Tag: horse racing

Maximum Security's hasn't raced since winning the $20 million Saudi Cup in late February. The 4-year-old standout colt returns to action July 18 at Del Marl. (Image: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)

Maximum Security Returns to Racing at Del Mar’s San Diego Handicap

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert answered the question racing fans asked throughout the spring when he announced Maximum Security returns to action July 18 at Del Mar. Baffert told the Daily Racing Form 2019’s Champion 3-year-old male will run the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race […]

With Frankie Dettori in the irons, English King brings all the advantages of royalty into Saturday's Epsom Derby. All, save a favorable starting stall. (Image: Megan Ridgwell)

Epsom Derby Favorite English King Seeks to Make, Overcome History

This will test every ounce of Frankie Dettori’s considerable and well-chronicled riding skill. His mission is to win Saturday’s Epsom Derby aboard favored English King from Stall (Gate) No. 1. In English racing, that’s on the outside rail. At Epsom, it’s the Stall of Death. That stall hasn’t sent out […]

Given his advantages, pedigree and training, betting on Tacitus makes sense on paper. But the Tapit progeny is without a win in 15 months. (Image: Seth Wenig/AP)

Tacitus Brings Everything to the Track — Except Winning Tickets

You can say many things about Tacitus, your 9/5 morning line favorite for Saturday’s Grade 2 $200,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park. You can call him a disappointment — $2.7 million in earnings aside. You can say the 4-year-old Tapit progeny should own more than three victories in 11 career […]

Thousand Words (right) outdueled Anneau d'Or in last fall's Los Alamitos Futurity. The two slumping horses duel again in Saturday's Los Alamitos Derby. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Can Thousand Words Answer Uncle Chuck at Los Alamitos Derby?

Uncle Chuck and his Bob Baffert stablemate, Thousand Words, headline a small, but eclectic field at Saturday’s Grade 3 $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby. And, should one of the two Baffert charges win, they’ll not only bring in 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, but bring Baffert his fourth consecutive Los Alamitos […]

Beginning Thursday, a limited number of fans will see the sight of horses making the turn at Ellis Park. The Kentucky track announced seven backstretch workers tested positive for the coronavirus. (Image: Coady Photography)

On Eve of Meet, Seven Ellis Park Workers Test Positive for COVID-19

Less than a week before Ellis Park Race Track’s most historic season is set to begin, the track announced that seven backstretch workers tested positive for COVID-19. Track officials announced their summer meet will begin as scheduled on Thursday, with limited fans in attendance. Of the seven Ellis Park backstretch […]

Cezanne captured more than his debut race earlier this month. He seized the imagination of value-hunting Kentucky Derby bettors. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Cezanne Creates More Buzz Entering His Second Career Race

Cezanne’s potential as a Kentucky Derby contender will be further revealed on Thursday when the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old enters the Los Alamitos Race Course gate for his second career race. A $3.65 million purchase and one of the loudest buzz horses on the Kentucky Derby Trail, Cezanne is the 4/5 […]

Ellis Park gets ready for its 2020 close-up when it opens to limited spectators Thursday. It is one of a handful of racetracks allowing fans inside. (Image: Ellis Park Racetrack)

Kentucky’s Ellis Park to Open Historic Meet with Limited Fans

Ellis Park will become the first Kentucky racetrack to allow spectators when the track opens Thursday for its summer meet. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s directive allows racetracks to admit spectators up to 50% capacity beginning Monday. The Henderson facility plans selling reserved seating to its Sky Theater, the second floor […]

Trainer Peter Eurton takes the blinders off Storm the Court for Saturday's Ohio Derby. Will Storm the Court put on the speed he used to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile? (Image: Horsephotos.com)

Seeking to End Slump, Storm the Court Downshifts into Ohio Derby

Storm the Court’s 2020 season defines the term “sophomore slump,” which explains why you’re seeing the Champion 2-year-old in the starting gate for Saturday’s Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. The consolation for Storm the Court? There are two. He gets back Flavien Prat, the West Coast’s top jockey, who […]

Honor A.P. and Mike Smith enhanced their stallion value with their stretch-drive Santa Anita Derby win earlier this month. Honor A.P. will stand for stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Honor A.P. Will Join His Sire at Stud, Breeding Rights Sold to Lane’s End

The frenzy to acquire the breeding rights of star 3-year-olds continued Friday when Kentucky’s Lane’s End Farm announced Honor A.P. will stand at stud there when his racing career ends. The Santa Anita Derby champion, Honor A.P. sits at +545 on Circa Sports’ Kentucky Derby Futures board. He is +350 […]

Tom's d'Etat seeks his fourth consecutive stakes victory in Saturday's Stephen Foster. The 7-year-old is your even-money morning line favorite. (Image: Churchill Downs)

