Kentucky Downs

A record-shattering total of $25,385,003 was wagered on Saturday's 12-race card at Kentucky Downs, a press release from the track said late on Saturday. Six of the races were stakes. Each race featured at least 10 starters, and 10 races had 11 or more. The previous Kentucky Downs wagering record was the $21,184,941 wagered last year on the corresponding day, reflecting an increase this year of more than $4.2 million.

Kentucky's HBPA teamed with Kentucky Downs to present $100,000 checks to three industry non-profit organizations during Saturday's card at the turf track in Franklin, Kentucky, the horsemen's outfit said via a Saturday press release. The assistance will provide funding to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Stable Recovery and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund. The local HBPA chapter and the track donated $50,000 each.

Overlooked at the windows to the tune of 22-1, Plensa (Caravaggio) fired a big shot in the Exacta Systems Gun Runner Stakes and landed in the winner's circle at Kentucky Downs on Saturday. After finishing as the runner-up in two tries last fall to break his maiden, the dark bay finally graduated on his fourth attempt June 15 under the Twin Spires. The colt was last seen running third against optional claimers over the Spa turf July 18. Plensa was in the mix early before dropping towards the rear of...

Donamire Farm homebred Troubleshooting (Not This Time), a smart winner of the Dade Park Dash S. at Ellis Park July 4, was along in time to post a narrow victory in Saturday's GI Ainsworth Franklin-Simpson S. going 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs. He becomes the eighth Grade I winner for leading young sire Not This Time. Of at odds of 5-1, he raced within striking distance in fifth through fast fractions of :22 and :44.17. He was guided out five wide at the quarter pole and came charging on...

Riding a three-race win streak, Stellify went to the front a few jumps into the GIII Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon Invitational at Kentucky Downs and held the advantage all the way to an easy score. Sent off the 2-1 choice, the 4-year-old led No Mo Candy (Uncle Mo) fractions of :26.10, :49.57 and 1:13 for three quarters. In control turning passing the three-eighths pole, the $140,000 KEESEP yearling purchase spurted clear in the lane and despite the best effort of closing Miwa (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) late, the favorite finished...

Kelsey Danner probably didn't look at the tote board prior to Thursday's first race at Kentucky Downs. She's not a bettor, she says. But she thought her starter, Repentless (Violence), could run a bit, something the bettors obviously didn't pick up on. They sent the first-time starter off at 25-1. With Adam Beschizza aboard, the colt won by three lengths and paid $52.08. It was not her longest priced winner at the meet. Fellow first-time starter Ground Support (Army Mule) won Saturday's second race for the Danner Stable and paid...

5th-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.74, fm, 1 1/2 lengths. IMAGINATIONTHELADY (f, 2, Not This Time--Romanticism, by War Front) was the most well-regarded first-time starter in the field, going off as the 3-1 second choice behind 2-1 favorite and second-time starter Market Chill (Not This Time). Forwardly placed from her outside gate under Flavien Prat, she pressed the tempo wide of Paris Twilight (City of Light) past the half-mile pole in :46.44. Once given her head with less than a quarter to run, Imaginationthelady spurted clear with...

1st-Kentucky Downs, $179,600, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 7fT, 1:21.43, fm, 3 lengths. REPENTLESS (c, 2, Violence--Song Sung True, by Unbridled's Song) went off as the one of the longest shots on the board at 25-1 Thursday in his debut effort for Kelsey Danner. Positioned mid pack while able to angle down to the rail, he tracked fourth behind race favorite Jet Off (Twirling Candy) who did just that through fractions of :22.08 and :44.88. Hugging the fence around the turn, he caught a dream opening at the top of the long...

Trainer James Owen made his first foray to the United States a winning one when Wimbledon Hawkeye scored in the GIII Nashville Derby. He joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland.

TIME TO WIN, SAR, 9-1, 1 mile, VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure-87 (2nd) (c, 3, by Not This Time--Nagamble, by Flatter) O-Spendthrift Farm, William Lawrence, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing Stables, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson. B-Fred Hertrich III. T-Chad Brown. J-Flavien Prat. Time to Win went into serious training late in 2024 as a 2-year-old then needed six months at the beginning of this year, but looked good finishing second to Only in America (below) as a debut favorite. He's a half-brother to Juju's Map, the...

In a day good for the runners who made the pace, Johnny's Red Storm (Twirling Candy) made every pole a winning one and took home the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes Sunday afternoon. The George Weaver charge came into this race off a sterling debut Aug. 3 at Saratoga, where he similarly took a field of auction-price restricted maidens gate-to-wire by four lengths. Training well in New York since then and shipped down for the race, the betting public liked him to the tune of 8-5 odds, and he was...

When 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) went wire-to-wire to take out the 2023 GI Pacific Classic, it made trainer Bob Baffert the winningest trainer in the relatively short history of the event with seven winners, surpassing the late Bobby Frankel. The Hall of Fame conditioner will have every chance to extend that record when he sends out fellow 'Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in a compelling renewal of the 10-furlong feature Saturday afternoon, with an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over the same course and distance...