Tag: Churchill Downs

Art Collector and regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. worked out four times at Churchill Downs. The one-time Triple Crown race threat returns for his 4-year-old campaign in the June 25 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. (Image: Coady Photography)

Art Collector Set for 2021 Debut at Kelly’s Landing Stakes

Art Collector, one of last year’s most heralded 3-year-olds, will make his 4-year-old debut in the Black-Type Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. The June 25 Kelly’s Landing is one of eight stakes on Churchill Downs’ closing weekend for its Spring Meet. It sends its competitors seven furlongs on […]

Because he's a horseman at his core, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale made sure to wager his entire $2.4 million on Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality at Churchill Downs. (Image: Kentucky HBPA/@KyHBPA)

‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale Believes Where You Bet the Horses Matters

When Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale was looking for a site on which to drop a $2.4 million wager on Essential Quality to win the Kentucky Derby, he remembered what he was at heart. McIngvale has been called many things over the years. An entrepreneur. A furniture magnate. A media darling, […]

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert doubles as the face of his sport. His face won't be around Churchill Downs the next two years after that track suspended him for two years. (Image: AP Photo)

Churchill Downs Drops Two-Year Suspension on Bob Baffert

In the wake of Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit’s split sample testing positive for the prohibited anti-inflammatory betamethasone, Churchill Downs suspended trainer Bob Baffert for two years, effective immediately. The ruling prohibits the Hall of Fame trainer from entering horses for races or occupying stall space at Churchill Downs, and […]

Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby. He's one of the favorites for Saturday's Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Do These Two Derby Runners Look Familiar, Matt Winn Bettors?

The natural thing to do looking at the field for Saturday’s Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs is to fix your eyes on two familiar names that leap off the page at you. O Besos and Helium. Look familiar, do they? Well, they should, considering both finished in […]

Bob Baffert (left) and Amr Zedan, the owner of Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit, enjoy a happy moment after the Kentucky Derby. One quirky prop bet asks if Zedan will replace Baffert as the horse's trainer. (Image: Getty)

Will Bob Baffert Lose Medina Spirit? There’s a Prop for That

Prop bets on trainer Bob Baffert’s horses are nothing new, especially when it comes to Triple Crown yes/no possibilities. But MyBookie’s David Strauss seized on the latest news concerning the Hall of Fame trainer – his medication morass with Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit. Strauss, MyBookie’s head oddsmaker, created four […]

Trainer Bob Baffert, jockey John Velazquez and owner Amr Zedan celebrate Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby victory last Saturday. The celebration may end after the horse tested positive for an excessive amount of an anti-inflammatory. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Baffert’s Derby Winner Medina Spirit Tests Positive for Anti-Inflammatory

Horse racing and the face of horse racing – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – took two more punches to their collective integrity Sunday when Kentucky Derby-winning horse Medina Spirit tested positive for an anti-inflammatory drug, betamethasone. Baffert confirmed the test to reporters in an impromptu press conference at […]

Aunt Pearl and Florent Geroux went gate-to-wire in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She is the likely favorite in the Grade 2 Edgewood on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. (Image: Coady Photography)

Don’t Overlook These Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby Undercards

The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby undercards offer turf stars Colonel Liam and Smooth Like Strait. They offer filly stars Gamine, Shedaresthedevil, Sanenus, Aunt Pearl, and Envoutante. They also offer Maxfield, Roadster, and Max Player. And they offer one-time Derby hopefuls Jackie’s Warrior, Prevalence, and Gretzky the Great. It’s easy […]

Caddo River won January's Smarty Jones Stakes as the lone speed. The projected pace-setter for Saturday's Kentucky Derby scratched Sunday due to a fever. (Image: Coady Photography)

Projected Pace-Setter Caddo River Scratched From Kentucky Derby

Caddo River, one of three Brad Cox Kentucky Derby entries and the one pace horse in this year’s field, won’t be that pace horse. Cox scratched him from the Derby Sunday morning because of a fever. This opens the gate for Brooklyn Strong, who gets into the field with his […]

Churchill Downs has horseplayers covered across the gate with a smorgasbord of betting options for Kentucky Oaks/Derby week. (Image: Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs Rolls Out Its Oaks/Derby Weekend Wagering Menu

As if breaking down an intriguing Kentucky Derby didn’t require enough handicapping firepower, Churchill Downs unveiled its wagering menu for Derby weekend. Headlining Derby weekend is a mandatory payout in the Derby City 6. That jackpot-style Pick 6 requires a bettor to hold the only winning combination of the six […]

Essential Quality follows up his Southwest Stakes victory here with next week's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. He opens as the 3/1 favorite in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool Friday. (Image: Coady Photography)

Essential Quality Opens as KDFW Final Pool Favorite

Essential Quality opened Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager as the favorite. Now, the undefeated Tapit colt opens the fifth and final KDFW pool as the 3/1 favorite. Pool 5 of Churchill Downs’ plunge into the Derby futures market opens Friday at 9 am PT and closes Sunday […]

