Horse Racing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The GII Pat Day Mile S. appeared to be loaded with early speed on paper, but it was 13-1 longshot Macho Music (Maclean's Music) who proved fastest of all. Exiting an 11 1/4-length, front-running romp in the state-bred restricted Sophomore S. going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 30, Macho Music was ridden aggressively by Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano and cleared the field of nine leaving the chute over the sloppy going. He took ownership of the Pat Day Mile from there and sped...

Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), who finished seventh in Friday's GI La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs, moved fine the next morning and will be given ample time off, according to a post on X by her trainer Kenny McPeek. "Thorpedo Anna walked well this morning," McPeek wrote. "We are going to X-ray her ankles and knees then send her to Rood and Riddle for Dr Larry Bramlage to examine her. The first turn incident may have thrown her off her game, or maybe the three week...

With more than 100,000 in attendance on what became a wet Oaks Day, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) reported that all-sources wagering on the GI Kentucky Oaks was $22.7 million, which was up four percent from last year, but betting from all-sources on the full race day card was $73.9 million, which was down 1.9% from last year's record $75.3 million, the company said in a release late on Friday. TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Oaks, handled a new record of $20.9 million in wagering on Churchill Downs...

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 5-2 morning line favorite Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) has been scratched from the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes by the state veterinarian, according to Team Valor's Barry Irwin on Saturday morning. "Brendan [Walsh] told me that the state vet was there this morning and jogged her and thought she was just a tick off," said Irwin. "Brendan jogged her himself and thought she looked fine, but did it again later and she was off. She was supposed to have a workout two...

The Florida Legislature has concluded policy discussions for the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, effectively killing the proposed decoupling provisions of Senate Bill 408, House Bill 105, and House Bill 1467, all of which the Florida Senate declined to approve for final passage, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association said in a press release late on Friday. However, Florida law requires the legislature to pass a balanced state budget each year. To meet this constitutional requirement, the legislature has extended the session through June 6, but has limited the focus...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the weeks leading up to the GI Kentucky Oaks, you can't blame trainer Brad Cox if he wasn't quite ready-- at least yet--to compare the unbeaten Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) to either of his two previous winners in the most important race for 3-year-old fillies. Think he may be ready now. Off as the 6-5 favorite over a surface turned sloppy and sealed by torrential rains that ripped through the Louisville area around 4 p.m. and pushed back the start of the Oaks by 13 minutes,...

Queen Maxima (Bucchero) is a 'princess' in the barn but a 'tiger' on the track in the estimation of trainer Jeff Mullins, who registered his first graded-stakes victory beyond the borders of California since 2017 when the Florida-bred 4-year-old filly overwhelmed her rivals in Friday's GIII Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs. The final time of 1:01.29 establishes a new course record, despite significant rainfall that resulted in a downgrade of the turf from firm to good for the 5 1/2-furlong dash. A filly speedy enough to make the running,...

Pretty is as pretty does. And what Lael Stables' She Is Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) does, she does with routine brilliance. Pretty good. Pretty convincing. Pretty devastating. And pretty much the one they'll be trying to beat in the top-level middle-distance contests to come over the summer and fall in the distaff turf division following a comprehensive victory in Friday's GIII Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs on her seasonal debut. Sent off at skinny, yet reasonable odds of 3-5--a penny shy of 4-5--the $240,000 Keeneland September graduate raced outside in the second...

A day that dawned with the news that Repole Stable's Grande (Curlin) was to be scratched from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby turned considerably brighter for connections when 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) made his much-anticipated 4-year-old debut a winning one, establishing a new track record in Friday's $750,000 GII Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs. Suffice to say that the homebred colt's trip to Louisville went a wee bit better than his last. Having earned a massive 110 Beyer in demolishing his rivals in...

1st-Gulfstream, $42,200, Msw, 5-2, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :55.58, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. COPERNIUM (c, 2, Charlatan--Hang a Star {GSP, $149,111}, by Tapizar) became the first winner for his very popular first-crop sire (by Speightstown) and the third high-profile OBS March graduate to debut victoriously over the last three days. The 3-2 second pick in a scratched-down field of four, the $375,000 breezer was clearly last away from the machine and was in tight through the early exchanges before bulling his way through to lead before the turn. Firmly in front...

Grande (Curlin) will not make the elongated Churchill Downs starting gate for the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday because he was ruled off by the state veterinarians, according to a tweet on X from owner Mike Repole. Initially it was reported by Churchill Downs that trainer Todd Pletcher scratched the horse because of a foot bruise. The runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes was prepping last week for the Derby at Keeneland before making the trip over to train at Churchill Downs. A $300,000 Keeneland September buy, the 3-year-old...

As you review the entries for the marquee races this weekend at Churchill Downs, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday, you'll notice a common name listed among the connections: Brereton C. Jones. Though many outside of the Thoroughbred industry will recognize the name as that of the former governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for those within it, it's one that evokes immense pride and gratitude for a man who was a true stalwart of the sport. Sadly, Brereton--the founder and...