Horse Racing

When last seen in Grade I company at Keeneland, Hat Creek Racing's Percy's Bar (Upstart) crossed the wire an apparent open-lengths winner of the GI Darley Alcibiades S. last October, only to be demoted from the victory for causing interference and placed second. The $52,000 Keeneland September bargain was back in Lexington in Friday's opening-day feature, the GI Central Bank Ashland S., and with a rail-skimming run into the short stretch, Percy's Bar went on to an authoritative 2 1/4-length defeat of heavily favored Zany (American Pharoah). French Friction (City...

Using some late heroics on opening day, A Fine Chardonnay (Maclean's Music--Andele, by Bernardini) popped another cork in the winner's circle at Keeneland as she captured the GII MiddleGround Capital Beaumont Stakes on Friday afternoon. A maiden winner on debut by two lengths at Churchill Downs last September, A Fine Chardonnay took the Myrtlewood Stakes over the Keeneland main track a month later. Finishing off her juvenile campaign, the Ian Wilkes trainee was third in the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 29. The newly minted 3-year-old was back...

LIGHTS OUT LENI (Speightstown) was well-backed by the betting public as the 6-5 favorite for her debut here. The filly meant business at the bell and proceeded to make every pole a winning one through the top of the lane. Making the most of her unveiling, the 3-year-old sailed home a no-doubt graduate for Al Gold. Directive (Gun Runner) was the runner-up. The winner's dam is responsible for 2-year-old colt Sultan of Swing (Justify) and a yearling filly by Yaupon. A half-sister to GI TVG Acorn Stake heroine Sweet Reason...

Making her first start since finishing a close fourth at live odds in a single juvenile appearance at Churchill Downs last June, Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Where Luck Lives (Nyquist) was speedy enough to clear all of the traffic to her inside and ran home determinedly in the final furlong to make her sophomore debut a winning one Friday afternoon at Keeneland. A half-sister to Grade I winner Vahva (Gun Runner, $2,289,010), the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga acquisition was last in, but first out and she methodically worked her way...

The Wesley Ward-owned and -trained SUSPICIONS (c, 2, Corniche--Manoag, by Nyquist) loaded the gate as the 13-10 favorite for the opening race of the Keeneland Spring meet Friday afternoon and reported home a relatively easy winner to get his freshman sire (by Quality Road) off the mark with his very first runner. Drawn one from the outside, Suspicions was beaten out of the gate by the well-backed Joe Joe Dude (Practical Joke) down on the inside, but the Ward runner quickly made up for lost time and was right alongside...

Friday, Apr. 3 was my last day at my dream job. After seven years with the Retired Racehorse Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit, I stepped away from the role of managing director and an incredible team of passionate individuals working towards a simple goal in a complicated landscape: increasing demand for Thoroughbreds beyond racing. It was the perfect job for someone who grew up horse-crazy, blessed with a way with words but lacking the talent to make it as a full-time horsewoman in any aspect of the industry. I started in...

Mike Battaglia, who has served as Churchill Downs's morning line oddsmaker for more than five decades, will retire from the role ahead of the 44-day spring meet and be replaced by Nick Tammaro, according to a press release from the track on Friday. Battaglia was responsible for setting the odds at Churchill Downs since 1974. He also served as the track's announcer from 1977-97 and later as a simulcast host from 1997-2007. "I'm very appreciative of everyone at Churchill Downs for the opportunity over the years," Battaglia said. "It's been...

The Jockey Club of Canada plans to honor Chief Steward Doug Anderson with a Special Sovereign Award during the 51st annual awards ceremony on Thursday, Apr. 23, the organization said in a release early Friday. Selected unanimously by the Jockey Club of Canada's stewards, the award recognizes a particular achievement within a given year. The release said that Anderson's career reflects an unwavering dedication to racing, breeding and aftercare.

A Triple Crown nominee, MEMORY (Uncle Mo) debuted a well-beaten seventh behind stablemate and newly minted 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) at 'The Great Race Place' Mar. 7. As a 9-2 shot here, the hooded dark bay fired out of the gate and was in the mix heading into the first turn. Taken in hand entering the backstretch as his stablemate Authentic Patriot (Authentic) proceeded to carve out the fractions, the Keeneland grad waited for the right time to strike. The colt was asked for speed...

4th-KEE, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 2:36 p.m. ET. PHANTOM BLUE (Ghostzapper), a Resolute Racing purchase for $1.2-million during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, was sent to trainer Brendan Walsh. Out of the winning Seeking the Blue (Arch), the filly is a half-sister to MGSP Janis Joplin (California Chrome), MSP Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) and as of Mar. 27 she has a new half-brother by Not This Time. Phantom Blue's third dam is MGSW Atlantic Ocean (Stormy Atlantic). On the same Speightstown-Medaglia d'Oro cross that yielded current sires...

6th-OP, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 4:25 p.m. ET. FEMINISM (Curlin) makes her first start for trainer Steve Asmussen. Initially a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling buy, the filly posted a 10 flat breeze during OBS June, then sailed through the ring to become the sales topper when Gus King took her home for $975,000. The first-time starter is out Mufajaah (Tapit), who had a fair amount of success visiting the Larry Snyder Winner's Circle at Oaklawn where she won, among other races, the GIII Bayakoa Stakes. The dam of eight...

There was some good news and some bad news this week for rising star trainer Cherie DeVaux. On Saturday, she will send out Reagan's Honor (Honor A.P). in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. The horse is coming off a sizzling performance at the allowance level in New Orleans and is expected to run a big race at Keeneland--one that could make him eligible for a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. DeVaux also has 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Golden Tempo (Curlin) in her barn and he has...