Kentucky Derby

Red Smith put it well; of course he did. So well, in fact, that he said it all over again. In 1975, writing one of the pieces that won a Pulitzer Prize the following year, Smith declared that Kentucky Derby week was "the only one in 52 when the instrument of Satan known as horse racing becomes a showpiece of the American sports scene." Four years later, back at the same point in the cycle, he wrote that little old ladies in Wisconsin would this week be glad to learn...

We heard from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), its CEO Travis Tygart and the Director of Equine Science Dr. Tessa Muir last week when USADA released its anti-doping guidelines, rules and protocols. Once again, we saw that these are no-nonsense, dedicated people with a track record of cleaning up other sports. The release of the guidelines was an important step toward what will be a welcome change for racing--competent, dedicated policing from an outside entity replacing the current system, which just doesn't work. (Quotes from this story were taken...

In 1985, owner Dennis Diaz had a decision to make after his runner, Spend a Buck, won the GI Kentucky Derby. Under ordinary circumstances it would be on to the GI Preakness S. two weeks later. But, as Lee Corso would say: "Not so fast." In this particular year, before the Triple Crown prep season had begun, Garden State Park owner Robert Brennan offered a $2-million bonus to any horse who won the track's two preps plus the Kentucky Derby and GIII Jersey Derby. Diaz and trainer Cam Gambolati sent...

In an attempt to rein in an already cumbersome litigation process in the Bob Baffert vs. New York Racing Association (NYRA) lawsuit, the federal judge in charge of the case ordered Tuesday that the Hall of Fame trainer will be allowed to amend his initial June 14 civil complaint that alleged NYRA violated his constitutional right to due process by trying to bar him over his history of equine medication violations. Baffert's desire to amend his complaint stems from NYRA summoning him to a hearing back in September to adjudicate...

This year's Breeders' Cup revealed itself as a microcosm of the current state of North American racing: An inability to dodge off-track dysfunction (Friday) paired with sensational on-track action (Saturday). Luckily, the corking performances unleashed over the course of the two-day thrill show were emphatic enough to spark more than a few exhilarating expectations for 2022. That will make it a touch easier to endure an entire winter of wincing at the oft-repeated social media meme "for purse money only" while simultaneously wondering if the presumed juvenile champ will even...

DEL MAR, CA - Sunny skies, ideal conditions and two days of world-class Thoroughbred racing with a spectacular backdrop in Southern California. Welcome to the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar! The stunning seaside track plays Breeders' Cup host for the second time and first since 2017. 'Future Stars Friday' includes a highly anticipated clash of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars' Jack Christopher (Munnings) and $1.5-million OBS April topper Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Fellow 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) will also put her...

DEL MAR, CA - With no sign of the sun under a dense cloud cover at daybreak, champion Essential Quality (Tapit) set the stage for this weekend's 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships jogging the wrong way along the outer rail on a cool and comfortable Tuesday morning at Del Mar. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner is the second choice on the morning-line at 3-1 for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic trailing only his Brad Cox-trained stablemate Knicks Go (Paynter) at 5-2. More on the latter gray in a...

Visitors can explore the wild stories and unique culture of the GI Kentucky Derby at a new exhibit, Welcome to Derbyville, opening Nov. 19 at Kentucky Derby Museum. The exhibit was born from the idea that most years on Derby Day, Churchill Downs transforms into the state's third-largest city, drawing its temporary residents into a remarkable cultural experience that is unique to other sporting events. The horses, the people-watching, the fashion--this new exhibit explores this 147-acre city, Derbyville, and who comes to stay and why. The unique culture of the...

Horse owner and master promoter Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale is no stranger to making big sports bets, but never anything like this. If his beloved Houston Astros win the World Series, McIngvale will make $35.6 million off of a series of bets he made in June. It would be the largest winning wager ever in U.S. sports betting history. McIngvale often combines his wagers with promotions at his Gallery Furniture Stores in Houston. Earlier this year, he promised his customers that any mattress they bought worth $3,000 or more would...

Horses trained by Bob Baffert, whose Kentucky Derby win with Medina Spirit (Protonico) remains in doubt due to a betamethasone positive, will undergo enhanced scrutiny in order to participate in the upcoming Breeders' Cup championship races at Del Mar, the Breeders' Cup announced Sunday. The statement by the Breeders' Cup read: "The Breeders' Cup Board of Directors convened a special review under legal counsel to evaluate the recent conduct of Mr. Bob Baffert in order to determine whether he should be permitted to participate in the 2021 World Championships. In...

A Jan. 24, 2022, start date for the hearing process to determine whether the New York Racing Association (NYRA) can exclude trainer Bob Baffert from racing at its three tracks was mutually agreed upon by the two parties during a Monday videoconference. A NYRA spokesperson confirmed to TDN that the schedule was established during the Oct. 11 conference by hearing officer O. Peter Sherwood. Baffert must answer to a three-count complaint filed against him by NYRA in the form of a "statement of charges." Those three counts correspond to Baffert's...

Minutes after another easy win by Letruska (Super Saver), this time in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Sunday at Keeneland, trainer Fausto Gutierrez told reporters that the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, and not the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, would be next for his 5-year-old mare. That was hardly a surprise. Gutierrez and German Larrea, the Mexican billionaire businessman who owns the horse, are looking to play it safe. Letruska is simply better than every other filly and mare in the sport and shouldn't have any problem winning the Distaff. The...