#Brian Lynch

Even if a race does not carry qualifying points, if there are 3-year-olds running, it could end up being a prep for Kentucky Derby 2023. In addition to the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, there are six other races Saturday that include 15 horses who already are in the Derby futures market in Las Vegas or are on the verge of being there. Maiden…

Two weeks after a Grade 1 win at Saratoga, trainer Christophe Clement is putting the star of his barn back in the starting gates. Gufo (7-5) is morning-line favorite Saturday for the Grade 2, $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes. Post time from Kentucky Downs is 5:45 p.m., with the race broadcast on both CNBC and FanDuel TV, the network formerly…

The horses for the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes are listed in order of post position, with comments by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. The morning-line odds were set by Eric Donovan of the New York Racing Association. Purse: $1.5 million guaranteed Distance: One and a half miles Track record: 2:24 (Secretariat,…

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…

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…

American Revolution, shown winning the Grade I Cigar Mile in December, is among the likely ones in Saturday's Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs. Photo by Joe Labozzetta, courtesy of New York Racing Association June 3 (UPI) -- Weekend racing is all about the doings on Epsom Downs southwest of London, where the Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday…

One of the most interesting races to be held at the Breeders' Cup 2022 will be the Breeders' Cup Juvenile 2022. It will give us a first look at some of the leading contenders for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, as a field of horses aged two compete over a distance of 1 1/16 miles. Famous winners of the race include Timber Country, Street Sense, and…

Nest (white bridle), shown winning the 2021 Demoiselle at Aqueduct, returns as a heavy favorite in Saturday's Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, a Kentucky Oaks prep. Photo by Joe Labozzetta, courtesy of New York Racing Association Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Potential Kentucky Derby candidates are in action from California to Florida and all the way to…

Coming in off her biggest career victory, Regal Glory looks to make it two in a row when she headlines a field of eleven older females set for Saturday's $500000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Chad Brown, the 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom finished off last season in top form. Two starts back she was…

Stats, works, videos and more! A field of eight super talented 3-year-old colts will compete Saturday, June 25, in the 2022 G3 Ohio Derby held at JackThistledown for a purse of $500000. The marquee event is the closer on an 11-race card. With a first post of 12 PM ET, the Ohio Derby will post at 5:35 PM ET. With G3 Stonestreet Lexington winner…

The 2022 Kentucky Derby is on May 7th with post time at 6:57 p.m. ET. Using TVG projections and Horse Racing Nation as a guide, here are the horse profiles for America's biggest and most popular race. New players, get your first win-type wager on a single horse in any race at any track risk-free up to $200 with TVG: Bet the Derby! As always, check…

Welcome to another edition of America's Best Racing's Main Track. After a brief vacation, we're back with the most meaningful story of the past seven days, detailing a story that stands out because of its importance or perhaps the emotional response it generates. Looking ahead, if you believe there's a story this week that should be featured in…

A year ago at Del Mar it was World Approval coming from just off the pace to capture the Breeders' Cup Mile. When the $2 million turf event is run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, it appears that a host of European invaders will be at or near the front throughout, with four Group I winners this year across the pond set to make the trip, with three…

Second last time to the highly regarded and unbeaten Smile Happy in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, Classic Causeway will look to begin his three-year-old season with his first stakes victory when he tops a deep lineup in Saturday's $250000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. A son of Giant's Causeway, Classic Causeway was an impressive…

With Champion 3-Year-Old Male finalist Omaha Beach and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run out for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the field has opened up for the remaining 10 horses. Spun to Run was withdrawn with hives, and even money favorite Omaha Beach scratched due to swelling in his right hind leg. Bob…

New York takes center stage of the racing world this weekend. Belmont Park hosts 14 graded stakes between its Friday and Saturday cards, including nine at the Grade 1 level, culminating in the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon. Rougir (6-5) is morning-line favorite for the first of those Grade 1 affairs, the $750000 New York Stakes. Post…

Classic Causeway raced two weeks ago. Rattle N Roll, Runaway Wife and Silverleaf went tothe post last week. Allfour are entered to start again Saturday. Trainer Kenny McPeek clearly is notafraid of bringing his horses back on short rest to race again. Especially whenthey send him a message. Itis not about having an alert gallop between races or…

Race 14: 1 1/8th (Dirt), Curlin Florida Derby (G1), Purse $1 million, 3 (Saturday) Named for that celebrated Steve Asmussen runner, the Curlin Florida Derby is a Grade 1 staple on the Kentucky Derby Trail, offering "Points" of 100-40-20-10 in that order to the top 4 finishers. The race continues to be dominated by trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won…

There's more than just the Preakness Stakes horses to bet on for Saturday's races. The Late Pick 5 at Pimlico on Preakness Day includes a quintet of stakes races, beginning with the Chick Lang S. (G3) in Race 9 and concluding with the $1.65 million Preakness S. (G1) in Race 13. Below we examine the top contenders in races 9-13 and build a few Pick…

An inside look at how the 148th Kentucky Derby will shape up: Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Todd Pletcher Current Form: Ran evenly for third behind White Abarrio in the shorter Holy Bull, then rode the rail to victory in the Wood Memorial. Worth a Wager: Finished full of run after saving ground in the Wood. Draws rail again. Figure top jock Irad…

