Horse Racing

'Kentucky Roses,' a new Hallmark movie that premiered on their channel May 2 and began streaming through Hallmark+ May 3, is nothing short of a triumph for the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Set on the grounds of iconic Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, here's a film that has something for everyone. It's good, clean fun, but it also deals with myriad issues including class division, gender identity and the labyrinth that is family history. Most of all though, if you are trying to hook someone that knows next to...

Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable's Rhetorical (Not This Time) was trying nine furlongs for the first time in his career in Saturday's GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, but the distance proved no hindrance whatsoever, as the New York-bred wrested command not long after the break over a course that had been playing kind to front-running types over the weekend and proved not for catching. The 5-year-old gelding is the second consecutive winner of the Turf Classic bred in New York, joining Spirit of St...

Journalism (Curlin), who finished third in the GII Oaklawn Handicap in his 4-year-old debut April 18 in Hot Springs, returned to the work tab Saturday at Santa Anita for trainer Michael McCarthy. Also working for McCarthy was MGISW Formidable Man (City of Light), who has been off since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 1. Journalism worked four furlongs in :48.40. In the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap, Journalism finished two lengths back of winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), his rival from last year's Triple Crown run. McCarthy has...

With jockey Flavien Prat urging his mount on down the lane, Yellow Card (Lost Treasure (Ire)--Paris Girl, by Pulpit) was up in time to take the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes on Saturday's Derby undercard, which was the first higher-level win of the horse's career. Yellow Card captured his first black-type when he won the restricted Clocker's Corner Stakes at Santa Anita Feb. 8. Shipping to Keeneland for the GII Valvoline Global Shakertown Stakes, the Michael McCarthy trainee encountered some traffic troubles up the backstretch, but he showed heart...

Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm's Always a Runner (Gun Runner), who delivered a decisive performance Friday night under the lights at Churchill Downs to win the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, will ship to Saratoga and prepare for a summer campaign according to Chad Brown. The trainer said the filly will target the major Grade I races for 3-year-old fillies upstate. The GI Coaching Club Oaks at nine furlongs on the dirt is slated to run July 25. "These big races, with big fields, you have to have plans A,...

The runner-up in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, The Puma (Essential Quality) was scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday morning after his trainer Gustavo Delgado reported that the colt had some swelling in his leg. "We discovered some swelling in his leg due to a skin infection," said trainer Gustavo Delgado. "It's incredibly disappointing but the swelling should go down within a day or two. It's just really bad timing." The Puma, the winner of the GII ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby in early March, is owned by OGMA...

Mark Dobbin's Imaginationthelady (Not This Time) was pulled out to deliver her challenge entering the final furlong of Friday's $600,000 GII Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs and came with a stinging rally three off the inside to prove best in a four-way photo. Sent off the 12-5 favorite to improve for a narrow defeat at the hooves of the re-opposing Storm's Wake (Oscar Performance) in Keeneland's GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4, Imaginationthelady was taken in hand by Tyler Gaffalione and settled three back on the fence as Sanibel...

It was a battle of homebred debutantes down to the wire in Friday's fourth race on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill, as Godolphin's PASSERINE (f, 3, Nyquist--Al Andaleeb, by Bernardini) got just the better of OXO Equine's Battis Grove (Practical Joke) following an enervatiing final-furlong throwdown. Debuting at odds of 28-5, Passerine took up a position around midfield, with Battis Grove a couple of lengths ahead of her as the field raced down the Churchill backstretch. Working her way into it nicely while covering a bit of ground on...

13th-CD, $127k, Alw/OC ($125k), 3yo, 6 1/2f, 8:00 p.m. ET About an hour after the Derby goes official, a strong group of 3-year-olds are set to slug it out over 6 1/2 furlongs. Pin Oak Stud will be represented in the Run for the Roses by Albus (Yaupon) and Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) and the famed farm colors will be carried aboard GILDED BANDIT (Charlatan) in the evening's penultimate raced. A slow-starting fourth on Gulfstream debut Feb. 28, the $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad added blinkers and got just the better of...

The runner-up from the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct, Right to Party (Constitution) was scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby by state regulatory veterinarians on Friday morning and Robusta (Accelerate) will take his place in the Churchill Downs starting gate on Saturday. Trainer Kenny McPeek said he was upset with the scratch itself and the timing, as well as what he feels is a growing trend of regulatory scratches in Kentucky. "They said he [Right to Party] was lame all week." said McPeek. "Why didn't they call it before...

Dream Quest (Drain the Clock--Dream Collector, by Collected) made her initial start a winning one at Santa Anita Park on Thursday and her freshman sire collected his first win. The 2-year-old Cal-bred, in the inaugural juvenile race of the season at the track, sped to the lead after a competitive break and held sway through the top of the lane. The Steve Knapp trainee fended off a couple of challengers and got to the wire in time. Thirsty Caitlin (Stay Thirsty) was the runner-up. Drain the Clock--winner of the GI...

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f&m, 7f, 2:00 p.m. ET. Juddmonte homebred COUPLET (Gun Runner) heads to the post with some strong drills under her belt in Louisville for trainer Michael McCarthy. The farm acquired the first-time starter's dam, Canadian champion 2-year-old & GISW Spring in the Air (Spring At Last), for $1.65-million during the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Couplet's extended female family includes GI Spinaway Stakes winner Sweet Loretta (Tapit) and GSW Nafisa (Quality Road). TJCIS PPS 2nd-CD, $134K, OC80K/N2X, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:00 p.m. ET. A $300,000 2024 Keeneland September...