Churchill Downs plays host to more than the Kentucky Derby this spring. It's offering 40 stakes races worth a record $13.44 million in purses. (Image: Kentuckyderby.com/Churchill Downs)

Record Churchill Downs Spring Meet Purses Come Up Roses

Churchill Downs released its Spring Meet stakes schedule on Monday, led of course, by the May 1 Kentucky Derby. But, along with America’s most famous horse race, come 39 other stakes races worth a track-record $13.44 million. Churchill Downs opens its nine-week spring season on April 24. The 38-day meet […]

Lecomte Stakes winner Midnight Bourbon opens at 30/1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2. (Image: Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

The Field is Your Favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2

While Life Is Good yielded his favorite status in at least one Las Vegas future book, he holds down 6/1 individual favorite status in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pool. At the same time, the Derby field of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” is the overall 9/5 […]

Awesome Again sired 14 Grade 1 stakes winners and progeny who earned more than $98 million. A great racehorse in his own right, Awesome Again died Tuesday at 26. (Image: Adena Springs)

Awesome Again, Champion and Sire of Champions, Dies at 26

Awesome Again, who went from champion horse to prolific sire of champions, died suddenly at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Kentucky. He was 26. The cause of death is unknown, but a full necropsy and veterinary report is pending, according to an announcement from Old Friends founder and President, […]

King Fury crowned himself victor in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs. He'll go for his third victory under the Twin Spires in Saturday's Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. (Image: Coady Photography/Churchill Downs)

Kentucky Jockey Club Provides Another Glimpse of Derby Hopefuls

The Kentucky Jockey Club was the only race Tiz the Law lost as a 2-year-old. It’s also the race that gives 2-year-olds a needed trip around two turns and horseplayers a good glimpse of what juveniles could be live come next spring’s Kentucky Derby. Along with that, Saturday’s Grade 2 […]

By My Standards seeks his first Grade 1 victory in the $500,000 Clark Stakes. He is the 4/1 second favorite. (Image: Coady Photography/Churchill Downs)

Recognizable Names, Deep Field: The Clark Stakes Has it All

Together, the $500,000 Clark Stakes field owns 22 stakes victories, 60 overall wins, and more than $12.6 million in earnings. And even in this topsy-turvy, runaway-roller coaster year, the traditional Black Friday headliner at Churchill Downs remains one of the most popular races on the late-season schedule. For the first […]

Gufo owns five victories in seven career races, including this Belmont Derby win. He headlines a strong field in Saturday's Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. (Image: Sue Kawczynski/Eclipse Sportswire)

Horseplayers, Fans Give Thanks for These Strong Thanksgiving Races

Even with COVID-19 wreaking scheduling havoc among many of the country’s marquee races, the traditional Thanksgiving weekend races provide comfort-food wagering opportunities for horseplayers, and intriguing races for food coma-recovering fans to savor. Churchill Downs plays host to one of the best end-of-year races anywhere, along with another glimpse at […]

Code of Honor's Jockey Club Gold Cup victory in 2019 was one of his four 3-year-old wins. He figures to be the favorite in Friday's Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs. (Image: Sophie Shore/Eclipse Sportswire)

Code of Honor Seeking Salvation in Clark Stakes

He is almost certain to be overbet, based on his 3-year-old campaign. But in Friday’s Grade 1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs, the question is, will we see the sophomore sensation Code of Honor or the jittery, junior Code of Honor? Code of Honor owns the biggest name of the […]

The Churchill Downs turf course is getting more than a makeover. The $10 million project will be ready by the spring of 2022. (Image: Coady Photography/Churchill Downs)

The Bluegrass Will Be Greener on Churchill Downs’ New Turf Course

One week after closing its turf course, Churchill Downs Racetrack announced plans to build a new $10 million turf course designed to increase the track’s durability – along with the number of turf races. Don’t expect the project to be ready anytime soon. Track officials announced that construction will begin […]

A fatal injury to Kentucky Derby runner Winning Impression prompted Churchill Downs officials to close the track's turf course for the duration of its fall meet. (Image: Coady Photgraphy/Churchill Downs)

Churchill Downs Closes Turf Course For Remainder of Fall Meet

Citing an “abundance of caution,” Churchill Downs closed its turf course for the duration of its fall meet, scuttling two Grade 2 turf races. The move was in the offing, considering the track announced Nov. 14 it would move all turf races to the main track through Nov. 22. This […]

Knicks Go broke the track record in the Breeders' Cup Dirt mile earlier this month. He could run the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct Dec. 5. (Image: Coady Photography/Keeneland)

Don’t Take a Holiday on These Late-Season Races

The Breeders’ Cup is in the rear-view mirror, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any prime late-season races on the horizon. The end of the year may seem like a racing lull before the calendar flips, but don’t let the last two months of the horse racing season go by […]