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Kentucky Derby News

  • John Asher's Kentucky Derby 136 Update for Friday, March 12

    SOUTH / CHAMPION LOOKIN AT LUCKY RETURNS, TRIES DIRT IN REBEL – Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old of 2009, will kick of what trainer Bob Baffert hopes will be a campaign that leads to a victory on May 1 in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) in Saturday’s $300,000 Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.

  • John Asher's Kentucky Oaks 136 Update for Friday, March 12

    FLORIDA / CHAMPION SHE BE WILD LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK IN FLORIDA OAKS – When she was last seen in the Forward Gal (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park, reigning 2-year-old filly champion and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) winner She Be Wild finished a disappointing fifth in her first career start over traditional dirt.

  • Lookin at Lucky, Noble's Promise renew rivalry in Rebel

    LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike) and NOBLE'S PROMISE (Cuvee) will make their sophomore debuts on Saturday in Oaklawn Park's $300,000 Rebel S. (G2), the final prep before the April 10 Arkansas Derby (G1). This will be the third straight match-up between the two rivals, with Lookin at Lucky finishing in front each time.

  • Soaring Empire takes aim at Florida Derby

    Grade 3-placed SOARING EMPIRE (Empire Maker), a smart winner of a seven-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park in his three-year-old debut, will make the fourth start of his career and first around two turns in the March 20 Florida Derby (G1), trainer Cam Gambolati revealed Thursday.

  • She Be Wild seeks to make amends in Florida Oaks

    SHE BE WILD (Offlee Wild), last year's juvenile filly champion, will be the second Eclipse Award from 2009 to compete at Tampa this meet when she meets nine others in the $175,000 Florida Oaks (G3) at 1 1/16 miles. The maiden claiming graduate, whose success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Arlington-Washington Lassie (G3) was enough to garner divisional honors, is seeking her first win on dirt following a wide-trip fifth in the Forward Gal S. (G2) at Gulfstream on January 31.

  • Super Saver leads field of seven in Tampa Bay Derby

    Having already successfully raided the three-year-old stakes pots at Tampa Bay Downs this season when Rule (Roman Ruler) took the Sam F. Davis S. (G3) in February, trainer Todd Pletcher will attempt to do it one more time on Saturday in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). This time, Pletcher's representative is SUPER SAVER (Maria's Mon), who will be making his first start since an authoritative five-length score in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs in November.

  • Caracortado seeks sixth straight in San Felipe

    On Saturday, the popular duo of jockey Paul Atkinson and CARACORTADO (Cat Dreams) hope to move a step closer to the May 1 Kentucky Derby (G1) when they run in the $150,000 San Felipe S. (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. Early on, Caracortado and Atkinson flew beneath racing's radar, but after winning the Robert B. Lewis S. (G2) on February 13, trainer Mike Machowsky proclaimed those days were over.

  • Conditioning the track for Derby

    Introduction: 
    Churchill Downs Track Superintendent Butch Lehr describes how he conditions the track in preparation for the Derby

  • Lookin at Lucky works for Rebel

    Over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride on Monday, champion LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike) worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5, turning in his last serious drill before Saturday's Rebel S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

    The Bob Baffert colt, who has not raced since capturing the CashCall Futurity (G1) at Hollywood Park in December, will be trying dirt for the first time. Plans call for Lookin at Lucky to add blinkers for the Rebel, a change of equipment that Baffert decided upon after consulting with regular rider Garrett Gomez.

  • Jill Byrne's Weekend Prep Review March 5-7

    Introduction: 
    Jill Byrne reviews the Kentucky Derby prep races from this past weekend

  • John Asher's Kentucky Oaks 136 Update for Monday, March 8

    CALIFORNIA / CRISP REBOUNDS TO UPSET BLIND LUCK IN SANTA ANITA OAKS – A third straight Grade I stakes victory by Blind Luck In Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (GI) would have made the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee a near-prohibitive favorite for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, at Churchill Downs on April 30.

    But the race provided another reminder of why races are contested on track and not on paper.

  • John Asher's Kentucky Derby 136 Update for Monday, March 8

    NEW YORK / BRITISH INVADER AWESOME ACT ROLLS IN GOTHAM – Mrs. Susan Roy and Vinery’s British import Awesome Act displayed a clear affinity for traditional dirt in his first start over the surface and placed himself in contention for a start in the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) with a stylish victory in Saturday’s Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct.

  • Eskendereya Emerges As the Favored Individual, But 'All Others' Is Overall Favorite In Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager

    Zayat Racing Stable’s Eskendereya emerged as the solid individual choice to win $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday, May 1 – but the “All Others” betting interest remained the overall fans’ choice as Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) ended its three-run early Sunday evening.

  • Blind Luck Edges Amen Hallelujah, Christine Daae To Be Favorite in 2010 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager

    She suffered a surprising defeat over the weekend, but the faith of racing fans in Blind Luck was unshaken as trainer Jerry Hollendforfer’s filly was a start-to-finish favorite in Churchill Downs’ three-day 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager when the betting pool concluded Sunday evening.

  • Lookin at Lucky still likely for Rebel; Blind Luck targets Fantasy

    Trainer Bob Baffert left the door slightly ajar for 2009 two-year-old champion male LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike) to make his three-year-old debut in Saturday's San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita, but reiterated that he was more likely to ship to Oaklawn Park for the Rebel S. (G2) on the same day. Both are 1 1/16-mile events.

    "I'll look at the weather at Oaklawn and if it looks like snow, I'll just keep him here," Baffert said Sunday morning. "But right now, the Rebel looks pretty firm.