Horse Racing

Keeneland and Stable Recovery, a groundbreaking peer-driven program that offers recovering addicts the opportunity to learn the skills needed to find meaningful employment in the Thoroughbred industry, are teaming to launch a dedicated Maintenance Cohort at Keeneland Aug. 1, according to a Thursday press release from the track. The Maintenance Cohort will be a specialized extension of the existing 90-day Taylor Made School of Horsemanship focusing on practical skills, job readiness and character development through hard work and accountability. Keeneland will be the first race track nationally to provide on-site...

Consigned by Paramount Sales, Regaled (Mohaymen--Ascot Walk, by Daaher)--a 4-year-old filly who recently finished second by a neck in the Heavenly Cause Stakes at Laurel Park Apr. 12--will be offered in the Inglis Digital USA May Sale, which is scheduled for Friday, May 23 through Wednesday, May 28, according a press release from the online auction company. Bred by Chris Baccari and owned by Brittnee Caballero, Regaled is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Drexel Hill (Bolt d'Oro). "We are thrilled to represent longtime horseman Samuel G. Davis with...

GI Kentucky Derby victor Sovereignty (Into Mischief) arrived early Thursday morning at Saratoga Race Course to begin his preparations for the GI Belmont Stakes June 7. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for owner/breeder Godolphin, the bay shipped from Churchill Downs and arrived around 7:30 a.m. ET to the barn of the veteran conditioner, along with recent Churchill runners 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit) and Resilience (Into Mischief). "He came off the van like a tiger," said Mott. "He's had good energy for a horse that just ran a...

Bob Baffert notified Pimlico Race Course officials Thursday of his intention to enter undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time), as well as GII Wood Memorial Stakes hero Rodriguez (Authentic) in the GI Preakness Stakes. Goal Oriented debuted at Santa Anita Apr. 6 with an off-the-pace 3 1/4-length victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight event, which earned him a 'Rising Star' badge. The 3-year-old cleared an optional claimer in front-running fashion on the Derby undercard. A $425,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, Goal Oriented is...

Journalism (Curlin), a game runner-up in last Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, remains a candidate for the GI Preakness Stakes May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, the colt's connections confirmed on Thursday. Sent off at as the 7-2 favorite in the Derby, Journalism is owned by the partnership of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert V. LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5 LLC., Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism remains at Churchill Downs. The barn reported that the colt has...

The TDN article "In Lab Variability, Horse Racing Playing Catchup With Human Sports" raises some important issues and, although its consideration of them is fair, it only does this from a USA perspective. While this is understandable, it is also relevant to look at the achievements made in this space internationally, much of which has been pioneered by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), which is the global leader for Thoroughbred racing. Firstly, I want to congratulate HISA/HIWU on their significant progress in enhancing testing standards in racing laboratories...

All-sources wagering on the 151st running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday set a new record of $349 million, smashing the previous record of $320.5 million established in 2024. All-sources wagering on the Derby alone was a record $234.4 million, easily surpassing the previous high-water mark of $210.7 million recorded in 2024. The all-sources handle for the week of racing leading up to an including Derby day set a new mark of $473.9 million, up from $446.6 million last May. TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the...

13th-Churchill Downs, $127,847, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 5-3, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.69, sy, 2 1/4 lengths. PATCH ADAMS (c, 3, Into Mischief--Well Humored {SW}, by Distorted Humor), who always has been marked by the betting public as the chalk, earned a 'TDN Rising Star' badge at second asking when the colt won by 10 1/2 lengths and posted a 98 Beyer under the Twin Spires at the end of November. The Triple Crown nominee just missed hitting the board in the GIII Southwest Stakes Jan. 25 and ran a well-beaten...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the winner with authority of the 2025 GI Kentucky Derby. The Godolphin homebred launched from the clouds and powered by favored Journalism (Curlin) after a flawless ride from Junior Alvarado to secure the 151st Run for the Roses before a rain-soaked crowd of 147,406 at Churchill Downs. The blue-blooded Baeza (McKinzie) rallied for third. Sovereignty completed the Classic distance of 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.31 over a sloppy-and-sealed track. The victory completed a monumental weekend for Sheikh Mohammed's global operation, which also won Friday's...

From his nine previous rides on the veteran New York-bred Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro), jockey Manny Franco had amassed an enviable record of seven wins and two second-place efforts, one of those defeats coming by a flared nostril. With Tyler Gaffalione--who rode the gelding to victory in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf two starts back--sidelined via injury,  Franco rekindled his relationship with the Chad Brown galloper in Saturday's GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the partnership's 10th trip to the races resulted in their biggest score...

A well-backed 21-10 favorite in the $1-million American Turf Stakes, newly upgraded to Grade I status, Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) sat a perfect trip from close up, took over inside the final furlong and outlasted his chief market rivals Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) and European raider New Century (GB) (Kameko) for the victory. A maiden winner going 1400 meters in testing ground at Saint-Cloud for the legendary Andre Fabre last June, Zulu Kingdom was pitched straight into graded company upon his arrival in the U.S. and acquitted...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A frustrating runner-up in last year's GI Belmont Stakes and GI NYRA Bets Haskell S., 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) put it all together for a much-deserved first Grade I victory in a heart-stopping and completely stacked renewal of the GI Churchill Downs S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Favored 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), making his first start for Bob Baffert since running his record to three-for-three in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes some 15 months ago, dead-heated for second with the David Jacobson-trained, co-owned...