Tag: Kentucky Derby

Simplification bled heavily during this fifth-place Preakness Stakes finish at Pimlico. He returns to action at Mountaineer Park for Saturday's Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. (Image: Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club)

West Virginia Derby Comes With Three Familiar Names

Yes, this is the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. Do not adjust your eyes when you see the likes of Triple Crown ex-pats Simplification, Skippylongstocking and We the People entering the starting gate for Saturday’s featured race at Mountaineer Park. The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby headlines a seven-stakes, nine-race Saturday card. […]

Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal suffered bone bruising coming out of the Belmont and will miss most of 2022. (Image: AJ Photo/NYRA.com)

Belmont Stakes Winner Mo Donegal Sidelined With Bone Bruising

You can scratch one Triple Crown race winner from future 2022 races, after Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal suffered bone bruising coming out of that victory that will cost him a large chunk of the rest of 2022. Mo Donegal came out of his three-length Belmont Stakes victory with the […]

Classic Causeway won three of his first five races, including this Sam F. Davis score. But after finishing 11th in his last two -- including the Kentucky Derby -- his owners moved him to Kenny McPeek's barn. (Image: Margaux Farm)

Surprise! Classic Causeway Moves From Lynch to McPeek’s Barn

Without even trying, trainer Kenny McPeek inherited Classic Causeway, getting the Kentucky Derby runner and two-time stakes winner from Brian Lynch’s barn. The Daily Racing Form reported that Kentucky West Racing and the Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust, which bred and owns Classic Causeway, moved him to McPeek’s barn. […]

Lindsay Schanzer took the reins as senior producer of NBC Sports' Kentucky Derby coverage this year. She became the first woman to produce a Kentucky Derby. (Image: NBC Sports)

NBC Strikes Viral Gold with Replay of Rich Strike’s Kentucky Derby Win

If you watched NBC Sports’ overhead shot of Rich Strike’s remarkable ride to the 148th Kentucky Derby title, you had plenty of amazed company. The replay of that performance, with Larry Collmus’ call, has been viewed more than 38 million times across various social media platforms. When NBC released its […]

Rich Strike (right) passes favorite Epicenter with 50 yards to go to win the 148th Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs. At 80.80/1, Rich Strike pulled off the second-biggest upset in Derby history, trailing only Donegal's 91/1 shocker in 1913. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Rich Strike Bowls Over Rivals in Stunning 80/1 Kentucky Derby Upset

Rich Strike’s trainer, Eric Reed, nearly lost his entire stable in a barn fire. He got Rich Strike – a $30,000 claimer with one career win in seven starts — into the 148th Kentucky Derby with five minutes to spare Friday. When he left Post 21 at Churchill Downs, Rich […]

(Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Breaking Down the 2022 Kentucky Derby: Chaos Theory Reigns

Welcome to Kentucky Derby 148, a.k.a. The Chaos Derby. And we’re not talking about the usual infield escapades that happen as the Derby returns to it’s pre-pandemic crowds north of 150,000. Unpredictability? Depth? A Derby where surprises almost wouldn’t be surprising? This edition of America’s most popular race has it […]

Happy Jack lost his three Derby preps by a combined 50 lengths. He's one to avoid on your Kentucky Derby tickets. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Kentucky Derby Ticket Tossers: Avoid These Horses on Your Wagers

Ah, the Kentucky Derby exotics. So many choices, so much cash sitting out there waiting to be plucked — if you can find the right long shots to pick. And the right ones to avoid. Building the perfect Derby vertical exotic ticket, be it an exacta, trifecta, or superfecta, is […]

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

Zandon Opens as 3/1 Favorite for 148th Kentucky Derby

Neither Chad Brown nor Steve Asmussen has a Kentucky Derby win on their considerable resumes. They’re a combined 0-for-30 in America’s most-followed race. But, the two are saddling the two morning-line favorites, 3/1 Zandon and 7/2 Epicenter, for Saturday’s 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Brown’s Zandon drew Post 10 […]

Simplification won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth from seventh on the backstretch. His versatile style and other factors make him a good long shot Kentucky Derby pick. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Keeping it Simple With Kentucky Derby Sleeper Simplification

Lost in Friday’s Kentucky Derby news of the final California works from the former Bob Baffert/now Tim Yakteen duo of Taiba and Messier, and Zandon’s latest impressive work at Churchill Downs (1:00.40 for five furlongs) was the happenings out of Gulfstream Park, where Simplification quietly turned in a bullet five-furlong […]

Secret Oath works out before next week's Kentucky Oaks. But could she run against the boys again in the Preakness Stakes two weeks after that? (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Secret Oath May See the Boys Again in the Preakness Stakes

Earlier this month, trainer D. Wayne Lukas ran standout filly Secret Oath against the boys in the Arkansas Derby. And he said he may do it again in three weeks in the Preakness Stakes. Savvy fans and horseplayers may have wondered why the Hall of Fame trainer nominated Secret Oath […]

Kentucky Derby hopeful Crown Pride should offer juicy odds on numerous wagers you can find on the Kentucky Derby/Oaks wagering menu. Churchill Downs unveiled several bets unique to Derby/Oaks weekend. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs Unveils Exotics Betting Menu for Derby/Oaks Weekend

