Kentucky Derby

Tappan Street (Into Mischief), the winner of the Mar. 29 GI Florida Derby, will miss the Kentucky Derby after suffering a condylar fracture to his right front leg, according to trainer Brad Cox. The colt is owned by WinStar Farm LLC, CHC, Inc. and Cold Press Racing. Tappan Street worked five furlongs in :59.60 on Saturday morning, and Cox told the Louisville Courier Journal that jockey Luis Saez felt something was off after the work. The colt had X-rays back at the barn. "It's nothing major I don't believe at...

GI Curlin Florida Derby and GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes third Neoequos (Neolithic) breezed a half-mile Thursday morning at Gulfstream Park, getting the distance in a bullet :48.43. The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee worked in company with stablemate Mr Narcissistic (Signature Red). A video of the work can be seen here. "It went good," said Joseph. "He worked in company. He was inside his workmate. It was his last breeze and we were just looking for maintenance. It went well. He's in good form." Racing for C2 Racing Stable...

Owen Almighty (Speightstown) and Built (Hard Spun) turned in five-furlong workouts Thursday morning over a fast track at Churchill Downs in preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby. Working during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. ET training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks horses, Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing's Owen Almighty breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 with Antonio Orellana aboard for trainer Brian Lynch. Working in company with the maiden 3-year-old filly Nosleeptilbrooklyn (Ghostzapper), Owen Almighty started two lengths behind his workmate and posted fractions of :26, :37.60, 1:01.60 and...

A Review, By Bill Finley Whether it was 60 Minutes, the FX Network, HBO or some other programs, the television media has bludgeoned the horse racing game in recent years. The great parts of this game barely get mentioned while the programs concentrate on the ugly aspects, namely breakdowns and drugs. So it was reasonable to be worried that more of the same was on its way when Netflix announced it was producing a racing documentary called 'Race For The Crown.' But this show, which includes six episodes, isn't like...

Beginning Thursday morning, Apr. 24 and through Wednesday, Apr. 30, Churchill Downs will be open to the public from 6:45 to 10 a.m. at no cost to take in the morning exercise sessions of horses pointing to the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. Training hours at Churchill Downs take place daily between 5:15 and 10 a.m., but there is an exclusive window reserved for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. following the renovation break that begins around 6:45 a.m. and lasts for approximately 30 minutes....

Journalism (Curlin), widely regarded as the favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby on May 3, has been made the 8-1 choice for the single-pool Preakness Stakes Future Win Wager according to a release from the new Maryland Jockey Club. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling was third over an insufficient six furlongs on career debut last October, but has since rattled off four straight victories at a mile and beyond, most recently overcoming trouble to take the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 5. 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian...

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) and Junko Kondo's G2 UAE Derby winner Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) put in half-mile works for the Kentucky Derby over a fast track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. Working during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EST training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders, Coal Battle was the first to go, clocking a half-mile in :47.80 under Bethany Taylor. Fractions were :12.40, :24.60, :47.80, and out five furlongs in 1:00.80. "I was thrilled with it. He keeps getting better every time he goes out there,"...

The video game publisher and developer Cygames, Inc. has announced a partnership with Churchill Downs, which will run the Unbridled Sidney Stakes Presented by Cygames on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard May 2. In addition, on Derby and Oaks days at Churchill Downs, Cygames will have an on-site activation where visitors can play video game demos and take photos. The Cygames Booth in the track's infield will feature demos of various Cygames titles including: Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby. A 360-degree...

Later this week, the 2025 class of inductees for the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame will be announced. Among the eight racehorses included as finalists on the ballot is 2004 dual Classic winner Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality). All eight of the horses have marvelous credentials--obviously, or they wouldn't be on the ballot--but if there was a Hall of Fame for the intangible, Smarty Jones would be a shoo-in at the top of the class. "I think there was this trickle-down effect in what he did that will never...

The Southern California-based duo of Rodriguez (Authentic) and Baeza (McKinzie) turned in their final local works before shipping to Churchill Downs for the May 3 GI Kentucky Derby Sunday at Santa Anita. Baeza worked in company with stablemate Atitlan (The Factor), a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, for trainer John Shirreffs. Working under jockey Hector Berrios, the GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up was officially credited with a seven-furlong work in 1:28.00 (3/4). Shirreffs clocked the colt in 1:28.20. "Because his morning gallops have been a little on the easy...

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's champion juvenile, will give jockey Martin Garcia his first Derby mount since 2015. "It's a dream come true," said Garcia, a 40-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico. "It's what every jockey wants." Garcia has ridden in the Kentucky Derby four times, all between 2010 and 2015. His best finish came in 2015 when Dortmund, also trained by Bob Baffert, finished third behind subsequent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. "I'm excited to get back, most of all because I know I have a very good horse...

In his penultimate work for the GI Kentucky Derby, American Promise (Justify) went fast by design for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and will ship to Kentucky Sunday. The breeze Friday morning at Oaklawn Park, shortly after the renovation break, was a seven furlong trip from the gate in 1:25.20 under Nik Juarez, who will also have the call in the big race. According to Oaklawn's lead clocker Jim Hamilton, American Promise rolled through :22 for the opening quarter, :33.60 for three furlongs, a half in :45.80, five furlongs in :57.80,...