Tag: Ashland Oaks

Champion 3-Year-Old Malathaat and John Velazquez made her 2022 debut with this resounding victory in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland. That was one of the highlights of a record Spring Meet at Keeneland. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Keeneland Brings Home Record Spring Meet Handle Across the Board

- 3 min read

Keeneland enjoyed its third consecutive year of record Spring Meet handle, bringing in an all-sources handle of $219,284,979 for its just-concluded Spring Meet. That handle was the largest total in the Kentucky track’s history. The more than $219 million from the 15-day meet that ended Friday represented a 33.16% increase […]

Nest and Irad Ortiz Jr. enjoyed an 8 1/4-length romp in Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland Oaks at Keeneland. The 3-year-old will attempt to give Todd Pletcher his second consecutive Kentucky Oaks victory and fifth overall. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Colt Mo Donegal, Filly Nest Give Pletcher 1-2 Derby/Oaks Punch

- 3 min read

As training days go, Todd Pletcher would take a lot more weekends like this. Days where he puts out a potential Kentucky Derby winner and a potential Kentucky Oaks winner. The Hall of Fame trainer’s Derby contender? Mo Donegal, who provided Pletcher with his record-tying seventh Wood Memorial title and […]

Golden Pal, seen here winning his second Breeders' Cup title in as many years, is one of Wesley Ward's top hopes for a stakes title on Keeneland's opening weekend. (Image: Coolmore Stud)

Wesley Ward Rides Herd Over Another Strong Keeneland Crop

- 3 min read

Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet begins on Friday, offering a loaded weekend featuring 10 stakes worth $4.55 million. But this being Keeneland in the spring, many eyes are focused on just one stable. That would be Wesley Ward’s, he of the three consecutive Keeneland Spring Meet training titles. Ward comes into […]

Malathaat (5) outdueled Pass the Champagne to win last year's Ashland. That key Kentucky Oaks prep moves to opening day on Keeneland's 2022 Spring Meet stakes schedule. (Image: Keeneland Photo)

Keeneland Lays Out Record $7.7 Million in Spring Meet Stakes Purses

- 3 min read

Fueled by purse increases to two of its flagship 3-year-old races, Keeneland is putting a record $7.7 million in purses into the 19 stakes races on its just-announced 2022 Spring Meet card. The Lexington, Kentucky track announced increases to all stakes purses for the April 8-29 meet. Prominent among those […]

The pinnacle to date of Simply Ravishing's career came when she and Luis Saez captured the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Churchill Downs last October. The 3-year-old filly came out of a three-month retirement after not going into-foal. (Image: Coady Photography)

Simply Ravishing Back in Training After Failed Breeding Attempt

- 2 min read

Standout filly Simply Ravishing returned to training late last month, ending her quick retirement after she failed to get into foal to Into Mischief this spring. Trainer Kenny McPeek announced via Twitter that the Grade 1-winning filly will return to racing in the Aug. 4 Statue of Liberty Division at […]

Simply Ravishing won her first three races, including this victory in the Alcibiades. After missing the board twice, she seeks a return to that form in Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland Oaks at Keeneland. (Image: Keeneland Photo)

Ashland Oaks Grows Another Filly Rivalry: Malathaat vs. Simply Ravishing

- 3 min read

The Grade 1 Ashland Oaks is following the path of this year’s Kentucky Oaks prep races, which involves pitting two standouts against each other in a makeshift regional rivalry. You had Travel Column and Clairiere in the Fair Grounds Oaks in Louisiana. Beautiful Gift and Moraz tangle at Santa Anita […]

Keeneland offers 10 turf stakes races on its 15-day Spring Meet. It begins April 2 and runs through April 23. (Image: Coady Photography)

Keeneland Springs Into Robust Stakes Slate for Spring Meet

- 2 min read

The 97th running of the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and the 84th running of the Grade 1 Ashland headline Keeneland’s 2021 Spring Meet, which runs April 2-23 at the Lexington, Kentucky, track. The Blue Grass is one of the last Kentucky Derby preps. Last year, it featured a stellar […]

Mike Smith and Swiss Skydiver rolled to such an easy victory in June's Santa Anita Oaks that her connections may send her into Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes against the boys. (Image: AP Photo)

Swiss Skydiver Looking to Leap into Blue Grass Stakes

- 2 min read

Will Swiss Skydiver run with the boys? Will the talented filly who doesn’t need Kentucky Oaks points enter Saturday’s Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland – a Kentucky Derby prep? Or will Swiss Skydiver enter the Grade 1 Ashland Oaks and tangle with her usual fellow filly suspects? These […]