Horse Racing

The South Point Race Book is one of 82 Nevada race books that will book Kentucky Derby wagers outside of the national pari-mutuel pool. The state's race books and Churchill Downs Inc. are 10 months into a stalemate over the amount CDI wants per-dollar wagered. (Image: South Point)

Despite Impasse, Nevada Books Can Handle Kentucky Derby Wagers

- 2 min read

An impasse between Nevada casinos and Churchill Downs Inc. sent the state’s casinos back to booking the Kentucky Derby in-house, rather than partaking in the national pari-mutuel pools. In an agreement signed last week, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved a resolution that allows the state’s casinos to book action on […]

First, Hollie Doyle captured her first Royal Ascot title in June. Now, the 23-year-old became the first British female jockey to win five races in a day. (Image: Royal Ascot)

Take Five: British Jockey Hollie Doyle Makes History at Royal Windsor

- 3 min read

British jockey Hollie Doyle’s remarkable 2020 season can’t be considered a breakout campaign in light of her record 116 victories last year. But Saturday at Royal Windsor, Doyle broke out bigger than ever, becoming the first woman in the history of British horse racing to win five races in one […]

Whitmore, seen here winning his fourth consecutive Hot Springs Stakes, goes for his second Forego Stakes title in three years Saturday. (Image: Coady Photography)

Whitmore Returns to Take On High-Grade Field in Forego Stakes

- 4 min read

Do you go with the crafty veteran, Whitmore, he of the 14 wins in 35 races? Or do you forego that lukewarm favorite in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes and bet on Funny Guy? What about foregoing Funny Guy and playing betting brain games with Mind Control or Complexity? The […]

A US appellate court upheld Maximum Security and rider Luis Saez's disqualification from last year's Kentucky Derby. (Image: Tom Pennington/Getty)

Appellate Court Upholds Maximum Security’s Derby Disqualification

- 3 min read

On the cusp of the 2020 Kentucky Derby, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a lower court decision validating Maximum Security’s disqualification in the 2019 Derby. In a unanimous 14-page decision handed down Friday, the three-judge appeals court upheld a November 2019 decision by a lower […]

Caracaro (left) finished second to Country Grammer in the Peter Pan Stakes in July. Caracaro was scratched from the Kentucky Derby Friday after suffering apparent ligament damage during a workout. (Image: Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

Caracaro Scratched from Kentucky Derby After Morning Workout Injury

- 2 min read

Illustrating in vivid detail the Road to the Kentucky Derby remains perilous, connections for Caracaro scratched the horse from the Sept. 5 Derby after a Friday workout at Saratoga. Exercise rider J.J. Delgado sent the Travers Stakes runner-up on a 1:12.26 six-furlong workout Friday morning. Afterwards, Delgado told trainer Gustavo […]

Math Wizard, seen here winning the Pennsylvania Derby last year, is the only Grade 1 winner in the Charles Town Classic Field. He seeks his first victory since last September's Penn Derby win as the 3/1 favorite. (Image: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

Hungry Millionaires Seek Elusive Form at Charles Town Classic

- 4 min read

There’s Math Wizard, Multiplier, Tenfold and Mr. Money, which makes Friday’s Grade 2 Charles Town Classic sound like either fifth-period math or an exercise in numbers. In their cases, it’s also an exercise in finding a heretofore elusive path to the winner’s circle. And in all but Multiplier’s case, the […]

Newspaperofrecord won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs two years ago. She returns to Churchill Downs as the expected favorite in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on Derby Saturday. (Image: Edward Whitaker)

There’s More to Kentucky Derby Saturday than the Derby

- 3 min read

On Kentucky Derby Saturday, horseplayers and fans get Tiz the Law, Honor A.P., Art Collector and the rest of the Derby Trail survivors. However, to steal a phrase from late-night TV – but wait, there’s more — to Derby Day than the Derby. Not only do you get prohibitive favorite […]

Venetian Harbor and Flavien Prat won February's Las Virgenes Stakes by 9 1/4 lengths. She has three runner-up finishes since and the one-time Kentucky Oaks favorite is skipping that race. (Image: Benoit Photo)

One-Time Favorite Venetian Harbor Won’t Dock at Kentucky Oaks

- 3 min read

Earlier this spring, Venetian Harbor was the 9/2 futures book favorite to win the Kentucky Oaks. But in an example of how a September Oaks/Derby can negatively affect a horse, the 3-year-old filly will sit out next week’s Oaks. Instead, Venetian Harbor’s trainer, Richard Baltas, is setting his sights on […]

Monomoy Girl makes racing look so effortless, that she seems to glide through the air. The 5-year-old mare goes for her third 2020 victory in the Sept. 4 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs. (Image: Michael Reaves/Getty)

Kentucky Oaks Card Comes Loaded with Big Names, Great Resumes

- 3 min read

If the clash of the filly titans at the Kentucky Oaks isn’t enough to grab your attention, then consider this; this year’s card is in serious danger of upstaging Churchill Downs’ Derby Week. And that’s including the marquee event of Derby Week, the 146th Kentucky Derby. It’s OK to pay […]

The start to the Breeders' Cup Classic is like watching an all-star race. This year's Preakness Stakes sends its winner to the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. (Image: Breeders' Cup World Championships)

