#Blue Grass

Few horses have been able to blend the kind of success that Unbridled enjoyed both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed. A strapping, 17-hand colt with a long, ground-gobbling stride, he was slow to develop at 2 after a promising 10 ½-length victory in his career debut. The son of Fappiano was then plagued by a sore hoof at 4, succinctly…

Michael "The Wizard'' Kipness has been a professional horse racing handicapper since 1986. The Las Vegas resident analyzes the 20-horse field for Saturday's 148th Kentucky Derby, designating each horse as a contender or a pretender. Visit Wizardraceandsports.com for his full card selections and wagering strategies for Oaks Day (13 races) and Derby…

I led last week's column with this, but … "There seems to be more distractions than ever before for gamblers' attention with MLB starting to join NBA and NHL on the daily calendar" … and now we have football, too, with the second coming of the USFL. But, hey, there's always time to slip in some horse racing plays on our busy Saturdays. Last…

It is the great story of the understudy getting that one shot to step in for the star. One shot to step into the spotlight. And maybe even stay there. When Drew Bledsoe got hurt, in came Tom Brady. Wally Pipp was replaced by Lou Gehrig. Phil Fulmer less elegantly for Johnny Majors. On the other hand, sports are full of one-hit wonders like Jeremy…

Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law will try to win one of the signature races on the horse racing calendar when he leaves the starting gate on Saturday in the 2020 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Nicknamed the Mid-Summer Derby, the Travers ranks alongside the Triple Crown races as the most prestigious three-year-old events of the year.…

Now we are talking Kentucky Derby preps. This time we mean it. Life Is Good can race across, up and down or diagonally through the San Felipe. Greatest Honour can close on pedestrian fractions in the Fountain of Youth. Concert Tour can be anointed prince of the Bob Baffert Invi … er … Rebel Stakes. Essential Quality can be forgotten with his…

Country House won the 145th Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security - who crossed the finish line first - was disqualified for a race infraction, an unprecedented result in race history. Read full coverage of the race here. Bob Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018, has three horses in…

Top contenders for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby are listed in order of preference, with comments provided by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. Churchill Downs has adopted a points system to determine the Derby field, with points being earned by the top four finishers in designated prep races. The odds are from the…

Keeneland Announces Spring Stakes Schedule (Keeneland / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Keeneland Media Team: Keeneland will award a season record $8.05 million for 19 stakes to be run during its 2023 Spring Meet, which will cover 15 days from April 7-28. Leading the schedule are the 99 running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) and 86…

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. Every year, millions of fans tune into NBC to watch top race horses from around the globe compete in "The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports." The 2021 Kentucky Derby will air on May 1 from 12 to 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage is also…

Keeneland will award a season record $8.05 million for 19 stakes to be run during its 2023 Spring Meet, which will cover 15 days from April 7-28. Leading the schedule are the 99 running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) and 86 running of the $600000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), both major targets of the nation's top 3-year-olds. Keeneland has…

The bourbon and mint juleps will be flowing at Churchill Downs for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, which hopes to race past last year's controversy The 2021 winner, Medina Spirt, was disqualified after testing positive for a banned substance. Bob Baffert, the horse's Hall of Fame trainer and a six-time Derby winner, was banned by Churchill…

The Kentucky Derby, the first and perhaps most important leg of the Triple Crown, is just two days away and horse racing fans will finally get to see what the race looks like without a Bob Baffert-trained colt on the track. Zandon, this year's betting favorite to win in the field of 20 thoroughbreds at 3-1, enters the 148th Run for the Roses having…

A historic 15 weeks after it began, the 2020 Triple Crown drew to a close as Swiss Skydiver crossed the line first in the 145th Preakness Stakes at a spectatorless Pimlico to become the sixth filly to win the race. She was the first filly to run in the Preakness since Ria Antonia in 2014, who finished last. Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra was the…

The 145th running of the Grade-1, Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4, at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the only race in the U.S. with a 20-horse field and it can provide great wagering opportunities for bettors. The favorite has won the run for the roses the last several years, but even with the top choice…

The Preakness Stakes is traditionally the second leg of the American Triple Crown but in this most unusual of seasons, the 2020 Preakness concludes the series this year at Pimlico on Saturday (10.45pm BST). Routinely flanked by the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, this renewal of the Preakness moves from second to third in the Triple Crown…

