News

  • Pure Fun meets 10 male rivals in Lexington

    Pure Fun will take an unorthodox route toward her ultimate goal, the May 3 Kentucky Oaks, when she lines up against 10 males in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile race on Polytrack offers a total of 34 points (20-8-4-2) for both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, and Pure Fun needs points to qualify with only 20 in the bank.

  • Kentucky Derby Report

    Java's War got up to win by a neck and Overanalyze rolled to a convincing 4 1/4-length victory as the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby wrapped up the final round of major preps. A total of six probable Kentucky Derby contestants were in action last Saturday.

  • Frac Daddy Arrives, Brown Makes Training Plans for Normandy Invasion, Seaneen Girl Works Toward Oaks

    Arkansas Derby (Grade I) runner-up Frac Daddy, ranked No. 15 on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com,” arrived at Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. (all times Eastern) and will be prepped for Kentucky Derby 139 beneath the Twin Spires.

  • Napravnik to ride Mylute in Kentucky Derby

    Jockey Rosie Napravnik has accepted the Kentucky Derby mount on Louisiana Derby runner-up Mylute.

    Napravnik, the leading rider at Fair Grounds the past three meetings, rode Mylute to his last win, a 10 3/4-length romp over optional claiming rivals at Fair Grounds on December 26. The gray son of Midnight Lute had been ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan in his previous two outings, a seventh in the February 23 Risen Star and his fast-finishing second, beaten less than a length by Revolutionary, in the March 30 Louisiana Derby.

  • Video Road to the Kentucky Derby update from Churchill Downs 4.16.13

  • Video Mine That Bird Returns to the Twin Spires

  • Borel picks up mount on Revolutionary; Smith on Palace Malice

    Three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel has picked up the mount on Louisiana Derby hero Revolutionary for the 139th Run for the Roses, it was announced Monday.

    Revolutionary represents the same connections -- WinStar Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher -- as Borel's most recent Derby winner, Super Saver, in 2010. The veteran rider first guided Street Sense to Derby glory in 2007 before springing the 50-1 upset aboard Mine That Bird in 2009.

  • Verrazano Gallops on First Morning Beneath the Twin Spires; Lukas Arrivals Get Settled

    Wood Memorial (Grade I) winner Verrazano, the individual favorite in all three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, arrived at Churchill Downs on Sunday evening and galloped beneath the Twin Spires on Monday on his first morning in Louisville.

    “Everything went perfectly,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He seemed to settle in really well overnight and I thought he galloped very nicely over the track today.”

  • Video Taste of Derby

  • Ciao Bella Luna shines bright in Beaumont

    Ciao Bella Luna bid her rivals "hello and goodbye" in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Beaumont over Keeneland's Polytrack with jockey Joel Rosario aboard. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil came running on the outside to sail past pacesetter Magical Moon for the 2 1/2-length victory.

  • Govenor Charlie could be Baffert's lone Derby runner

    "Then there was one."

    That's how Bob Baffert summed up his prospects for the Kentucky Derby on May 4 after War Academy was pulled up in Saturday's Arkansas Derby under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who at press time Sunday, was still in search of a mount in the Run for the Roses.

    "The one" would be Sunland Derby winner Govenor Charlie, who has 50 points on the Derby's new qualifying system that limits the field to 20 starters with the highest point totals, earned by the top four finishers in designated Derby prep races.

  • Java's War fine, but trainer 'exhausted,' following Blue Grass

    \"Java's War came out of Blue Grass fine. Trainer is exhausted. Thank You for opportunity Mr Fipke. Special winning in my home town Lexington"

    So tweeted trainer Ken McPeek on Sunday morning about the victory by Charles Fipke's homebred Java's War in Saturday's Blue Grass before 37,161 fans, the second-largest crowd in Keeneland history. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the War Pass colt charged from last place to catch Palace Malice near the finish of the 1 1/8-mile race and win by a neck.

  • Mylute Tunes Up for Derby With Six-Furlong Work; Arkansas Derby Winner Overanalyze Arrives at Churchill Downs

    Mylute, runner-up to Revolutionary in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (Grade II), continued his preparations for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) with a six-furlong breeze in 1:12.20 on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

  • Overanalyze back in business in Arkansas Derby

    Repole Stable's Overanalyze, a dull fifth in the March 2 Gotham Stakes in his reappearance, roared back with a commanding, 4 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the 7-2 third choice rallied boldly down the stretch to win 100 points toward the Kentucky Derby, and confirm his spot in the starting gate on May 4.

  • Java's War rallies last to first in Blue Grass

    After breaking slowly and trailing during the early stages, Java's War closed fast to catch Palace Malice in deep stretch of Saturday's Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Julien Leparoux rode the Kenny McPeek-trained colt, who earned a Kentucky Derby berth with the neck decision.

  • Pure Fun, Taken By the Storm work in company for McPeek

    Grade 1 winner Pure Fun and Taken By the Storm worked five furlongs together at Keeneland Saturday morning for trainer Kenny McPeek, completing five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on the Polytrack.

    Rosie Napravnik was up on Pure Fun, who could face males in next Saturday's Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Taken By the Storm was ridden by Alan Garcia and could be cross-entered to the Lexington and Illinois Derby, which will be run the same day at Hawthorne.

  • Spiral Winner Black Onyx Back to Work

    Black Onyx, 1 ½-length winner of the Spiral (GIII), breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 on the fast main track at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning in his first major training move since his victory at Turfway Park on March 23.

  • Footbridge aims to buck history in Blue Grass

    Godolphin Racing's Footbridge attempt to overcome some serious history on Saturday when he makes his stakes debut in the 89th running of the Blue Grass Stakes. No horse has won this major Keeneland prep for the Kentucky Derby after breaking his maiden in his previous start, something Footbridge accomplished in his fourth start.

  • Rydilluc blows out for Blue Grass

    Palm Beach winner Rydilluc completed his major preparations for Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes by breezing through the stretch Thursday morning at Keeneland.

    Keeneland clockers began timing the colt at the three-eighths pole. With exercise rider Ricardo Orantes up, Rydilluc turned in fractions of :13 and :24 3/5 en route to completing three Polytrack furlongs in :37 2/5. The Medaglia d'Oro colt galloped out a half-mile in :51 3/5.

  • Louisiana Derby Winner Revolutionary Arrives at Churchill Downs

    After a brief freshening at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., Louisiana Derby (Grade II) winner Revolutionary arrived at Churchill Downs shortly after 11 a.m. EDT on Friday to be prepped for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

    Arriving with multiple graded stakes-winning 6-year-old Doubles Partner, Revolutionary, ranked No. 4 on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com” Leaderboard, was bedded down in Stall 9 of Barn 34 for trainer Todd Pletcher.