Kentucky Derby
Lothenbach Stables Inc.'s Violent City (Violence), given a 7-1 chance for his first go for the notoriously patient Ian Wilkes barn, showed good speed and promise Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream to comfortably best $1-million fellow firster Palm Springs (Uncle Mo) and be named a 'TDN Rising Star'. Scrubbed on by Julien Leparoux to vie for early command, the dark bay poked a head in front down the backside and posted a :22.50 opening quarter as Palm Springs was steadied out and dropped back. Violent City appeared to be going much...
Kentucky Derby Museum is adding a splash of bourbon to a new tour coming to the Museum Jan. 23. The Bourbon and Bridles Tour includes tour of Churchill Downs, intertwining the history of bourbon and horse racing in Kentucky. "Locals and out-of-towners are often looking to experience the same thing: horses and bourbon," said said Kentucky Derby Museum President & CEO, Patrick Armstrong. "Why not give them both in one location? The ties between bourbon and horse racing run together throughout Kentucky Derby history, and to us, is an obvious...
Always Dreaming (Bodemeister-Above Perfection, by In Excess {Ire}), the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner, was represented by his first foal Monday, Jan. 6, when Lemon Liqueur (Exchange Rate) delivered a filly at Delia Nash's Dromingrove Farm. Bred by Nash, the filly is the third produce from Lemon Liqueur, a multiple stakes-placed half-sister to GISP Nan (High Yield), dam of Grade III winner Power Gal (Jpn) (Empire Maker). "She is very attractive just like her daddy," Nash said. "We are very pleased with her. She has all the attributes you hope...
It's no secret that racing had a tough year in 2019. We asked a cross-section of participants what their number one goal is to make racing better in 2020. (Want to participate? Email suefinley@thetdn.com) PATRICK CUMMINGS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THOROUGHBRED IDEA FOUNDATION Despite the raft of negativity that has surrounded the sport in North America, racing on this continent suffers from a general malaise that can best be described as follows--we simply don't take our sport seriously enough. If we did, many of our smaller problems, head-scratching status-quo situations or even...
The Week in Review, by T.D. Thornton So which 3-year-old ran the more impressive GI Kentucky Derby prep race last week? You're forgiven if you want to grade two of the three stakes as "incomplete" because they more or less equated to public workouts won by heavy favorites who had short fields at their mercy. But there were enough nuggets of intrigue to spark decent debate, even at this early stage of the season. Authentic Goes Green The 7 3/4-length beatdown administered by Authentic (Into Mischief) in Saturday's GIII Sham...
A $350,000 Keeneland September yearling, Authentic (Into Mischief) is the latest to make the races from his dam, the Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. The May foal was anything but that in Saturday's GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita, but raw ability saw him run up the score to the tune of 7 3/4 very green-but-good lengths as the 6-5 favorite. His well-backed stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver) finished best of the rest in the one-mile test, which offered points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 10-4-2-1 scale....
Bob Baffert has two strong chances to win his sixth edition of the GIII Sham S. Saturday with Authentic (Into Mischief) and Azul Coast (Super Saver). A $350,000 KEESEP buy, Authentic graduated at first asking sprinting at Del Mar Nov. 9, earning an 87 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. His stablemate Azul Coast also donned cap and gown at first asking, albeit going a mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 8. The Richard Baltas-trained Taishan (Twirling Candy) boasts the second highest Beyer in the field, registering an 81 for his...
On New Year's Day, David Grening broke the news in the Daily Racing Form that Coolmore had purchased a 50% interest in the racing and breeding rights of Gary and Mary West's homebred Maximum Security (New Year's Day). (Disclosure: The Wests and their racing manager, Ben Glass, are retained clients of WTC, Inc.). The colt is to stand at Coolmore America (Ashford Stud) in Kentucky at the end of his career, but he is scheduled to race this year and has some major targets on his slate, including the new...
Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence finished the year as the leading owner by earnings, while jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown not only repeated as the top earners for jockeys and trainers, respectively, but each established single season earnings records, according to final statistics released Thursday by Equibase Company LLC. The GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $6,723,650. Owned, ridden and conditioned by the leading owner, jockey and trainer, Bricks and...
Independence Hall (Constitution) kicked off his 2020 path towards the Triple Crown as expected Wednesday, airing by open lengths in Aqueduct's Jerome S. as the overwhelming 1-9 favorite. Last away, he rushed up outside of rivals to press a longshot through a :23.79 opening quarter. He took over after a half in :47.47, with only New York-breds Bourbon Bay (Bayern) and Prince of Pharoahs (American Pharoah) appearing to have any chance to collar the chalk from there. Independence Hall turned very wide into the straight and presented Prince of Pharoahs...
A half-interest in likely champion 3-year-old male Maximum Security (New Year's Day) has been purchased by Coolmore, according to the colt's owner, Gary West. The story was first reported by Daily Racing Form. West responded to the TDN with a text that read, "I can confirm that Coolmore has purchased a half-interest in both the racing and breeding rights of Maximum Security. There will be no other announcements until Maximum Security is retired." According to Coolmore, there will be no announcement on the part of the farm. According to Dave...
Vinnie Viola has been elected to the board of stewards of The Jockey Club, filling the expired position of William S. Farish, Jr. Viola and his wife, Teresa, have campaigned the likes of GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile victor Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), GI Carter H. winner Army Mule (Friesian Fire) and more. He is also the owner of the Florida Panthers of the NHL and a governor on the NHL's board of governors. In addition to Viola, the board of stewards consists...