Kentucky Derby

Pulling up to the gates of Hurricane Place Farm, you can't miss the large white and blue sign with a bold headline reading, "Birthplace of Authentic-2020 Kentucky Derby winner." The farm, located just outside of Cynthiana, Kentucky, has been run by Bridie Harrison along with her husband and sons Jonathan and Daniel for the past six years. Together, the family manages the broodmare band for their sole client, breeder Peter Blum. Bridie isn't quite yet fond of the attention that comes with raising a Horse of the Year, preferring to...

There was a rare and welcome sight Saturday at Santa Anita when the field of five scampered across the down-the-hill turf course to begin the 1 1/2-mile GIII San Luis Rey S. There were no incidents in a perfectly clean race where no one was hurt. So why can't the course also be used for what were iconic 6 1/2-furlong downhill grass races? They haven't carded a turf sprint on that course since a horse named Arms Runner (Overdriven) broke down and had to be euthanized in the running of...

WinStar Farm and CHC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) has officially been taken out of consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed on Los Angeles radio Sunday morning. "He couldn't have worked more beautifully," Baffert told Mike Willman on Thoroughbred LA radio. "It was a great, nice cruising work like he usually does. He's so light on his feet. He came back, the rider said he felt great...Then all of a sudden later in the morning, you could tell something was bothering him in the hind leg....

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) exited his win in Saturday's GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby in fine shape and will ship back to trainer Doug O'Neill's California base Tuesday to prepare for the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby. "Charlie looked great this morning," O'Neill said. "He flies back to California on Tuesday. I love the spacing [six weeks] leading up to the Kentucky Derby. It's ideal. He's proven to travel well. I'm very proud of my nephew Patrick [with co-owner Boat Racing]. He's a real good young man and I'm very excited...

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), the 94-1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up, was sent to the front in a heady ride by Joel Rosario, and refused to lose, turning back Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) to win going away by two lengths in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby. O Besos (Orb) rallied nicely up the rail to just miss second by a head. The 5-2 second choice broke inward and bumped with a rival at the start. He led through fractions of :23.10 and :47.04 with Midnight Bourbon shadowing his every move. Midnight...

The GI Kentucky Derby-bound Helium (Ironicus) wasn't the only 3-year-old colt to impress on the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby card Mar. 6. Untreated (Nyquist) put on a show earlier that day as well, graduating by a pole for Todd Pletcher at second asking with a flashy, come-from-behind maiden tally in his two-turn debut (video). He earned a very solid 86 Beyer Speed Figure. A well-beaten sixth as the 4-5 favorite behind next out GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) going six furlongs...

The Kentucky Derby Museum is launching the "Best Kentucky Derby Stories" Contest. Contestants from anywhere in the world can submit their story along with photos or videos on derbymuseum.org. Any stories submitted will be shared on Kentucky Derby Museum's social media pages and website and will also be displayed at the Museum. Participants are encouraged to share their story on social media by tagging Kentucky Derby Museum and using the hashtags, #MyDerbyStory and #DerbyEveryDay. Grand Prize winner receives: A box at Churchill Downs during the Spring Meet (excluding Derby week)...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley The year changes and so do the names of the horses. But the story remains the same. It's no longer about beating a particular horse in the GI Kentucky Derby, it's about trying to beat the stable that has an unprecedented hammerlock on the race. Can anyone beat Bob Baffert? After this weekend's results, it's looking more and more like that is going to be hard to do. Baffert already had the early favorite for the Derby in the ultra-talented Life Is Good...

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Collaborate (Into Mischief), last seen with a 'TDN Rising Star' graduation at Gulfstream Feb. 27, tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 27 GI Curlin Florida Derby with a sharp four-furlong work in :47.05 (1/51) at the Hallandale oval Sunday. He worked in company with Sound Machine (Into Mischief), a 4-year-old stakes-winning filly. "He showed great progression today. He's always been a good work horse," trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. "He worked with Sound Machine. She was a little keen...

Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong), off since winning the GII Remsen S. last December, tuned up for a start in the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial with a five-furlong work in 1:01.13 (3/13) at Parx Saturday. "He went by himself from the pole. Hopefully, we can hit one work a week up to the Wood," said trainer Daniel Velazquez, who wasn't on hand for the drill after being hospitalized with a lacerated liver and torn bicep suffered during a training accident earlier Saturday morning. Velazquez had hoped to start...

Godolphin's Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro), who followed a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 23 with a one-mile allowance tally in Hallandale last Thursday, could make his next start in a GI Kentucky Derby prep, with the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland the same day, and the Apr. 10 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park all in play. "His maiden win told us something, his allowance win told us even more and his next race will decide where...

Gary and Mary West bred last weekend's hugely impressive Gll San Felipe S. winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and Saturday's leading Gll Rebel S. contender Concert Tour (Street Sense), both 'TDN Rising Stars', both trained by Bob Baffert and probably the two leading Classics aspirants in his barn, with five wins, three graded triumphs and no losses between them. That's quite a feat for the Wests and their racing manager Ben Glass--clients of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants--because the Baffert barn is loaded with expensive and well-bred auction purchases for a...