Tag: Maker’s Mark Mile

Smooth Like Strait and Umberto Rispoli won last year's Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile. The 5-year-old horse returns with Flavien Prat aboard as the 4/5 favorite for the Memorial Day race at Santa Anita Park. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Smooth Like Strait Looks Like the Right Fit in Shoemaker Mile

- 3 min read

That Smooth Like Strait is the 4/5 morning line favorite for Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita Park is understandable on several levels. Thirteen of them, to be precise. That’s the string of graded stakes races the 5-year-old turf terror brings into the second of Santa Anita’s three […]

Smooth Like Strait won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile for his only 2021 victory. He is the favorite for Friday's Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Smooth Like Strait Makes His Way East for Maker’s Mark Mile

- 2 min read

Smooth Like Strait ventured outside his California barn once last year: for the Grade 1 Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He ventures forth again for Friday’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, the featured race on that track’s Good Friday card. And according to his trainer, Mike […]

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 […]

Raging Bull will stand for an initial fee of $10,000. He owns a 5-3-4 record in 18 graded-stakes races. (Image: Gainesway Farm)

Raging Bull Retiring to Gainesway Farm After Breeders’ Cup Farewell

- 2 min read

Raging Bull, one of North America’s leading male turf runners, will retire after the Breeders’ Cup Mile and head to his breeding career at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. He will open his breeding career in 2022 for $10,000. The 6-year-old horse, a product of standout European sire Dark Angel, owns […]

Raging Bull won this third Grade 1 race at April's Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. He faces non-Grade 1 competition for the first time since October 2018 in Saturday's Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park. (Image: Coady Photography)

Raging Bull Goes All-In On Class Relief in Poker Stakes

- 2 min read

The last time Raging Bull didn’t face Grade 1 competition came more than two years and nine months ago. It came in the Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park, and it came with a fifth-place finish – albeit by only 1 ¾ lengths. That was 13 races ago. […]

Hit the Road scored his first Grade 1 win in last month's Frank E- Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita. He goes East in search of No. 2 in Friday's Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Turf Terror Hit the Road Goes East in Search of Maker’s Mark Mile

- 3 min read

Hit the Road allows Dan Blacker to call himself a Grade 1-winning trainer. He also allows Blacker the luxury of having “the right horse” for a course, like in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile. And, Hit the Road allows Blacker the luxury of hitting the road – taking his […]

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 […]

War of Will's 'WOW' factor went on display en route to the 2019 Preakness Stakes title. He will join his sire, War Front, at stud next year. (Image: Coady Photography)

Like Father, Like Son: War of Will Set to Join His Sire at Stud

- 3 min read

The people who run Claiborne Farm expect this to be another case of like father, like son. The large Kentucky breeding farm purchased the breeding rights to War of Will, who will join his sire, War Front, upon his retirement. That gives Claiborne a true rarity that will appeal greatly […]