Tag: Kentucky Derby

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 […]

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 […]

Six months after he broke his maiden with this neck victory at Oaklawn Park, Pneumatic charges into the final stop on the Kentucky Derby Trail as the 5/2 favorite. (Image: Coolmore Farm)

Pegasus Stakes Closes the Kentucky Derby Trail for Would-Be Entrants

- 3 min read

This is it – the end of the trail. Monmouth Park’s Pegasus Stakes is your last stop for Kentucky Derby points before the “Closed” sign goes up. Monmouth Park’s finish line for Saturday’s Pegasus Stakes doubles as the Kentucky Derby Trail’s finish line. Get your points here – and there […]

At 50/1, Giacomo (left) fended off 71/1 Closing Argument to win the 2005 Kentucky Derby. Lucky/savvy superfecta bettors cashed a $432,127 ticket. (Image: James Crisp/AP)

Now, Kentucky Derby Bettors Can Drop a Dime on Superfecta Wagers

- 2 min read

One benefit of no long betting lines at Churchill Downs for this year’s Kentucky Derby is the new 10-cent minimum superfecta wager track officials instituted for this year’s Derby. Previous, the minimum superfecta wager – one requiring bettors to pick the first four horses in order – was $1. When […]

You won't see scenes like these from the 2019 Kentucky Derby infield at this year's Derby. The infield is closed for the Sept. 5 race and seating is limited to 40% of capacity. (Image: Christopher Fryer/Louisville Business First)

Churchill Downs Limit Kentucky Derby Attendance to 40% of Capacity

- 3 min read

In further response to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, Churchill Downs Racetrack officials released a 62-page health and safety operations plan on Wednesday that will limit Kentucky Derby attendance to fewer than 23,000 guests for the Sept. 5 race. That total is less than 14% of the record 170,513 fans […]

Tiz the Law made the Travers Stakes look as easy as his other three 2020 victories. Oddsmakers dropped his Kentucky Derby odds under 2/1 as a result. (Image: Stacey Heatherington/NYRA via AP)

Derby Odds Fall as Tiz the Law’s Stock Rises

- 3 min read

It is a testament to Tiz the Law’s dominance over the rest of his 3-year-old contemporaries that his odds to win the Triple Crown (+250 at Circa Sports) are lower than any of his counterparts’ future odds on them winning the Kentucky Derby. That’s one takeaway from Tiz the Law’s […]

Mike Smith aboard Authentic captured the July 18 Haskell Stakes in front of a largely empty Monmouth Park. But the track enjoyed record handle that sparked July's boost in racing handle. (Image: Eclipse Sportswire)

Equibase Economic Indicators Show Uptick in July Betting Handle

- 3 min read

The Equibase Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing report for July revealed another year-over-year increase in wagering, with horseplayers putting down more than $1 billion during the month. That reflects a 16.6% increase over July 2019’s numbers. This increase happened because more tracks opened up during July, most notably Saratoga and […]

Mike Smith and his fellow jockeys aren't smiling about Churchill Downs' mandate they give up two weeks of rides to ride in the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks. (Image: Julio Cortez/Associated Press)

Churchill Downs Orders Derby, Oaks Jockeys to Kentucky by August 24

- 4 min read

In their latest response to the coronavirus pandemic, Churchill Downs officials issued a mandate on Monday to jockeys at both the Saratoga and Del Mar colonies. They need to be in Kentucky no later than Aug. 24 if they want to ride in the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks. That’s […]

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

- 2 min read

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 […]

Nadal won February's San Vicente Stakes for one of his four career victories. The cold retired Thursday after breaking a bone in his leg during a workout. (Image: Benoit Photography)

Broken Bone Forces Kentucky Derby Favorite Nadal Into Retirement

- 2 min read

Illustrating the fragile nature of today’s Thoroughbred horses, Kentucky Derby favorite Nadal broke a bone in his left front leg during a Thursday morning workout. His owner, George Bolton, said Nadal has been immediately retired. One of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s standout 3-year-olds, Nadal worked a half-mile at […]

Honor A.P. is one of the sleeper Kentucky Derby picks. His trainer, John Shirreffs, opted to bypass the Belmont Stakes for home-track Santa Anita Park. (Image: Santa Anita Park)

New Kentucky Derby Trail Presents Options, Tough Choices for Trainers

- 4 min read

Sole Volante is off to the Belmont Stakes. His stablemate, Ete Indien, heads to the Haskell Stakes. And Honor A.P. stays home for the Santa Anita Derby. These three Kentucky Derby contenders illustrate how many different paths have emerged on the Derby Trail during the COVID-19 era. Even in a […]

King Guillermo, seen here winning the Tampa Bay Derby in March at 49/1, won't sneak up on anyone in the Belmont Stakes. His connections decided to bypass the June 20 first leg of the Triple Crown. (Image: Coolmore Farm)

Connections Bench King Guillermo From Belmont Stakes

- 2 min read

The Belmont Stakes already has Bob Baffert’s powerful unbeaten duo of Charlatan and Nadal. It has Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law. But it won’t have King Guillermo. Juan Carlos Avila, King Guillermo’s trainer, tweeted the Tampa Bay Derby winner won’t run the June 20, 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes. Instead, […]

Victor Espinoza aboard American Pharoah ended the 2015 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The new Derby Trail resumes at Churchill Downs May 23. (Image: AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Churchill Downs Fills Out Derby Trail With New Qualifying Race List

- 2 min read

The Kentucky Derby Trail now has a visible path forward after Churchill Downs released a preliminary list of races offering Derby qualifying points, pending host track approval. One of the most interesting elements of the preliminary Derby Trail concerns the other two legs of the Triple Crown – the Preakness […]

It's still up in the air when Preakness horses will come down the Pimlico stretch in 2020. A Wednesday report on an Oct. date was refuted shortly after. (Image: Patrick Smith/Getty)

Despite Earlier Report, Preakness Stakes Date Remains in Limbo

- 2 min read

Refuting a Wednesday morning report from Baltimore’s WBAL-TV that the Preakness Stakes would run on Oct. 3, The Stronach Group said a new date for the postponed race is not yet finalized. TSG, which owns Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and its sister track, Laurel Park, was forced to put […]

In winning the tougher second division of the Arkansas Derby, Nadal remained unbeaten. The Bob Baffert-trained cold also took over the Kentucky Derby points lead. (Image: Coady Photography)

What Did We Learn About Major Kentucky Derby Hopefuls?

- 4 min read

The Arkansas Derby is behind us and a work-in-progress Kentucky Derby Trail lies in front of us. With tracks around the country beginning to open again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and Churchill Downs officials still mapping out prep races, it’s a good time to see where the […]

Fans won't see the gates wheeled into place at Churchill Downs, but horses and jockeys will starting May 16. (Image: Christopher Fryer)

Churchill Downs Announces New Race Schedule, Key Spring Stakes

- 3 min read

After not hosting the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May for the first time in 75 years, Churchill Downs officials released its first condition book of races and its entire stakes schedule for its spring meet. The proposed slate features 16 stakes races and offers $2.25 million in […]

While racing will soon return to Churchill Downs, the surreal sight of empty stands will stick around for the foreseeable future. (Image: Pat McDonogh: Courier-Journal)

Kentucky, New York Officials Cautiously Plan Return to Live Racing

- 4 min read

Government officials in two of the country’s biggest horse racing states, Kentucky and New York, opened the doors for live, spectator-free racing to begin amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcements came separately and, in both cases, contained few details on exactly when live racing would begin again. But in the […]

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