Classic Causeway, shown winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes earlier in the meeting, is morning-line favorite for Saturday's Tampa Bay. SV Photography photo, courtesy of Tampa Bay Downs March 11 (UPI) -- With the Kentucky Derby picture still very much uncertain, Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby looms as a golden opportunity for one or more of the 3-year-olds…

The bracing uncertainties of there being no runaway favorite for this afternoon's $3-million 2022 Kentucky Derby illuminate the robustness of the three-year-old Class of'22, as well as that of equine America, and that gives faithful Derby players many ways to cut the complex pie of their exotics. But there's still a blistering race to be run to…

Abel Cedillo / 15 Tyler Baze / 10 TRAINERS / WINS Bob Baffert / 20 Philip D'Amato / 15 Doug O'Neill / 13 Mark Glatt / 10 Two tied / 9 Saturday • $100000 Grade III Sweet Life Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 6 1/2 furlongs downhill turf course • Trainer Bob Baffert is not sure if Corniche, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last fall at Del Mar, can…

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL-With no heavy favorite, the GI Curlin Florida Derby looked like it would likely go one of four ways on paper. The three winners of the four Florida-based GI Kentucky Derby preps- Simplification (Not This Time), White Abarrio (Race Day) and Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway)-were 2-1, 5-2 and 7-2, respectively, and' TDN Rising…

The Race to the KY Derby Is On: A Look at the Various Roadtrips (Secret Oath / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Kentucky Derby fans across the world will be eyeing Hot Springs, Ark. on Saturday as outstanding 3-year-old filly Secret Oath, trained by 86-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, will take on the boys…

Led by Red Knight, the winner of the 2020 edition, a loaded field of 16 older turf males have been entered in Friday's Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland. The 8-year-old gelding has been perfect so far in 2022 for trainer Mike Maker, with a pair of stakes wins at the same 1 1/2-mile distance he will see on Friday. Most recently, the stakes record…

Keeneland Barn Notes: 10 Fillies Invited to $600000 QEII Challenge Cup (Keeneland / Coady Photography) From the Keeneland Media Team: TEN FILLIES INVITED TO $600000 QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP PRESENTED BY DIXIANA Bobby Flay's Pizza Bianca, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), and Klaravich Stables' McKulick (GB),…

Bell's the One Returns in Saturday's G2 TCA Stakes at Keeneland (Bell's the One / Coady Photography) From the Keeneland Media Team: Trainer Cipriano Contrereas and Andrew Knapczyk's Inthemidstofbiz will face five other fillies and mares as she goes for a repeat victory in the 41 running of the $250000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Saturday…

The top of the North American trainer earnings list in 2021 looked much as it did in 2020. Of the 10 trainers who led their peers in 2020 earnings, only the federally indicted Jason Servis did not also crack the top 10 in 2021. Brad Cox led the list, followed by Steve Asmussen and Chad Brown. There was movement further down the trainer earnings…

Tawny Port, White Abarrio and Classic Causeway, who all contested the Kentucky Derby last out, top a strong field of eight sophomore males entered in Saturday's $500000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. A winner of the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland two starts back, Tawny Port has been named the morning line favorite in the 9 furlong test. In the…

The American Triple Crown season has come and gone, but the Canadian version is just set to get underway. The first jewel is the Queen's Plate from Woodbine Racetrack from Toronto, Ontario. This marks the 155th running of the race. Per the event's website, here are the pertinent details for the race. The field is 15 horses deep. Per the odds shown…

The 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby features points-paying preps Saturday in both Florida and California. Tampa Bay Downs hosts the Grade 3, $250000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, while the $100000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate. Both races award Derby points on a 10-4-2-1 basis. This is the last Saturday until April 16 that does not feature a Kentucky…

A full field of twelve 3-year-olds, headed by the decisive winner of the local Sam F. Davis Stakes, Classic Causeway, will battle it out on the Kentucky Derby trail when they meet in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. A very impressive debut winner at Saratoga, Classic Causeway was bumped right up into graded stakes racing…

Cox Hopes That Set Piece Is "Set" For Saturday's G1 Arlington Million Stakes (Set Piece / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Set Piece (GB) arrived in the United States two years ago to the care of multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and since then owner Juddmonte has been rewarded with seven victories. The…

Set Piece (GB) arrived in the United States two years ago to the care of multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, and since then owner Juddmonte has been rewarded with seven victories. The one missing link in Set Piece's résumé is a Grade 1 win but Cox hopes that could change in Saturday's $1 million Arlington Million (G1) at Churchill…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday from Churchill Downs where Albaugh Family Stables' undefeated colt Howling Time, the winner of the $200000 Street Sense four weeks ago, tops an ultra-competitive cast of 14 colts and geldings that entered the $400000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade 2). The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award…

Churchill Downs' News: Santin, Smooth Like Strait May Be Showdown in Saturday's G1 Arlington Million (Santin / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Godolphin's Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade I) winner Santin will face six fellow turf specialists, including Cannon Thoroughbreds' 2021 Shoemaker Mile (GI)…

Godolphin's Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade 1) winner Santin will face six fellow turf specialists, including Cannon Thoroughbreds' 2021 Shoemaker Mile (GI) hero Smooth Like Strait, in Saturday's 39th running of the $1 million Arlington Million (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs. Thanks to cooperation from Ellis Park, the Kentucky Horse Racing…