Robert L. Evans, president and chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) ("Churchill Downs" or "Company") will ceremoniously open The NASDAQ Stock Market in New York City on Wednesday, April 25.
Trainer Steve Asmussen's trio of Kentucky Derby 133 contenders - headed by possible favorite Curlin - arrived at Churchill Downs early Monday afternoon following a van ride from Keeneland. Curlin breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80. Exercise rider Carlos Rosas was in the irons for the move that ranked 13th out of 18 moves at the distance.
Fox Hill Farms' Hard Spun worked a mile over the Polytrack at Keeneland in 1:42 on Monday morning with jockey Mario Pino up.
ANY GIVEN SATURDAY/CIRCULAR QUAY/COWTOWN CAT/SAM P./SCAT DADDY - WinStar Farm and Gulf Coast Farm's Cowtown Cat, winner of the Illinois Derby (GII) and the Gotham (GIII), worked sharply on Saturday at Keeneland in preparation for an expected run for trainer Todd Pletcher in Kentucky Derby 133.
MIDWEST/BELGRAVIA LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK IN COOLMORE LEXINGTON - The stretch-running Belgravia has not enjoyed the smoothest of winters, but makes a belated return to competition in Saturday's $350,000-added Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade II) at Keeneland.
CENTRAL/CURLIN ROMPS IN ARKANSAS DERBY, FAVORED IN FINAL KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURES POOL - Curlin remained unbeaten and unchallenged in his brief racing career when he pulled away in the stretch for a dominating 10 ½-length victory in Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (Grade I) at Oaklawn Park.
Unbeaten Curlin, a dazzling winner of the $1 million Arkansas Derby (Grade II) on Saturday, emerged as a strong favorite over such accomplished rivals as 2006 2-year-old champion Street Sense and Wood Memorial (GI) winner Nobiz Like Shobiz when betting drew to a close in the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW").
Unbeaten Curlin, a dominating 10 ½-length winner of Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (Grade II) at Oaklawn Park, emerged as a solid favorite heading into Sunday's last day of betting in the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW").
Unbeaten Curlin, the morning line favorite for Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, emerged as a slight favorite over juvenile champion Street Sense and Florida Derby (GI) winner Scat Daddy as betting on the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW") reached its midway point.
J. Paul Reddam's Notional, winner of the Risen Star (Grade III) at the Fair Grounds and runner-up in the Florida Derby (GI), suffered a leg injury during a Saturday gallop that knocked the colt off the road to the 133rd running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI). Trainer Doug O'Neill confirmed the injury to Churchill Downs officials by telephone on Saturday evening and wagering was suspended on Notional (#14) in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW"), which runs through Sunday at 6 p.m. (EDT).
MIDWEST/CHAMPION STREET SENSE ODDS-ON FAVORITE FOR $750,000 TOYOTA BLUE GRASS - James Tafel's Street Sense, American racing's champion 2-year-old of 2006, continues his bid to become the first juvenile champion to win the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) since 1979 when he enters the starting gate on Saturday as the odds-on favorite for the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.
While Churchill Downs could not be described as being overrun with early-arriving contenders for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) at this point, the historic track has over the past few days been the scene of two of the more intriguing workouts of the spring.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 12, 2007) - For the first time in the storied history of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs racetrack will host a public drawing for Kentucky Derby fans to purchase two seats to the upcoming 133rd "Run for the Roses," scheduled for May 5, 2007.
A sparkling workout at Churchill Downs on Thursday has put Fox Hill Farm's Hard Spun, winner of the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (Grade II), firmly on the road to the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (I) on Saturday, May 5.
James Tafel's Street Sense, a major contender for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on May 5, tuned up for a run in Saturday's $750,000-added Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland with a five-furlong workout on Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
EAST/NOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ DIGS DOWN FOR WOOD WIN - Elizabeth Valando's Nobiz Like Shobiz, running for the first time in blinkers after an upset loss in his previous start, dug in through the stretch to turn back Any Given Saturday and then held off surging 19-1 longshot Sightseeing to win Saturday's $750,000 Wood Memorial (Grade I) at Aqueduct.
EAST/NOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ MEETS ANY GIVEN SATURDAY IN WOOD - Elizabeth Valando's Nobiz Like Shobiz and WinStar Farm and Padua Stable's Any Given Saturday, two of the most highly respected colts currently on the road to the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), will meet Saturday as they head a likely field of six entered in the 83rd running of the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) at New York's Aqueduct.
After juvenile champion Street Sense made his return to competition with a narrow victory in the Tampa Bay Derby, there was some debate - at least among television analysts - as to whether his narrow win over the very talented Any Given Saturday had taken too much out of the colt.
James Tafel's Street Sense, a major contender for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) and the reigning 2-year-old champion of American racing, tuned up for a scheduled run in next week's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland with a sizzling five-furlong workout on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
James Tafel's homebred Street Sense, a record-smashing winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade I) and America's reigning 2-year-old champion, returned to familiar surroundings on Saturday as he arrived at Churchill Downs to continue his preparations for the 133rd running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on May 5.
The opening day of racing at Keeneland and the first tulips that push through the topsoil under the Twin Spires are wonderful indicators that spring has arrived in Kentucky, but to me and many other racing fans the season is heralded annually by the running of the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (GII) at Turfway Park.
SOUTHEAST/CHAMPION STREET SENSE RETURNS, FACES ANY GIVEN SATURDAY IN TAMPA BAY DERBY - James Tafel's homebred Street Sense, winner of the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade I) and the champion 2-year-old of 2006, takes his first step on the road to the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs when he makes his season debut on Saturday in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs.
CENTRAL/CIRCULAR QUAY ROLLS LATE, DOMINATES IN LOUISIANA DERBY - Michael and Doreen Tabor's Circular Quay stayed outside and in the clear in Saturday's 91st running of the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (Grade II) at the Fair Grounds, and made clear with a dominant victory that he should be on the short list of horses capable of winning the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 5.
The second of three pools of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW") ended on Sunday with ‘all others' as a narrow favorite and a three-way scramble between reigning 2-year-old champion Street Sense, Remsen (Grade II) and Holy Bull (GIII) winner Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Circular Quay to be the individual horse favored to win the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) at the Louisville track on Saturday, May 5.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Feb. 24, 2007) - Churchill Downs and UPS are teaming up to bring the horsepower of the Kentucky Derby to NASCAR, as the two companies today unveiled a special Kentucky Derby 133 paint scheme that will be featured on the #44 UPS Toyota Camry driven by champion Dale Jarrett as he competes in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29.
CENTRAL/TEUFLESBERG SURPRISES, HARD SPUN REGROUPS - Gary Logsdon, Donnie Kellye and Jamie Sanders' Teuflesberg stole the spotlight from heavily favored Hard Spun on Monday when the 23-1 shot led throughout to win the $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
