Kentucky Derby

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's historic 1973 Triple Crown sweep, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present traveling and onsite exhibitions honoring the accomplishments and enduring legacy of the famed Meadow Stable colt from May through October. The exhibitions are underwritten by Churchill Downs, Inc., the Maryland Jockey Club, the New York Racing Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Virginia Equine Alliance, Dean Dorton Equine, and Godolphin. A Tremendous Machine: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown will journey the same path...

Thoroughbred Charities of America has been named the charitable beneficiary of the Derby Dozen handicapping event, presented by In the Money, to be held at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville May 4 from 7-9 p.m. ET. Professional handicappers Peter Fornatale, Jonathon Kinchen, and Maggie Wolfendale-Morley will take a deep dive into the analysis of the 2023 Kentucky Oaks and Derby starters as well as explore some of the best bets in some of the other races at Churchill Downs. "TCA is honored to be selected as the charitable beneficiary...

GI Kentucky Derby contender Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) registered his first published work at Churchill Downs Wednesday going a half-mile in :49.60 (16/20). With exercise rider Masatoshi Segawa in the saddle, Derma Sotogake went through his routine 25-minute warm-up in the one-mile chute prior to beginning his work. The chestnut colt exited the chute and began galloping around the six-furlong pole. He started to pick up his momentum around the three-furlong pole and worked through fractions of :13 and :37.20, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. "I...

The rankings below are independent from the "Road to the Derby" leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths, with several horses included here who are currently below the cut. View the qualifying list here. 1) PRACTICAL MOVE (c, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex) O-Leslie & Pierre Jean Amestoy & Roger Beasley; B-Chad Brown & Head of Plains Partners (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $90,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-2, $884,200. Last Start: 1st Apr. 8 GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Kentucky...

Frank Sumpter's GIII Sunland Park Derby hero Wild On Ice (Tapizar) worked five furlongs in 1:00 with regular jockey Ken Tohill in the irons at Churchill Downs Monday morning. It was the gelding's first workout over the Louisville oval's main track. Churchill's clocker John Nichols caught the Texas-bred in splits of 11:40, :23, :35.20 and :47.60 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28. "Everything seemed to work perfectly this morning and you don't really see that a lot in horse racing," trainer Joel Marr said....

St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable's GI Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence) arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday following a 14-hour van ride from trainer Todd Pletcher's winter base of Palm Beach Downs in South Florida. Last year's champion juvenile colt bedded down in his barn 39 and joined fellow Derby hopefuls Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and Tapit Trice (Tapit), both who arrived in Louisville on Sunday. Forte, who won last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and G1 Hopeful S. before being honored with the Eclipse Award, has won both the...

An unintended consequence of moving all of the final, 100-point, nine-furlong preps for the GI Kentucky Derby to four weeks out is that there is now nearly a full month without any meaningful (to the general public) action in the lead-up to America's most historic and important horse race. When viewed alongside other professional sports, which have significantly expanded their playoff structures in recent seasons to capitalize on the immediacy (and bettability) of wild-card  and play-in games with last-chance qualifying berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has...

Mage (Good Magic), last out beaten a length by Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab Sunday morning with an easy five furlongs in 1:01.09, as reported by Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. "What we usually do after a big race like we had, we try to go nice and easy. That seems to be what he did today," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father. Mage, who collected 40 points for his runner-up Florida Derby finish and 10 points for his...

Two of trainer Brad Cox's four GI Kentucky Derby contenders turned in half-mile works at Churchill Downs Saturday, with GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Jace's Road (Quality Road) both credited with working, hours apart, in :48.20 (20/99). Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire worked alongside stablemate Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), who was most recently seventh in the Louisiana Derby, just as the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Sporting blinkers while working outside his stablemate through early fractions of :12.40 and...

Currently on the GI Kentucky Derby bubble with 40 points, rallying GII Louisiana Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner) will look to punch his ticket to the big dance in Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. The Stonestreet Lexington is the final race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and carries 40 points that will be awarded on a 20-8-6-4-2 basis. A top-three finish by Disarm would secure the Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. The...

The lineup of partners and licensees for the 149th Kentucky Derby, with new partnerships and renewals including Brown-Forman brands: Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Finlandia, Tequila Herradura; BMW of North America, White Claw, FanDuel, vineyard vines, AT&T, Third Time Entertainment, Ford's Garage, Romero Britto, and Paramount Network's Yellowstone, was announced Thursday by Churchill Downs Racetrack. "The Kentucky Derby is where global trends meet traditions in authentic, inspiring and impactful ways," said Casey Ramage, Churchill Downs Racetrack's Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships. "From spirits to fashion and virtual entertainment to automotive,...

It was likely a difficult decision, but Flavien Prat has chosen to ride GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) over GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. The news was confirmed by trainer Brad Cox, who said he has received assurances from Prat and his agent Brad Pegram that the French-born riding star will be aboard Angel of Empire in the Derby. "Yes, Prat will ride Angel of Empire in the Derby," Cox said via text. "We're excited that Flavien is...