News

  • Kentucky Derby Report -- March 7

    Vyjack secured a likely spot in the Kentucky Derby field when winning Saturday's Gotham, earning 50 points in the new "Road to the Kentucky Derby" scoring system for the convincing 2 1/4-length decision. After capturing his first three starts in front-running fashion, Vyjack switched gears and closed from off the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race, overcoming a wide trip along the way on Aqueduct's inner track.

  • Video The Kentucky Oaks 2013, Run for the Lilies !

  • Beholder, Unlimited Budget, Pure Fun Top Early Kentucky Oaks 139 Nominations

    Reigning 2-year-old filly champion and Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I) winner Beholder is joined by unbeaten two-time stakes winner Unlimited Budget and Hollywood Starlet (GI) winner Pure Fun atop a list of 120 nominations to the 139th running of the $1 million-guaranteed Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 3.

  • Mott's Flashy Gray Edges 'All Others", Champion Beholder and Unlimited Budget in Oaks Futures

    Flashy Gray, a winner of two of three career races for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott but untested in top level competition, emerged as a somewhat surprising fans’ choice over the “All Others” (#24) betting interest, reigning 2-year-old filly champion Beholder (#1) and unbeaten stakes winner Unlimited Budget (#23) when three days of betting concluded early Sunday evening in Churchill Downs’ 2013 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).

  • No Future Surprise: 'All Others' edges Verrazano, Surging Vyjack in Pool 2

    The second of three betting pools in Churchill Downs Racetrack’s 2013 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) concluded with few surprises when wagering closed early Sunday evening with a strong favorite in the  “All Others” (#24) betting interest  the strong 3-1 favorite over unbeaten Verrazano (#22), Fountain of Youth (GII) winner Orb (#11) and the surging Vyjack (#23), who made a major move in the pool following Saturday’s impressive win in the Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct.

  • Rydilluc rolls onto Derby trail in Palm Beach

    Team Stallion Racing Stable et al's Rydilluc was using his stakes debut in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Palm Beach on turf as an audition for the Kentucky Derby trail. By drawing off to a flashy 3 1/2-length score, the Gary Contessa trainee remained perfect from three turf starts, and showed star potential.

    That prompted a social-media celebration from his Team Stallion connections: "Derby Dreamin!"

  • Flashback leads San Felipe workers

            Flashback moved a step closer to next Saturday's much-anticipated pre-Triple Crown showdown with Goldencents in the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe with a five-furlong workout Sunday morning at Santa Anita in a bullet :59 under regular rider Julien Leparoux. It was the fastest of 63 drills at the distance on the fast main track.

  • Verrazano breezes half-mile for Tampa Bay Derby

    Trainer Todd Pletcher had a very busy Sunday morning at Palm Meadows with more than a dozen stakes runners from his powerful stable hitting the worktab for upcoming stakes engagements.

    Unbeaten Kentucky Derby hopeful Verrazano, gearing up for his stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, traveled a half-mile on the fast main track in :48 1/5.

    "Todd was very happy with the work and 'V' is ready," owner Let's Go Stable tweeted.

  • Wood Memorial next objective for unbeaten Vyjack

    Rudy Rodriguez usually avoids looking too far into the future, but he couldn't help but express cautious optimism the morning after he picked up his biggest victory as a trainer when Vyjack came from off the pace to win Aqueduct's Grade 3 Gotham by 2 1/4 lengths on Saturday.

    The victory gave Vyjack, who is unbeaten in four starts, 50 points in the new "Road to the Kentucky Derby" qualifying system, which likely is enough to put him in the starting gate at Churchill Downs on May 4.

  • Unlimited Budget, Champion Beholder Top Oaks Futures With One Day To Go

    After two days of betting in Churchill Downs’ 2013 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”), unbeaten Unlimited Budget (#23), reigning 2-year-old filly champion Beholder (#1) and the popular “All Others” (#24) wagering interest  are atop a tightly-packed group that is battling to determine the betting favorite in the three-day betting pool that is set to close early Sunday evening..

  • 'All Others', Verrazano Top Derby Futures After Day 2, Vyjack Gains Support

    There was no change in the top two positions on Churchill Downs Racetrack’s odds board after the second day of betting in Pool 2 of the 2013 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), but odds on unbeaten Vyjack (#23) dipped after his impressive victory in the Gotham (Grade III) at Aqueduct, Saturday’s major prep for the 139th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

  • General Election prevails in Battaglia

    WinStar Farm's General Election overcame a wide trip to prove best in Saturday's $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial, notching his first stakes tally with a half-length decision in the 1 1/16-mile test at Turfway Park. The Kellyn Gorder-trained colt earned a berth in the track's centerpiece event, the Grade 2 Spiral Stakes on March 23, where he will have the opportunity to garner points toward a possible Kentucky Derby bid.

  • Beholder romps in Las Virgenes

    Spendthrift Farm's Beholder proved to be fully recovered from a throat ulcer that was discovered after her runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez when wiring Saturday's Grade 1, $250,750 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita by 3 3/4 lengths under regular rider Garrett Gomez.

    Despite missing by three parts of a length in her three-year-old bow on January 21, the wagering public didn't lose confidence in Beholder, sending her off the 4-5 favorite to return $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10.

  • Vyjack stays unbeaten in Gotham

    Pick Six Racing's Vyjack extended his unbeaten sequence to four with a stirring late rally in Saturday's Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Most recently successful in the Grade 2 Jerome, Vyjack upstaged Overanalyze, the 8-5 favorite, who could do no better than fifth in his three-year-old debut.

  • Mott's Flashy Gray, Unbeaten Unlimited Budget Top Opening Day of Oaks Futures

    Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott does not have a victory in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) among his vast collection of wins at Churchill Downs, but his impressive Flashy Gray (#9) is the early people’s choice to win America’s premiere race for 3-year-old fillies following the opening day of betting in the 2013 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).

  • Verrazano Narrow Individual Choice, But 'All Others' is Derby Futures Pool 2 Favorite

    The first day of betting in Churchill Downs Racetrack’s (CDRT) second Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) pool of 2013 was highlighted by expected strong support for unbeaten Verrazano (#22, 10-1) and other 3-year-old stars, but the “All Others” (#24) betting interest was the strong 8-5 fan favorite when opening day wagering drew to a close late Friday evening.

  • Video John Asher and Jill Byrne Discuss the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager

  • Video John Asher & Jill Byrne talk Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2

  • Video Road to the Kentucky Derby Gotham Stakes Preview 3.2.2013

  • Charming Kitten heads competitive field of 11 in Palm Beach

    Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Kentucky homebred Charming Kitten, impressive when winning the Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park on January 20, a race named for his sire, will likely be favored to add Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Palm Beach to his growing resume.

    Jockey John Velazquez will be back aboard Charming Kitten for trainer Todd Pletcher in the field of 11 sophomores set to go in the 1 1/8-mile turf test at Gulfstream.