An All-3-Year-Old Pick 3 and an All-Dirt, All-Stakes Pick 5 join a crowded wagering menu of bets Churchill Downs is offering for Kentucky Derby/Oaks Weekend on May 6-7. The All-3-Year-Old Pick 3 comes with an uncommon $3 minimum wager. The bet, which also comes with a 22% takeout, requires you […]

Nevada horseplayers can once again partake in the full wagering menu of Churchill Downs races like the Kentucky Oaks. An agreement between Churchill Downs and Nevada racebooks opened the betting windows for that state's bettors after a three-year impasse. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Nevada Racebooks, Churchill Downs Inc. Reach Agreement

The three-year conflict between Churchill Downs Inc. and Nevada racebooks finally ended Tuesday when the two formerly bickering entities signed a contract that will allow Nevada horseplayers access to the entire Kentucky Derby wagering menu this year. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the deal between the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association […]

This April 16 workout from Classic Causeway (front) helped convince the colt's connections to put him back into the Kentucky Derby. His trainer scratched him after Classic Causeway finished last in the April 2 Florida Derby. (Image: Coady Photography)

He’s Back: Classic Causeway Returns to Kentucky Derby Picture

Not three weeks after trainer Brian Lynch scratched Classic Causeway from the Kentucky Derby after his last-place performance in the April 2 Florida Derby, the trainer put the graded stakes-winning colt back into the Derby field. Lynch confirmed to Churchill Downs on Monday that Classic Causeway and his 66 points […]

Morello, seen here after winning the Grade 3 Gotham in March, won't run in the Kentucky Derby after suffering a foot injury during the Wood Memorial two weeks ago. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Dom Napolitano)

Asmussen Scratches Morello from the Kentucky Derby

Trainer Steve Asmussen announced that Morello will miss the Kentucky Derby after suffering a foot injury. With Morello’s exit, Pioneer of Medina gets into the Derby field. He was next on the points ladder with 25. Trainer Todd Pletcher told TVG.com that if Pioneer of Medina handles his Monday workout […]

NBC's streaming service, Peacock, will join its parent in airing all three Triple Crown races and their pre-race shows. (Image: NBC)

NBC Expands Triple Crown Coverage, Brings Peacock in to Live Stream

NBC expanded its Triple Crown portfolio to the streaming world, announcing that its Peacock service will live stream all three Triple Crown races. This marks a first for the streaming service, which will supplement – not replace – NBC’s Triple Crown coverage. It also brings horse racing back to Peacock, […]

Taiba reeled in and caught stablemate Messier in deep stretch of Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. The victory brought him into the Kentucky Derby after only two starts. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Kentucky Derby Prep Roundups Bring You Defections, Surprises

The final weekend of major Kentucky Derby prep races resulted in two prominent casualties, validated two Eastern horses, and put a heretofore barely known West Coast horse from a familiar trainer into the Derby mix. Going into last weekend, Classic Causeway and Forbidden Kingdom were two of the top Kentucky […]

Churchill Downs presents a record 53 stakes races in 2022. That includes the Grade 1 Arlington Million, which it brought over from the shuttered Arlington Park. (Image: Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs’ 2022 Stakes Schedule Includes Arlington Million

Churchill Downs announced a 2022 stakes schedule for its spring/summer meet featuring a record 53 stakes worth a record $20.37 million. But, it’s a special stakes race Aug. 13 that drew the attention of horse racing fans. The Arlington Million. Yes, that Arlington Million, the marquee race at the now-late Arlington […]

Go for Gin was the oldest living Kentucky Derby champion. He died Tuesday at the Kentucky Horse Farm at 31. (Image: Kentucky Horse Park)

Go for Gin, the Oldest Living Kentucky Derby Winner, dies at 31

Go for Gin, the 1994 Kentucky Derby winner, died Tuesday of heart failure at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he lived after being pensioned from stud duty in 2011. The oldest living Kentucky Derby winner was 31. Not only was Go for Gin the oldest living Derby winner, he was […]

Trainer Bob Baffert's Medina Spirit wired the field in the Grade 1 Awesome Again earlier this month. The star Baffert colt -- as well as his other Breeders' Cup entries -- will be allowed to run in the championships at Del Mar next month. (Image: Ernie Belmonte)

Breeders’ Cup Allows Baffert’s Horses to Run with Extra Conditions

After a nearly month-long “review process” on Bob Baffert’s status, Breeders’ Cup officials announced on Sunday that the Hall of Fame trainer can enter this year’s Nov. 5-6 event at Del Mar, with certain conditions. Those conditions include extra testing of his entries, which Baffert will pay for, along with […]

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert faces another challenge from a racing organization. The Breeders' Cup began reviewing his eligibility for this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships. (Image: John Minchillo/Associated Press)

Breeders’ Cup Board Instigates Review on Bob Baffert’s Eligibility

The Breeders’ Cup announced this weekend that it began reviewing whether Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert can send his horses to this year’s event, set for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar. The process began in the wake of the New York Racing Association’s scheduled Sept. 27 hearing for the […]