May 9, 2021 update: Medina Spirit has reportedly failed a drug test. Should those result be confirmed, the horse will be retroactively disqualified from the Kentucky Derby, forfeiting its first-place finish and winnings. Medina Spirit is the winner of the 147th Kentucky Derby at famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The horse entered the…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Letruska edges Monomoy Girl in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Photo by Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park April 19 (UPI) -- Million-dollar races at Oaklawn Park produced a big upset and a potential star for the remainder of the year in highlights of horse racing this weekend. The Kentucky Derby field continued…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, who came up just shy of Grade 1 glory twice this spring in the Triple Crown, secured both his first top-level victory and a place at the top of the sophomore division with an emphatic 5 1/4-length victory under Joel Rosario in the 153rd renewal of the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million…

The principal action for Kentucky Derby 148 occurred more than 2000 miles west of Churchill Downs Thursday morning as Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Taiba worked six furlongs in 1:12.80. "It was very straight forward," trainer Tim Yakteen said. "He worked three-quarters from the five-eighth pole. It was a typical Taiba work and we accomplished what…

Get the best Kentucky Derby plays from the horse racing experts at TwinSpires, including exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks. The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby will feature a fierce field of 20 horses set to race 1 1/4 miles on Churchill Downs' historic race track on Saturday, May 7. One undefeated runner, a Japanese-bred starter, and a…

According to Churchill Downs' Mike Battaglia's opening odds, thoroughbred contender Cyberknife is a 20-1 shot for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Even if he doesn't win, his owner deserves a bouquet of roses or at least a glass of champagne. You see, Al Gold had more important things on his mind when he named his Chestnut colt. The prostate cancer he…

The Triple Crown season resumes following the Kentucky Derby when The Preakness Stakes returns to its traditional position. This legendary race, also known as "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" will once again blanket the winning colt or filly in Maryland's state flower. When is the Preakness Stakes 2022? On Saturday, May 21, 2022, the 147 annual…

Last Saturday's Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby and Jeff Ruby produced as many as seven starters for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. A similar allotment may be known by the end of racing Saturday after the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass and Wood Memorial. The Santa Anita Derby in California features the brilliantly fast Forbidden Kingdom and Messier in…

A points-based system determines which 20 horses will load into the Churchill Downs starting gate on the first Saturday in May. Generally, the prep races that offer the most points are the most impactful. A total of 37 races comprise the USA Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule. The first 21 of those races is considered the Kentucky Derby prep…

World-class Thoroughbred racing returns to Keeneland on Friday, April 6, for 15 days of racing that includes the April 14, $750000 Toyota Blue Grass (G1), a springboard to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), and special events for some of the largest crowds in all of horse racing. On opening day, Keeneland will become the first track…

Keeneland Barn Notes: Basin Gets Final Prep for G2 Blue Grass Stakes (Trainer Steve Asmussen / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Keeneland Media Team: GRADE 1 WINNER BASIN WORKS FOR TOYOTA BLUE GRASS Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Terry Green's Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when…

Kentucky Derby Past Performances and statistical view at the Run for the Roses. Since 1940, a lot of talk has been placed on a Kentucky Derby hopeful's final start and where they will prep and how well the past performances were. The interest in this annual right of passage for the owners of each horses and for Kentucky Derby handicappers as well…

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 6:17 am |Back to: Bret Jones | Sarah K. Andrew Bret Jones is the vice president at Airdrie Stud located in Midway, KY, a 2500-acre breeding operation founded in 1972 by his parents, Governor Brereton Jones and his wife, Elizabeth. He is a graduate of the University of the South (Suwanee) and has formally been a…

Race 9: 1 1/16th (Dirt), Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3), Purse $400k, 3 (Saturday) The Grade III Lexington Stakes is the last gasp for the Kentucky Derby Prep Trail. Up for the taking are Points that include, 20 for the "Winner," 8 for the "Place" horse, 4 for the "Show" runner, and a measly 2 for the entry who rounds out the "Super." In the…

The Bob Baffert-trained Gamine will try to establish herself as the top three-year-old filly in the country on Friday when she leaves the starting gate in the nation's top race for three-year-old fillies, the 2020 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. This daughter of Into Mischief has never trailed in any of her four career starts. She is coming off a…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby is back to its more traditional format after the pandemic forced last year's iteration to be heavily modified. This time, 46 prep races spread out over North America, Europe, Dubai and Japan will award points to the top four finishers in each designated race. Three of those prep races arrive this weekend - the Wood…

