Ocelli

After Bill Mott confirmed that Kentucky Derby fourth Chief Wallabee (Constitution) would not make the trip to Laurel for the May 16 GI Preakness, trainer Donnie Von Hemel confirmed Monday that Junior Alvarado will ride Crupper (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. "I talked to them this morning," Von Hemel said on Monday. "Since Bill's not going, that's what we were waiting on." Alvarado rode Crupper in Oaklawn's nine-furlong Bathhouse Row Stakes on Apr. 18, a victory that gave Crupper a free entry into the...

So that's now 41 straight runnings of the GI Kentucky Derby in which the horse breaking from the one post has lost. Take nothing away from Golden Tempo (Curlin), who ran the race of his life for rising star trainer Cherie DeVaux and was a deserving winner after breaking from post 16. He beat Renegade (Into Mischief), who was saddled with the one post. But had the post positions been reversed, would Renegade have won? It's a fair question. Renegade was roughed up at the start, bumping repeatedly with other...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Friday evening wasn't the only 'Ladies Night' at Churchill Downs this weekend. Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the GI Kentucky Derby, saddling Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable homebred Golden Tempo (Curlin) to a last-to-first upset at odds of 23-1 in the 152nd renewal on an unseasonably chilly first Saturday in May. The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' stormed home down the center to narrowly outkick the unlucky Renegade (Into Mischief), slammed hard at the start from his rail draw, by a...

Fulleffort (Liam's Map), winner of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, will scratch from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby field because of a left-hind ankle chip, according to Daily Racing Form on Thursday morning. The defection will allow maiden Ocelli (Connect), third in the GII Wood Memorial last time out, to move into the lineup. "Back about a month ago, we were 30 (on the Derby leaderboard)," trainer Whit Beckman said of Ocelli, who galloped Thursday morning. "The way things have gone the past couple of years, you think you might have...

Make that two spots in the starting gate reserved for the Bernhard Family's Pin Oak Stud and trainer Riley Mott in the GI Kentucky Derby. Albus (Yaupon), a visually impressive maiden winner at third asking at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 27, punched his ticket to Louisville with an 11-1 upset in Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. Fellow longshots Right to Party (Constitution) and Ocelli (Connect) were second and third, respectively. Favored GIII Gotham S. winner Iron Honor (Nyquist) tired to seventh after getting bumped hard on the clubhouse...

With nominations for the $500,000 Virginia Derby closing Wednesday, Feb. 25, GSW Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) and Ocelli (Connect) have emerged as likely starters, Colonial Downs said in a press release on Friday. The 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby will be run Saturday, Mar. 14, highlighting Colonial Downs's three-day meet held Mar. 12-14. Nominations for all seven opening week stakes also close Feb. 25. Held just under two months from the GI Kentucky Derby, the Virginia Derby awards 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top five finishers toward a berth in the "Run...