Kentucky Derby

Hallmark Media and Churchill Downs have partnered on an all-new original movie called Kentucky Roses that will make its Hallmark Channel debut May 2 and stream the next day on Hallmark+, the media company and track said in a joint release on Wednesday. The movie, which was shot at Churchill and wrapped production last year, unfolds across two timelines--present day and 1932. Kentucky Roses stars Andrew Walker (Three Wisest Men) and Odette Annable (Supergirl, Walker), alongside Ally Ledford, Peyton Meyer, Brynn Thayer and Gregg Henry. The partnership continues in Hallmark...

Having so often berated Europeans for neglecting Not This Time, I do see the irony in the odyssey of his son Six Speed. Last spring, this colt was one of few Not This Time foals to have been given conspicuous opportunity to plant his flag on European turf. As a yearling, he had been found at Keeneland by Mags O'Toole, showing the familiar acuity that exonerates her from charges of myopia that must be leveled at so many other bloodstock professionals over the water. He cost just $50,000, from breeder...

There are no rules, no guidelines, nothing of the kind, when it comes to Eclipse Award voting. You can vote for whomever you want for whatever reason you want. But I always was of the belief that there was an unwritten rule, or at least an understanding, that the Eclipse Awards were all about recognizing year-round excellence, that champions were the ones who most excelled throughout the year. Maybe that's because I became a racing fan and later a racing journalist when horses really did race more than four or...

Godolphin homebred 3-year-old Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has been named the 2025 Horse of the Year. In the final award of the evening, the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt added the ultimate prize to a 2025 campaign which saw him win five of six starts including three Grade I's. Beginning the year with a win in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, he was defeated just once when second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. He would go undefeated from there, piling up wins in the GI Kentucky Derby, the...

Bill Mott, who brought along Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) to wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Travers, has been been given the Eclipse Award for Best Trainer. In addition to Sovereignty, Mott also trainer 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Scylla (Tapit) to a win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. From 662 starts, Mott finished out 2025 with a record of 106-85-97 and earnings of $17,165,020. This is Mott's fifth Eclipse Award; he was previously honored in 2024, 2011, 1996 and 1995, 1996.

Also honored in these same categories for 2024, Godolphin has been given the Eclipse Award for Best Owner and Best Breeder during Thursday night's ceremony. Godolphin both bred and raised 2025's GI Kentucky Derby winner and Champion 3-Year-Old Male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) along with GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro). They also picked up top-level wins with homebred Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). As owners, Godophin earned more than $22,395,556,...

GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) has been named the top 3-Year-Old Male and GI Alabama Stakes winner Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) as top 3-Year-Old Filly in their respective categories at the Eclipse Awards. Beaten just once in 2025 when second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, Sovereignty wrapped up his year with wins in the Derby, the GI Belmont Stakes, the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes, earning more than $5,600,000 in six starts for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Bill Mott. Nitrogen began her year...

Nominations for the 2026 Triple Crown, with an early payment of $600, are due Monday at midnight at www.thetriplecrown.com. After Monday, horses can still be nominated during the late nomination phase with a $6,000 payment between Jan. 27 and Apr. 6. The final opportunity for eligibility is through a supplemental nomination fee due at entry time for each Triple Crown race: Kentucky Derby ($200,000), Preakness ($150,000), and Belmont Stakes ($50,000).

Keeneland's 15-day Spring Meet, which will run from Friday, April 3 through Friday, April 24, has scheduled 19 stakes worth a total of $9.55 million to set a season record for total stakes purses, the track announced Tuesday. In addition to offering two marquee events for 3-year-olds--the $1.25 million GI Toyota Blue Grass for males and the $750,000 GI Central Bank Ashland for fillies--the meet includes three races that have been upgraded for 2026 and also have increased purses. Contributing to stakes purses for the season is $2.25 million from...

Norman Stables LLC and Saints or Sinners' So Happy (Runhappy) exited his win in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente Stakes Saturday in fine shape, according to trainer Mark Glatt, who said the colt is likely to make his next start in the 1 1/16-mile GII San Felipe Stakes Mar. 7. "I'm sure he'll run in one of these preps coming up here and we'll see if he can go two turns," Glatt said. "My first inclination would be to run in the San Felipe, but things change." So Happy, who...

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mailata (Maximus Mischief), a romping 19-length winner of the Parx Future Stakes Dec. 30, will now aim to garner some GI Kentucky Derby points in the GIII Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Feb. 28. Butch Reid cross-entered the colt in the Jan. 3 Jerome Stakes before opting to remain at his Parx base for the seven-furlong Future Stakes--where he faced just two rivals--and the trainer expects to bypass the nine-furlong Withers Stakes Jan. 31 and wait for the one-turn mile Gotham a month later. "It's...

The Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs doesn't exactly rank high up on anyone's list of races on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. But the seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds does offer a purse of $125,000 and is a stepping stone to the $400,000 GIII Tampa Bay Derby, the track's signature race. Expectations for the Pasco are modest, but not so modest that anyone could have predicted that this year's race, scheduled to be run last Saturday, would not fill. Only two horses entered the race. If the start...