussen's Churchill division, said of the GI Kentucky Derby runner-up and likely Preakness favorite. "I love how he's doing. He galloped today like that was nothing; walked off the track with good energy. We'll put a little work in him and go. Not much to do from here on out.... [but] win." Epicenter had...
Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) turned in his second work since a ninth-place finish in the Feb. 28 G1 Saudi Cup when going four furlongs in :49.20 (19/50) at Churchill Downs Sunday. "He worked an easy three-eighths last week and we came back with just an easy half-mile [Sunday]," trainer Brad Cox said of last year's GI Kentucky Derby winner. "He got delayed coming back to Churchill from Saudi, so we just wanted to be easy on him for a little while and get him back going. We'll start to...
2nd-Churchill Downs, $86,540, Msw, 5-13, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.73, ft, 1 length. DAZZLINGDOMINIKA (f, 2, Ghostzapper--Trappingsofsilver, by Trappe Shot) improved for a seventh to 'TDN Rising Star' Love Reigns (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) sprinting over the Keeneland turf course Apr. 29 to become the first winner in the young career of trainer Will Walden Friday at Churchill Downs. Quickly into stride from her outside draw, the chestnut was overtaken to her outside by Ski Slope (Frosted) with 3 1/2 furlongs to race, but held her spot at the fence...
The post-race tests for banned substances in GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks horses have cleared, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced Wednesday. "The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) has received laboratory results from post-race samples taken on May 6, and May 7, 2022, at Churchill Downs," said the KHRC press release. "All samples for both days were cleared. This includes the post-race samples from the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby."
A crowd of 147,294 witnessed Rich Strike's (Keen Ice) 80-1 upset in the 148th running of the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $273.8 million, a 17% increase over 2021 and up 9% from the previous record in 2019 of $250.9 million. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby race totaled $179.0 million, up 15% over 2021 and up 8% from the previous record of $166.5 million set in 2019. This year's wagering record includes $8.3 million of handle...
Adding blinkers proved quite fruitful two days in a row for Brendan Walsh. 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) donned blinkers for the first time Friday when registering an upset score in the GII Edgewood S. The additional equipment was even more lucrative for Walsh Saturday when Santin became the latest Grade I winner for his timeless sire Distorted Humor with a gutsy victory in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at Churchill Downs. Away alertly from the outside post in this 10-horse affair, the 7-1...
Edited Press Release Officials at Churchill Downs Incorporated reported a new handle record for Friday's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks program at Churchill Downs. Despite a threat of widespread scattered thunderstorms, 100,188 spectators gathered under the historic Twin Spires to watch Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas win his fifth Kentucky Oaks. Wagering from all-sources on the full Kentucky Oaks day race card totaled $74.6 million, up 37% compared to 2021 and up 24% compared to the previous record in 2019. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks itself was $24.3...
The legend of trainer D. Wayne Lukas got just a little bit longer Friday afternoon. Fully four decades after Stonereath Farms' Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom {Fr}) gave the Hall of Famer a maiden victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks--now sponsored by Longines--and 32 years after Seaside Attraction (Seattle Slew) provided William T. Young's Overbrook Farm with their lone success in the fillies' feature for Lukas's fourth and most recent winner, Briland Farm homebred Secret Oath (Arrogate) was back to her brilliant best beneath the Twin Spires, as she capitalized...
Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) makes her first start for Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown in the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. Saturday. The 5-year-old mare, who just missed when second in the 2020 G1 French 1000 Guineas and again when third in last year's G1 Prix Rothschild, was purchased by Brant for €1.95 million at last year's Arqana December sale. Brant and Brown will also be represented in the Distaff Turf Mile by In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The 4-year-old was a flashy wire-to-wire...
Just One Time (Not This Time), beaten just once in seven starts, will look to follow up on her win in the Apr. 9 GI Madison S. in the GI Derby City Distaff S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. The 4-year-old filly closed late to win the Jan. 29 GII Inside Information S. by 3/4-lengths over Four Graces (Majesticperfection) in her first outing for trainer Brad Cox and defeated the hard-knocking Bell's The One (Majesticperfection) by that same margin in the Madison. She faces both of those foes again Saturday. Since...
Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. The Charles Fipke homebred, saddled by Roger Attfield, gets an extra furlong to work with after a dramatic late-running victory in the GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland last time out Apr. 15. The lightly raced 'TDN Rising Star', who will be making his first start at Churchill Downs, won the 2020 GIII Marine S. over the all-weather at Woodbine and captured the GIII Tampa Bay S. over the...
First-time blinkers did the trick for 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve, who uncorked a very impressive last-to-first rally to upend Friday's GII Edgewood S. on the Churchill turf. A head-turning debut winner Dec. 10 at Fair Grounds over three next-out graduates, the blaze-faced chestnut added a narrow optional claiming tally there Jan. 29. She was bounced around in the stretch of the Mar. 12 Allen Black Cat Lacombe S. back in NOLA Mar. 12, and had to settle for third that day at 9-5. More or less ignored here...