Kentucky Derby
Bruce Lunsford's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) will run in the $200,000 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby Aug. 9, trainer Tom Drury told the Ellis Park notes team. The Runhappy Ellis Park Derby, with its purse doubled and distance extended from a mile to 1 1/8 miles, this year carries GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The winner receives 50 points toward qualifying for the Sept. 5 Derby, a number that virtually assures a spot in the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs. The runner-up receives 20 points, with...
With Saratoga, Del Mar and a number of other tracks effectively eliminating jockeys from coming and going due to fears they will spread the coronavirus, attention now turns to Churchill Downs and the GI Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs President Kevin Flannery and his team are no doubt mulling whether or not they will put similar restrictions in place, effectively allowing only Kentucky-based riders to compete during the five days of racing. It's not exactly an easy call, but their number one priority has to be safety. And that means following...
Authentic (Into Mischief) exited his win in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park in fine shape and will now train up to the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Sunday. The colt pulled away to a clear advantage in the stretch of the Haskell before holding on to a last-gasp victory over Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic). "We're going to work on him a little until then [the Derby]," Baffert said. "I was pretty proud of him. He ran well. I might have to put a...
Leading sophomore Tiz the Law (Constitution) turned in his first published breeze since shipping to Saratoga Saturday morning as he eyes the Spa's GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. Working solo around 8:45 a.m. under exercise rider Heather Smullen, the GI Belmont S. hero was clocked in :59.63 with internal splits of :24.40 and :35.60 and a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:12.84. Click for XBTV video. "I thought the work was good," said trainer Barclay Tagg. "He did it just right. The time was good. Everything was good." Tiz the Law...
Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Peter Pan Result - Country Grammer got the money in game fashion. Bankroll: $4960. GI Haskell S. - Going to take a chance here with Jesus' Team, who is right in the mix with all other...
It took a long journey for trainer Tom Drury to get to where he is now, with a GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and major GI Kentucky Derby contender in his barn. There were years when Drury didn't win any races, which had him questioning whether he was made out for the training business. But life is good now for Drury, largely thanks to a Bruce Lunsford homebred named Art Collector (Bernardini), and he joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday to talk about his prized pupil...
Coming off a big win at the Keeneland Summer Meet with his star Art Collector taking the GII Blue Grass S., Tom Drury Jr. joins the TDN Writers' Room to share his rags to riches journey as a trainer.
Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Blue Grass Result - Art Collector (+$530) wore down Swiss Skydiver for a breakout victory. Bankroll: $4210. GIII Peter Pan S. - I normally don't like horses who need 1 1/8 miles on dirt to break...
A field of nine sophomores, including the field's lone graded winner Modernist (Uncle Mo), will line up for Thursday's GIII Peter Pan S. on Saratoga's opening day program. Traditionally run as a prep downstate for the GI Belmont S., the Peter Pan was moved to Saratoga as a potential prep for this summer's GI Runhappy Travers S. The Peter Pan carries 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the GI Kentucky Derby. Modernist, a 12-1 upset winner of the split-division GII Risen Star S. Feb. 15, followed a third-place finish in the...
Jockey Florent Geroux has joined a growing list of prominent jockeys who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Geroux was scheduled to ride Wednesday at Canterbury Park and had to take a test before he would be allowed to ride there. He took the test Monday and came up positive. "I don't really have any symptoms," Georux said. "I was a little bit tired Monday, but I had a long week last week. I didn't have any shortness of breath or anything like that." In less than a week, jockeys...
The post position draw for Saturday's GI Haskell S. will be streamed via Facebook Live on Monmouth Park's Facebook page. The draw, which will take place in the Breeders' Cup Garden on the Clubhouse side of the racetrack, will be held Wednesday at noon. The $1-million Haskell offers points towards the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby and is also a "Win and You're In"race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. BetMakers, in partnership with Monmouth Park, is offering a $1-million bonus to the connections of any horse that wins the...
Bruce Lunsford's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) returned to trainer Tom Drury's Skylight Training Center base in Goshen, Kentucky Saturday night and options for the colt's next start are still open. "I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do," Drury said. "Art Collector will stay at Skylight for a little while because it is quieter there and then like we have done before, two weeks or so before he runs we will bring him...