News

  • Revolutionary overcomes trouble to claim Withers

    WinStar Farm's Revolutionary broke slowly and suffered through an adventurous trip in Saturday's Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct, but the Kentucky Derby prospect unleashed his best stride late and closed dramatically to win by a neck on the wire. Heavily favored in his stakes debut, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt was ridden to victory in the 1 1/16-mile event by Javier Castellano.

    "He didn't break that sharp and I didn't panic," Castellano noted. "I think the key with him is that you have to be patient."

  • Flashback romps in Bob Lewis

    The Bob Baffert-trained Flashback, who generated plenty of buzz with his debut maiden win in December, officially burst onto the Kentucky Derby scene with a dominating display in Saturday's Grade 2, $196,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Sent off as the heavy 1-2 favorite in a four-horse field, Gary and Mary West's colorbearer led throughout and surged 6 1/4 lengths clear under minimal encouragement from jockey Julien Leparoux.

  • Champion Shanghai Bobby Leads Large Pletcher Team Among 369 Horses Nominated to 2013 Triple Crown Series

    The early nomination period for the three races in the American Triple Crown has concluded with 369 3-year-old Thoroughbreds based in the United States and abroad eligible to bid for a rare sweep of the series of classic races that includes the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), the $1 million Preakness (GI) and the $1 million Belmont Stakes (GI).

    NOTE: UPDATE: Brisnet.com is working to upload free past performances of all Triple Crown-nominated horses (check back later this afternoon) via:

  • Video Road to the Kentucky Derby Robert B Lewis Preview 2.2.13

  • Video Road to the Kentucky Derby Withers Preview 2.2.13

  • He's Had Enough trying to follow in I'll Have Another's Lewis hoofprints

    Last year's Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis served as a steppingstone to stardom, as I'll Have Another parlayed his 2 3/4-length win in the race to triumphs in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

    Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Lewis attracted a field of four hoping for the same outcome, including He's Had Enough, who like I'll Have Another is owned by Reddam Racing, trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez.

  • Dynamic Sky tops Sam F. Davis

    After shipping in to win the Pasco on January 12, Dynamic Sky will return to Tampa Bay Downs in pursuit of the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile test is one of three graded events on Saturday's lucrative 12-race Festival Preview Day card and serves as a precursor to the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9, with all roads subsequently leading to the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

  • Kentucky Derby Report -- Jan. 31

    Nobody predicted that Itsmyluckyday would develop into a top Kentucky Derby contender this year, not after his well-beaten sixth in the Delta Jackpot Juvenile in mid-November and fourth-place effort in the December 15 Dania Beach on turf, but Saturday's Holy Bull changed perceptions.

    Itsmyluckyday convincingly handed unbeaten juvenile champ Shanghai Bobby his first defeat, winning easily by a two-length margin while establishing a new track record at Gulfstream Park for the 1 1/16-mile distance, and he's the clear leader of the pack when it comes to BRIS Speed ratings.

  • Revolutionary takes first stakes shot in Withers

    A beaten favorite in his first three outings, including twice as an odds-on choice, Revolutionary finally put it all together as an even-money favorite in a December 28 maiden at Aqueduct. He did it emphatically, too, scoring by 8 1/2 lengths over next-out winner Transparent. Off that commanding performance, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt might go favored in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Withers, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Big A's inner track.

  • Shanghai Bobby High Weight on 2012 Experimental Free Handicap; Beholder Gets Top Weight Assignment for Fillies

    Shanghai Bobby, last year’s champion 2-year-old male and undefeated winner of the Breeders’ Cup Grey Goose Juvenile, received the high weight assignment of 126 pounds on The Jockey Club’s 2012 Experimental Free Handicap, released Wednesday by The Jockey Club.

    Beholder, who won the Breeders’ Cup Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies, was the high weight filly with 123.

    Shanghai Bobby and Beholder were also Eclipse Award winners in their respective divisions of 2-year-old male and 2-year-old filly.

  • Itsmyluckyday, Shanghai Bobby to await Florida Derby

    Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's Itsmyluckyday was pronounced to be "110 percent" Sunday morning at Calder by trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., one day after his track record victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park over previously undefeated champion Shanghai Bobby.

    "We had a good year last year and started this year even better," Plesa said. "In this game, you have to enjoy it when things are going your way and hold on to it because it will come to an end eventually. Right now I would say we'll wait for the Florida Derby for his next start."

  • Fury Kapcori out of Bob Lewis

    Grade 1 CashCall Futurity runner-up Fury Kapcori has suffered a setback that will rule him out of his scheduled reappearance in Saturday's Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.

    "He's got a little problem," Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer told DRF Sunday. "It might cost him a little time."

  • Itsmyluckyday runs past Shanghai Bobby in record-setting Holy Bull

    Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa's Itsmyluckyday collared two-year-old champion Shanghai Bobby in the stretch run of Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and went on to a convincing two-length victory, establishing himself as a serious prospect for this year's Kentucky Derby while smashing the track record at Gulfstream Park. The emerging three-year-old colt completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 4/5 with jockey Elvis Trujillo, bettering the old mark of 1:42 1/5 for the re-configured nine-furlong oval.

  • Fiftyshadesofhay earns first stakes win in Santa Ysabel

    Fiftyshadesofhay flew home in the stretch of Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita to take her first stakes victory in impressive fashion under jockey Rafael Bejarano. The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Pulpit bided her time in second on the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile contest before easily swooping past pacesetter Escape Act to take command and draw off by 5 3/4 lengths on the wire.

  • Kauai Katie romps in Forward Gal

    Stonestreet Stables' Kauai Katie continued her winning ways this year with yet another easy win for trainer Todd Pletcher, this time in the Grade 2, $200,000 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. With jockey John Velazquez aboard, the Malibu Moon miss grabbed command from the start and never looked back while pulling away in the lane to be 5 1/2 lengths clear of My Happy Face on the wire.

  • Goldencents zips six furlongs at Santa Anita

    Multiple Grade 3 winner Goldencents and recent acquisition Mudflats each worked six furlongs for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill before Saturday's 1ST race on Santa Anita's wet-fast main track. Each horse worked separately with an eye toward the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 9.

    Goldencents went in a bullet 1:10 1/5 under regular rider Kevin Krigger, the best of a total of eight works at the distance on Saturday. His fractional times were :22 4/5, :45 3/5 and :57 4/5.

  • Bern Identity hopes to turn tables on Shanghai Bobby

    Bern Identity, who will make his three-year-old debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, is generally regarded as the biggest danger to undefeated Shanghai Bobby, the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

  • Video Road to the Kentucky Derby 1.25.13 Holy Bull Preview

  • Beholder diagnosed with throat ulcer

    Champion two-year-old filly Beholder likely had an excuse when she was second in her three-year-old debut as the 1-5 favorite in Monday's Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes.

    "We did an exam of her yesterday, scoped her and found an ulcer in her throat, a small one that we can clean up real quick," Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said on a rainy Thursday morning.

    "She probably had a pretty sore throat in the race and didn't even know it."

    Mandella is optimistic that the daughter of Henny Hughes can still make the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile on March 2.

  • Shanghai Bobby schools in paddock

    Unbeaten champion Shanghai Bobby made a quick jaunt Thursday from his Palm Meadows home to Gulfstream Park, where he schooled in the paddock with promising stablemate Verrazano during the 2ND race. The Todd Pletcher trainee was getting a field trip in advance of Saturday's Grade 3, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes.

    "He hasn't been to the racetrack or anywhere besides Palm Meadows since he ran in the Breeder's Cup (Juvenile on November 3)," Pletcher said. "We wanted him to get familiar with his surroundings here.