Ken McPeek

The road to the 151st GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. Qualifying points are awarded to the first five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, but won't be enough to have an impact on the first Saturday in May. With a field of nine entered and at least a pair of scratches anticipated, favoritism should come down to either 'TDN Rising Star' Bullard (Gun Runner) or Praetor (Into Mischief). Scratched out of the GII Rebel S. due to a fever, the impressive last-to-first GIII Bob...

Godolphin's East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, tuned up for next Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes with a four-furlong work in :47.00 (7/106) at Keeneland Saturday. With Stephen Dolan aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh, East Avenue started two lengths in front of workmate Gosger (Nyquist), a 3-year-old maiden winner, and was three lengths in front at the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.40. "It was just a maintenance work; he did all of his major work at Fair Grounds," said Paul...

Lucky Seven Stable and Sharaf Mohamed Alhairi's Rattle N Roll (Connect), who rallied from the back of the back to finish a creditable fifth to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 22, has officially been invited to participate in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse Apr. 5, trainer Ken McPeek tweeted Mar. 21. The 6-year-old failed to draw into last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic and was rerouted for the GII Clark Stakes Nov....

It seems only fitting the America's reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) would make her 4-year-old debut in a race named for another racemare to achieve those heights. While the effort was ultimately more workmanlike than it was scintillating, it served to shake off whatever rust might have been in play, and the Ken McPeek-trainee treated her four rivals to a front-running display, with clearly better to come over the course of the spring, summer and fall. Off at a dime on the dollar in a field...

The 'Grizzly' is done hibernating. Reigning Horse of the Year and 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) makes her highly anticipated 4-year-old debut against six overmatched rivals in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine has posted six workouts for Kenny McPeek since late January, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:00.80 (6/37) at Fair Grounds Mar. 1. The 2-5 morning-line favorite will exit from post one with regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. aboard. "I thought it was a pretty conservative spot...

With less than five weeks remaining to Dubai World Cup night at the sprawling Meydan Racecourse Apr. 5, the American challenge for the $12-million main event is coming together, with at least two U.S.-based middle-distance gallopers targeting the 2000-meter contest. Wathnan Racing's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has come out of his distant third-place effort to 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap in good order and connections have accepted an invitation to the World Cup, Case Clay, Wathnan's U.S. advisor, confirmed Sunday. "Will pow-wow...

Kentucky Derby and Oaks-winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be the Keynote Speaker at Race for Grace--hosted by the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy--to be held on Apr. 28 at Churchill Downs. Held in a new space at Churchill's First Turn Club, the event will feature a silent and live auction including items such as 2026 Kentucky Derby and Oaks boxes and the Derby contender's halters, a Keeneland package, many golf packages, horse racing art and memorabilia as well as trips to Mexico, a Montana Cabin vacation. In 2024, Hernandez became...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- Fourteen horses with Grade I or Group 1 form from America, Argentina, Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan and even Uruguay will take their chance at the winner's share of the $20-million gross purse for the world's richest horse race, Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. And few of them are without some sort of chance. Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) returns to the Saudi capital 12 months on from a last-lunge success in the G3 Saudi Derby and looks to...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- At the age of six, Lucky Seven Stable and Sharaf Mohamad Alhairi's Rattle N Roll (Connect) is at the peak of his powers. The same can be said for his veteran trainer Ken McPeek, who is just this side of a series of achievements that anyone who does what he does for a living will have a hard time replicating anytime in the foreseeable future. For equine and human alike, Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse is a potential watershed moment. "It's...

The GIII Honeybee Stakes, rescheduled for Sunday at Oaklawn, looks like the toughest GI Kentucky Oaks prep race run so far this year. Led by 'TDN Rising Star' Muhimma (Munnings), the field of 12 includes five horses that are in our Top 10. In last week's action, the GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes, expected to have a powerhouse field of seven, was decimated by scratches. The defectors included the highly regarded Simply Joking (Practical Joke), who was scratched because her white blood cell count was below normal. Though she still...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), a Group 1 winner at the back end of 2024 in the Tokyo Daishoten and third in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will jump from the widest alley in barrier 14 for Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. Post positions were drawn Wednesday evening at the racecourse. Also victorious in a thrilling renewal of the G3 Saudi Derby on this program 12 months ago, the 4-year-old colt will once again have...

Things are starting to heat up on the trail to the GI Kentucky Oaks, and this weekend will feature the most important race run so far this year. The GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds drew just six horses, but the race does not lack quality. Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) was undefeated last year in four starts and will be the favorite. But Simply Joking (Practical Joke) is not a horse you can throw out. It will be a big test for Simply Joking, who has run...