Favored Tom’s d’Etat Not a Revolutionary Pick in the Stephen Foster

You can’t call what Tom’s d’Etat did in the Oaklawn Mile a coup d’etat, not when he was the 4/5 favorite. Nor can you call his previous two races revolutionary. All of which explains why Tom’s d’Etat is the even-money favorite for Saturday’s Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. The Grade […]

The Kentucky Derby infield brings out a smorgasbord of party-goers. While fans are allowed inside this year's Derby, don't expect the same raucous infield crowds for a typical Derby. (Image: Jamey Price/Getty)

Kentucky Derby Will Run with Spectators, Limited Access, Strict Rules

Churchill Downs officials announced Thursday that the 146th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will run with a limited and yet unspecified number of spectators, a decision made in consultation with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials. In so doing, Churchill Downs is trying to make a concerted […]

At one time, Gouverneur Morris was a top-10 Kentucky Derby prospect. A bout of colitis made him the Derby Trail's latest casualty. (Image: Eclipse Sportswire)

Colitis Claims Latest Derby Trail Hopeful — Gouverneur Morris

In the latest illustration of the perils found along the Kentucky Derby trail, Gouverneur Morris suffered a bout of colitis that will take him out of the Sept. 5 Derby. He is expected to recover at the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in New Jersey, where he went Monday after suffering […]

Yes, the bloodline is strong in this one. Cafe Pharoah, the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, qualified for the Kentucky Derby. (Image: Yuki Shimono)

Like Father, Like Son? Cafe Pharoah Qualifies for Kentucky Derby

There could be another Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Café Pharoah, a son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, captured the Group 3 Unicorn Stakes in Japan, securing enough points on Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby to earn a spot – should his connections claim it. […]

The Breeders' Cup Distaff is Midnight Bisou's season goal. Winning Saturday's Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs will get her into the field for the Nov. 7 Distaff. (Image: Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire)

Midnight Bisou Returns With More to Prove in Fleur de Lis

You could make a credible case that Midnight Bisou isn’t just the best filly or mare in the world, but that she’s the best horse in the world. And Midnight Bisou will further that case at Churchill Downs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fleur de Lis. Waiting for her in a […]

Tiz the Law and Manny Franco captured the 2020 Belmont Stakes in front of an empty Belmont Park grandstand. His next race is expected to be the Aug. 8 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. (Image: Getty)

Tiz the Law Rules Again, Captures 152nd Belmont Amid Falling Handle

Even with Tiz the Law passing the “Test of a Champion” with flying colors, the all-sources handle for the 152nd Belmont Stakes and its stakes-packed undercard declined by 33.7% — yet another byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. Belmont Park normally welcomes nearly 100,000 people for Belmont Saturday, usually the first […]

Sharing and jockey Manny Franco took home the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year. Trainer Graham Motion will be even more excited should she win Saturday's Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes. (Image: Horsephotos.com)

Greedy for Victory, Sharing Seeks Motion’s First Royal Ascot Triumph

Graham Motion understands the complexity of what lies ahead for him and his star filly, Sharing, in Saturday’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. It’s one thing to beat two of Europe’s best juvenile fillies on your home turf in America. It’s quite another to tangle with some of […]

Keen Ice (left) beat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers Stakes. The historic race moved up three weeks this year to Aug. 8. (Image: Dan Heary/For the Boston Globe)

Saratoga Schedule Features 39 Stakes, Tiz the Law Expected in Travers

The New York Racing Association put one of the final Kentucky Derby Trail pieces in place on Friday, releasing its Saratoga Race Course summer stakes schedule. It puts the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 8, four weeks before the Kentucky Derby. That date conveniently fits Tiz the Law’s […]

Tiz the Law set the speed rating bar for this year's Belmont Stakes field back in January. His speed figures illustrated why he is the 6/5 morning line favorite. (Image: Eclipse Sportswire)

By the Numbers, Tiz the Law Rules the Belmont Speed Court

The concept that speed wins horse races is elemental to the sport. And when you look at the various speed figures for the 10 horses in the 152nd Belmont Stakes, Tiz the Law’s 6/5 favored status seems elementary. Tiz the Law’s January victory in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream […]

Tiz the Law and Manny Franco can afford to relax right now. Tiz the Law is the 6/5 morning-ione favorite for Saturday's Triple Crown-opening Belmont Stakes. (Image: Ryan Thompson/Gulfstream Park)

Starting From Post 8, Tiz the Law Tabbed Belmont Stakes Favorite

To nobody’s surprise, Tiz the Law opened as your healthy 6/5 favorite for Saturday’s 152nd running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. He’ll do so out of the eight post in the 10-horse field, drawn Wednesday afternoon at Belmont Park. And Tiz the Law will do so as the only […]