Kentucky Derby

Steve Kornacki, who has gained a cult following as the national political correspondent for MSNBC, will join NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Kornacki, who has been praised for his ability to explain the complicated election process, will apply his analytical perspective in segments entitled "Meet the Contenders." He will also offer insights on notable betting trends. Kornacki also contributed to NBC's Football Night in America programming over the winter, where he broke down the oft-confusing NFL playoff scenarios. "After successfully tackling FNIA,...

John T. Ward Jr., whose many wins included a victory in the 2001 GI Kentucky Derby with Monarchos, passed away Saturday at age 75. His death was reported by Churchill Downs, which released a statement from track president Mike Anderson. "John Ward Jr. personified the phrase 'Kentucky hard-boot,'" Anderson said. "He was a third-generation horseman who worked tirelessly throughout his career, culminating with service as Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The dedication to his craft as a trainer was amplified 20 years ago when he patiently prepared...

   Gray horses have been in a GI Kentucky Derby rut the past 15 years. No fewer than 31 consecutive grays (or roans) have gone to post without winning on the first Saturday in May (or September) since Giacomo roared home in front at 50-1 in 2005. That's the longest Derby drought for grays in terms of consecutive starts since 1930, when Churchill Downs began compiling detailed records related to horse colors. There's an asterisk as to whether it's the longest stretch in terms of years. There was a 17-year...

Shortleaf Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Caddo River (Hard Spun) will not make the line-up for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever over the weekend. "We noticed he was off his feed and took his temperature yesterday afternoon. It was slightly elevated," trainer Brad Cox said. "It's just really bad timing being this close to the Derby. We drew blood on him [Sunday] morning and his white cell counts were a little high. We just can't run him on Saturday with being a little off his game." The defection...

GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks workers were out in full force Friday morning at Churchill Downs. Breezers included: The Todd Pletcher-trained quartet of Known Agenda (Curlin) and Sainthood (Mshawish), who were clocked in 1:01.00 (17/50) together under the Twin Spires; Dynamic One (Union Rags) who covered a half in :47.80 (1/108) alongside GSP Prime Factor (Quality Road); and GII Wood Memorial S. upsetter Bourbonic (Bernardini), who went in :49.60 (71/108). "Known Agenda is not the most aggressive work horse," Pletcher noted. "He is not an Always Dreaming (the...

Somewhere on the grounds of OBS on Tuesday, the two unacquainted men who bred Dialed In's (Mineshaft) only two Grade l winners to date--Gl Kentucky Derby-bound Get Her Number and Super Stock--quite likely passed each other unaware of the other in that random way of the universe that plays with degrees of separation. I assume this because I was on the phone with Phil Robertson, who co-bred Get Her Number with his wife Brenda, when Pedro "Pete" Gonzalez, the co-breeder of Super Stock with his grandson P.J. Gonzalez, phoned me....

The gaming corporation that owns Churchill Downs Racetrack is abandoning plans to build a $300 million hotel and historical horse race (HHR) gaming facility on the first turn of the track. Instead, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) will focus on a three-phase expansion of its Louisville-area properties, with expected completion dates for each project dovetailing with the runnings of the next three GI Kentucky Derbies. Bill Carstanjen, CDI's chief executive officer, said during a Thursday earnings conference call that he was not at liberty to divulge details about the new projects...

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday morning that Shortleaf Stable's GI Arkansas Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Caddo River (Hard Spun) is being aimed at a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. "If all goes well after his work on Saturday, we'll run in the Derby," Cox said. "He came out of the Arkansas Derby in great shape. He's a sound horse who is training well." The speedy Caddo River, a blowout front-running winner of the Smarty Jones S., was fifth as the favorite after conceding the early lead to...

Jockey Joel Rosario will replace Umberto Rispoli on unbeaten GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby hero Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Kentucky Derby. The decision came after it was announced that Bob Baffert trainee Concert Tour (Street Sense), who Rosario had ridden in each of his four starts, would skip the Derby and opt for the GI Preakness S. Rosario rode Rock Your World in his turf sprint debut win at Santa Anita Jan. 1, but Rispoli was up for both the Pasadena S. and Santa Anita...

Three Santa Anita-based sophomores headed to the GI Kentucky Derby tuned up Saturday morning over their home track. Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who will have his fair share of backers off his front-running victory in the GII Louisiana Derby, went three-quarters of a mile in :1.14.20 for two-time Derby-winning conditioner Doug O'Neill. Flavien Prat, who was tabbed earlier this week for the ride, was aboard. "He looked solid. So far, so good," said O'Neill. Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who remained perfect in three starts with his front-running success...

With just two weeks remaining to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, the Saturday worktab at Churchill Downs was dotted with the names of top sophomores headed towards the first jewel of racing's Triple Crown. Godolphin's reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) took to the Churchill main track at 5:15 a.m. with big-race rider Luis Saez in from Keeneland to put the colt through his paces. The homebred went five furlongs in :59.60 after breaking off about a length behind 4-year-old stablemate Spa...

Gary and Mary West's 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) will not run in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, said trainer Bob Baffert Saturday morning. He will instead be pointed for the May 15 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico. The homebred wired a field of Santa Anita maidens by 3 1/2 lengths to earn the 'Rising Star' designation Jan. 15 and made a seamless transition to graded competition, taking the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. Feb. 6. The bay colt made all the running en route to a...