Keeneland

The prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks came to a conclusion last week and the field looks more or less set. It should be a quality, competitive race with no clear standout. The big story last week was the win in the GI Ashland Stakes by Percy's Bar (Upstart). It was a powerful, eye-opening performance, one that was good that she has moved up in this poll from the 10th spot to the top spot. So, here goes, your latest and last Top 10 for the Kentucky Oaks: 1)...

Two years ago and on the heels of a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) returned to American shores for his seasonal debut in the GI Maker's Mark Mile and ran out a ready 2 1/4-length winner. Eclipse Award-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will jump a warm favorite in an attempt to repeat the dose Friday afternoon at Keeneland, with William Buick--the only rider the 5-year-old has known in his career--in for the steer. It...

The first runner and winner for freshman sire Golden Pal (by Uncle Mo), SKARA BRAE (Golden Pal--Mince, by War Front) was installed for her debut as the 2-5 favorite here. The filly exited the gate in good order and proceeded to make every pole a winning one. Running free down the lane, the 2-year-old won by 4 1/2 lengths over Crossfire (Goldencents). On Wednesday at Keeneland, owners Ten Broeck Farm had the first winner for freshman sire Life Is Good, and they also campaigned Kimari (Munnings) who in took home...

Five years ago, Stonehaven Steadings enjoyed one of its biggest days in the sales ring when a colt by Quality Road, co-bred by the Reddoch family's operation, topped the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring sale on a bid of $1.5 million. The youngster went on to become champion Corniche. Leah and Aidan O'Meara, daughter and son-in-law of the farm's founders Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch, will be back in Ocala next week and dreaming of a similar result when they send a filly by Curlin (hip 800) through the ring...

3rd-KEE, $120K, ALW/N1X, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 2:04 p.m. ET. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', and Triple Crown nominee TOUCH OF FIRE (Constitution) comes to Keeneland to contest an allowance race over the Haggin Turf Course. The Juddmonte homebred cleared by seven lengths on debut at Fair Grounds in early January, which earned the colt a commendation from this publication for his effort. After finishing as the runner-up in the Black Gold Stakes in New Orleans in late February, the Brad Cox trainee is tabbed as the 9-5 morning line...

The 530-acre Shadwell Stallion Complex came onto the market just one week ago, and has been the subject of interest from parties domestic and foreign alike, said Ken Donworth, the listing agent with Bluegrass Sotheby's International Realty. "We've had some foreign interest, but it's mainly been domestic," the agent commented. "I think due to the fact that the horse business in Kentucky is doing well. And I think a lot of people are moving from Texas, California, New York, Oregon. There's a lot of domestic interest." The complex is situated...

There may not be a harder-working man in racing journalism that Nick Luck. In addition to his work on NBC's racing broadcasts, he hosts the podcasts Nick Luck Daily and Nick Luck on Sunday, and has covered major racing events for networks in the U.K. Australia, Hong Kong, and throughout the Middle East. In 2017, he became the BBC Equestrian commentator, and has since covered the Olympia Horse Show, Badminton Horse Trials, Burghley Horse Trials, and the Olympic Games for the BBC. Luck has been named Horserace Writers' & Photographers'...

Topping the list (technically it's at the bottom) are the 1-2-3 finishers from Keeneland's Madison Stakes, deeper in quality than any race so far this year. 6--MUNNINGS EXPRESS, AQU, Apr 4--WON, 6 1/2 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure--90 (video) (f, 4, Munnings--Freudie Anne, by Freud) O-Team Spoor; B-Fergus Galvin, Marc Detampel, Jayne Johnson & Adrian Wallace (NY); T-Linda Rice; J-Jose Lezcano. Aqueduct's runaway leading trainer Rice stuffed the entry box with 11 runners on Wood Memorial day and came away with four winners, including Richard Spoor's ascending New York-bred filly who...

It was a fantastic week for fast maidens--the top five all registered 92+ on the Beyer scale. 5) OUT OF THE WOODS, OP, 4/3-7th, 1 1/16m VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure-92 (g, 3, Constitution--Sensitive, by Divine Park) O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, Panic Stable and William Strauss. B-Daniel Burke and Kathleen Burke Schweizer (Ky). T-Phil D'Amato. J-Ramon Vazquez. After repeatedly running into Baffert buzzsaws, Out of the Woods was sent to Oaklawn for higher purses and softer maidens. His recent sharp breezes indicated the change might be positive, and he...

With 17 juveniles sharing the fastest furlong breeze of :9 4/5, a filly by Omaha Beach (hip 74) separated herself from the pack with a nifty pedigree update and a bullet quarter-mile work in :20 4/5 during Monday's first under-tack preview session for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Hip 74 is consigned by Tom McCrocklin, who signed the ticket to acquire the filly for $400,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale. "She's a very nice filly, always has been," McCrocklin said Monday. "She's a big,...

With Further Ado (Gun Runner) crushing his rivals in Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Irad Ortiz Jr. continued one of the most spectacular runs through the preps for the GI Kentucky Derby that any jockey has ever had. It was his fifth win in a Derby prep, including three races that award the maximum 100 points to the winner. Of the five horses atop the point leaderboard for the Derby, Ortiz had ridden four of them at some point this year. They are Commandment (Into Mischief), Fulleffort...

Keeneland's spring meet has kicked off and the GI Kentucky Derby is less than a month away. Let's take a look back at the recently concluded first quarter of 2026, where we got to enjoy 78 (19%) of the 410 graded races scheduled domestically for this year. Thus far in 2026, the 78 graded races already run can be categorized as six Grade I events, 21 Grade II, and 51 Grade III. Eight tracks across the country hosted graded races, led by Gulfstream Park's 24 and Santa Anita's 22. There...