For the First Time, Preakness Joins Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series

- 3 min read

For the first time in the Breeders’ Cup’s nearly 40-year history, a Triple Crown race will be part of its “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series of races. The 145th Preakness Stakes became one of 44 Challenge Series races offering spots in the Breeders’ Cup field over the next two […]

John Velazquez and Sistercharlie powered their way to the 2019 Diana Stakes title. The pair go for the three-peat today in the Grade 1 race at Saratoga. (Image: Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

Deep Diana Stakes Field In Danger of Another Brown-Out

- 3 min read

First, there’s the presence of trainer Chad Brown, who has a hammerlock on the Diana Stakes. Then, there’s one of the best non-Breeders’ Cup fields you’ll see all year. That’s how you get a race as competitive as the Grade 1 Diana Stakes, Sunday’s marquee race at Saratoga – and […]

Horses prepare to tackle the 80-foot dirt crossing on Santa Anita Park's unique downhill turf course. That course may re-open as the track builds a new turf chute on the first turn. (Image: Santa Anita Park)

Santa Anita Builds New Turf Chute, are Downhill Turf Races Coming Back?

- 3 min read

Santa Anita Park began construction on a new turf chute that allows the track to create more turf sprint races of varying distances. The track also announced it may reinstitute sprint races on its hallmark downhill turf course, which closed in March 2019. The Southern California track announced the renovations […]

Higher Power's career-best race came when he captured the 2019 Pacific Classic. He enters his defense of the Grade 1 race 0-for-his-last-5. (Image: Horsephotos.com)

Pacific Classic Brings Waves of Questions for its Three Favorites

- 3 min read

As promised, Maximum Security is back to the fray for his first Pacific Classic. But after his rocky victory in last month’s San Diego Handicap, is the standout 4-year-old truly back? Two of Maximum Security’s chief West Coast rivals, Midcourt and Higher Power, will answer part of that equation. But […]

This scene of well-dressed fans soaking up the Kentucky Derby atmosphere will not happen this year. Churchill Downs officials announced the 146th Kentucky Derby will run without fans due to a coronavirus spike. (Image: Eclipse Sportswire)

Officials Scratch Fans from Suddenly Spectator-Free Kentucky Derby

- 3 min read

Churchill Downs officials announced on Friday that the 146th Kentucky Derby will run without fans, doubling-back on its fervent desire to run America’s most iconic horse race with a semblance of Derby atmosphere. The decision came in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in Kentucky. The state reported […]

Aqueduct's fall 2020 season offers only one Grade 1 race -- the Cigar Mile. but it provides candid views of some of the most promising 2-year-olds in the country. (Image: ZUMA Photography)

Aqueduct’s Fall Slate Light on Grade 1s, Heavy on Juvenile Prospects

- 2 min read

The New York Racing Association published its Aqueduct fall meet on Thursday, announcing an 18-day meet featuring 29 stakes races worth $3.41 million in purse money. Even with a reduced schedule, a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aqueduct’s stakes calendar offers bettors 11 graded stakes among those 29 stakes. Headlining […]

Fauci broke his maiden in his second start with this length victory at Keeneland in July. He faces two of his Wesley Ward stablemates in Friday's Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Ward Opens His Juvenile Playpen for the Skidmore Stakes

- 3 min read

Unlike many of his contemporaries, trainer Wesley Ward has no problem turning his charges loose against each other. This explains why you’ll see three of his standout 2-year-olds tangle in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga Friday afternoon. The 5 ½-furlong turf sprint features Fauci, Golden Pal, and Sunny Isle Beach […]

The Belmont Park turf will provide the scene for some of Big Sandy's best fall races. (Image: NYRA/Coglianese Photo)

Fall Into Belmont Park’s Autumn Meet: 27 Days, 22 Graded Stakes

- 3 min read

Even as the New York Racing Association cuts racing days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organization officials announced its 27-day Belmont Park fall meet. That schedule features 38 stakes races worth $5.58 million in purse money. NYRA officials announced Wednesday that they are cutting days from both the Belmont […]

The Saratoga racing season is a crucial financial engine for the New York Racing Association. One of the country's largest racing organizations lost $6.7 million in the second quarter and will cut races out of its Belmont and Aqueduct fall meets. (Image: Erica Miller/Daily Gazette)

NYRA Reduces Belmont, Aqueduct Meet Dates, Reports Financial Stability

- 3 min read

Despite reducing race days for the Belmont Park fall meet and the Aqueduct winter meet, the New York Racing Association told New York state regulators it can financially operate under current conditions into the first half of 2021. The concerns about NYRA’s financial viability came because of the coronavirus pandemic, […]

Pneumatic and jockey Joe Bravo easily captured the final Kentucky Derby points race -- the Pegasus Stakes. But they announced Monday they'll skip the Derby for the Preakness Stakes a month later. (Image: Eclipse Sportswire)

Waiting Game Starts as Road to Kentucky Derby Ends

- 3 min read

The Road to the Kentucky Derby is finally complete. Now, it’s just a matter of certain connections deciding if their horses will enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the long and winding Derby trail claimed some standout horses, most notably Nadal, Charlatan, and Maxfield. The […]

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