A strong second to Rich Strike, the surprising winner of the Kentucky Derby, Epicenter is the headliner of a field of nine set for Saturday's 147th edition of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes. A brave runner-up in the Derby, the son of Not This Time is a three-time stakes winner for trainer Steve Asmussen. The biggest of his wins was the 1…

Derby day has arrived, as sports bettors worldwide are looking to cash in on "the most exciting two minutes in sports" with the running of the 148th Kentucky Derby. Starting positions have been set, and a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET means that the first leg of the Triple Crown will likely conclude before the clock strikes 7. The 2022 Kentucky Derby…

The 2022 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga offers a purse of $600000. It is the premier local prep for the Travers Stakes (G1), The Spa's flagship race for three-year-old dirt routers. Though the 2022 Jim Dandy only drew a field of five horses, the group is long on talent. The second- and third-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Epicenter…

BENSALEM, PA - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will look to win the $1 million, Grade 1 betPARX Pennsylvania Derby for a record fourth time Saturday when Zedan Racing Stables' Taiba leads a field of 11 3-year-olds in the signature event of the season at Parx Racing. The 1/18-mile Pennsylvania Derby is the 12th race on the 13-race card with a…

Donegal Racing's Mo Donegal, perfectly piloted by Joel Rosario, arrived in the final strides to capture Saturday's Grade 2, $750000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a nine-furlong test for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack. The victory provided Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher a record-tying seventh win in the Wood Memorial,…

Clockers' Corner was not as crowded as it was two springs ago, but it still felt lively Thursday morning. Trainers Carla Gaines and Vlad Cerin brought around their dogs, who playfully breached whatever canine protocols there are for social distancing. Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux was the best-dressed gent in the joint, sporting a colorful…

As the dust settled on Rich Strike's improbable 81-1 victory in the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, the question of who would challenge him in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 in Baltimore, Maryland began to make the rounds across the country. Rich Strike, a last-minute Derby entrant who got a dream trip under jockey Sonny Leon for trainer Eric…

There will be 20 horses lined up in the posts at Churchill Downs for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. And 1.25 miles later, one will be crowned the 2022 champion and go on to leave Louisville with the opportunity to try to capture the illustrious Triple Crown. This year's Derby field is fairly wide-open, as there's no clear-cut favorite. So The Most…

Welcome to 2023 Kentucky Derby Prospect Snapshots, where we'll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from a race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule. That schedule consists of prep races offering qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, running from September 2022 through mid-April 2023. The 1…

Saturday's Coverage Kicks Off with Kentucky Derby Prep at Noon ET on USA Network Live Coverage from Churchill Downs Begins with Five Hours of Kentucky Oaks Day Races This Friday, May 6 at 1 p.m. ET on USA Network Peacock to Live Stream NBC's Triple Crown Horse Races for the First Time STAMFORD, Conn. - May 2, 2022 - NBC Sports presents the 148…

Blue Grass Stakes winner Zandon takes on older horses for the first time when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Cigar Mile on Saturday at Aqueduct Race Course. Trained by Chad Brown, Zandon has two wins, three seconds and three thirds in eight career starts. He is coming off a second place finish in the Pennsylvania Derby. He is the…

One horse won the Kentucky Derby and now faces disqualification (maybe) and banishment (definitely). That would make a second horse the new winner. A third horse won the Preakness. Then there is last year's 2-year-old champion, who lost as the Derby favorite this month, and a filly who has been beating every challenger among her gender and now may…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Aaron Sones' Ethereal Road became a stakes winner in grand style Saturday at historic Pimlico Race Course, making a bold sweeping move on the far outside to circle the field and capture the $100000 Sir Barton by 4 3/4 lengths. The 24th running of the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton for 3-year-olds was the seventh of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.75…

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown and it will take place Saturday evening at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The year's derby will be one of the more interesting ones in recent memory since legendary trainer Bob Baffert will not be allowed at the track as he's serving a 90-day suspension. The ban was given to him by…

There may not be as much fanfare for the 2021 Belmont Stakes with no Triple Crown up for grabs, but there will be a crowd, which will be a welcomed sight for race officials. Last year's event was held behind closed doors, but roughly 11000 spectators will be inside Belmont Park for the 6:49 p.m. ET post time on Saturday evening. The Belmont Stakes…