Keeneland

A week after champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) solidified his status as the horse to beat on the first Saturday in May, the final round of major GI Kentucky Derby preps offering 100 points to the winner will share the spotlight on an absolutely stacked Saturday afternoon of racing. Forte's Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), an impossible come-from-behind winner in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 11, will exit from the rail in a deep renewal of the GI Toyota Blue...

It was a big Saturday for trainer Brad Cox who won the GI Arkansas Derby with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), and the story may not change this week. Cox has serious threats in a number of big races, among them the GI Ashland S., the GI Blue Grass S. and the GII Wood Memorial. All of which means it was a perfect time to have Cox join the team on the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. For the second time this year, Cox was the Green Group...

Five weeks ago, Ben Colebrook had to jump through quite a few hoops to make sure he could see both of his top 3-year-old colts make the starting gate on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Without so much as pausing to get his picture taken after Raise Cain's (Violence) victory in the GIII Gotham S., the conditioner hopped on a plane bound for Kentucky to saddle Scoobie Quando (Uncle Mo) ahead of a runner-up effort in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway just over four hours later. This...

Everyone's invited, as 2023 Opening Day at Keeneland has arrived. Certainly, there are swollen pools for wagering, the canorous voice of track announcer Kurt Becker, the fine warp and weft of Sunday's best worn mid-week and enough to feast on, even if you don't have the foggiest what's in burgoo. We already know that the Spring meet at the old Keene Farm, hosted by the Association will card its share of tough, competitive fields. Before the 86th running of the $600,000 GI Central Bank Ashland S., spring has not officially...

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Keeneland's GI Central Bank Ashland S., the first Grade I of the year for 3-year-old fillies. First run in 1936--also Keeneland's first year--for 3-year-olds and up, the Ashland was named for the plantation home of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay. It had a predecessor, the Ashland Oaks, which was inaugurated in 1879 at the old Kentucky Association Racetrack and was a very different race. Perhaps it's...

RED TR-Racing's 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) worked five furlongs at Keeneland Wednesday morning in preparation for a possible start in the Lexington oval's GIII Ben Ali S. Apr. 22. With Carlos Enriquez aboard, the chestnut covered the distance over a fast track in 1:01.20. "I thought he worked good and finished strong," trainer Eric Reed said. "We are looking here [1 3/16 Ben Ali] or Oaklawn [$1-million GII Oaklawn H. going 1 1/8 miles the same day]. We want to get the first one out of...

Maker's Mark Bourbon Keeneland commemorative bottles will be available at stores throughout Kentucky Friday, celebrating opening day of the Keeneland Spring Meet. Fewer than 10,000 of the limited-edition bottles of bourbon will be available and are expected to sell out in one day. Through a strategic partnership with LexArts, greater Lexington's premier cultural development, advocacy and fundraising organization, the proceeds from this year's commemorative bottle release will benefit the creation of a permanent public art legacy project. Miniature bronze horses will be creatively placed through downtown Lexington to create an...

Keeneland will offer free digital race-day programs for download for its Spring Meet, which begins Apr. 7, in an initiative to increase access to data for horseplayers and fans. "Keeneland believes that access to data is an important step in both educating and engaging our fans," Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. "We piloted a digital program during the pandemic that was incredibly well received when fans tuned into our racing product from afar." Complimentary race-day programs, which feature past performances from Equibase, will be available for download...

Several runners being pointed to opening weekend stakes turned in works Sunday morning over the fast main track. Dixiana Farms' homebred Hayes Strike (Connect) along with Mendelssohns March (Mendelssohn), owned by Harold Lerner, Nehoc Stables, AWC Stables and Team Stallion Racing Stable, tuned up for expected starts in Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. by working 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 in company together. Hayes Strike comes into the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass off a victory in the Private Terms S. at Laurel March 18. "I don't run many horses in...

Andrew Warren and Rania Warren's Raise Cain (Violence), who romped home in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S., will likely forego a return trip to Aqueduct and make his next start in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, according to trainer Ben Colebrook. Raise Cain had his first work since the Gotham when going four furlongs in :49.00 (1/3) at Keeneland Mar. 22. "He's been training great and put on weight," said Colebrook. "He'll breeze again [Thursday] at Keeneland. I think he really gets it now...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- It would be difficult to imagine that anyone has embraced and enjoyed their time in the Emirates more than trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer, his wife Alison and exercise rider Chelsie Raabe. From the perspective of the 130 or so horses taking part on World Cup Night, the same could perhaps be said for Sibelius (Not This Time), who would make his way to the Meydan main track about the same time the sun was peeking over the horizon, then would just stand there, like class horses...

On Monday, there will be a seismic shift in horse racing. That's when the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority will launch its Anti-Doping and Medication Control program and, in most states, will take over the responsibilities of drug testing and drug adjudications. With that date right around the corner, the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland brought in HISA's CEO Lisa Lazarus to give an update on what to expect once HISA takes over. Lazarus was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. Lazarus made it clear...