#Chris Block

Oeuvre winning the Pan Zareta at Fair Ground Dec. 3, 2022. (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography) Kevin Kilroy/Fair Grounds NEW ORLEANS, La. - Winner of the Pan Zareta Stakes in December, Oeuvre returns to face an oversubscribed field of 13 in Saturday's $100000 Nelson J. Menard for 4-year-old and up fillies and mares going 5 1/2 furlongs at Fair…

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…

Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro gets the honors of morning line favorite at 7-2 in the $100000 Tenacious Stakes Monday at Fair Grounds, but last year's Tenacious exacta returns in the form of Estate of James J. Coleman Jr.'s Chess Chief and Lothenbach's Happy American, who is cross-entered in the $100000 Buddy Diliberto three races earlier on the…

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…

Turf racing returns for Monday's "Road to the Derby Kickoff Day" card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La. With the portable rail set at 34 feet, starters will be limited to eight runners for the $100000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial and the female counterpart, the 1 1/16 miles $100000 Blushing K.D. (Race 6). With the same parameters,…

Regal Glory winds up her career with a victory in Sunday's Grade I Matriarch at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Mind Control and Regal Glory wound up their careers with Grade I victories a continent apart in weekend racing, while the another name popped up on the "Road to the Roses" Kentucky Derby 2023…

Two Emmys wins Saturday's Grade I Mr. D. Stakes at Arlington Park, the final gasp of what once was the Arlington Million. Photo by Coach Photography, courtesy of Arlington Park Aug. 16 (UPI) -- There was something for everyone in Saturday's presumed final run of "Million Day" at Arlington Park with a victory for top international raiders and…

Dalaika, shown winning the Grade I Beverly D. at Churchill Downs, returns for the $1 million Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Sept. 9 (UPI) -- It's all about the turf in weekend horse racing with Kentucky Downs staging an extravaganza unmatched anywhere in North America short of the Breeders' Cup World…

Rich Strike, seen posing the morning after his Kentucky Derby win, returns in Saturday's Grade I Clark Stakes with a chance to stake a claim for year-end honors. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Nov. 25 (UPI) -- It's getting to be crunch time for horses who seek year-end honors, and this weekend's Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs provides one of…

White Abarrio, seen winning the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, is among the Kentucky Derby contenders returning to action in Saturday's Ohio Derby at Thistledown. Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Park June 24 (UPI) -- Derby contenders from Louisville and Epsom Downs return to action in weekend horse racing and "Win and You're In" spots for…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Curly Jack May Set Them Straight In G2 KY Jockey Club (Curly Jack / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Michael McLaughlin's $300000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) winner Curly Jack headlines a field of nine 2-year-old colts that were entered in Saturday's 96 running of the $400000 Kentucky…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

Making the 33rd start of her career, her 19th in the last two years and ninth of her 5-year-old season, Lothenbach Stables' She Can't Sing (Bernardini) may just be better than ever and earned an extremely valuable first victory at the graded level in the GIII Chilukki S. as the sun began to set on Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon. A highly…

The only graded stakes on Saturday's racing schedule features distaffers battling under the twin spires. Coach is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Chilukki Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 5:35 p.m. EST, with FS2 showing the one-mile race for 3-and-up fillies and mares. The Chilukki is part of a November Churchill…

World Series Winner Now a Winner at Churchill Downs, Too (Alex Bregman, of the Houston Astros, gets a win at Churchill Downs / Coady Photography) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Two-time World Series-winning third basemen Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros became a winning horse owner Wednesday at Churchill Downs when his family's 2-year-old…

Kueber Racing's two-time stakes-winning filly Coach will attempt to collect her first victory in graded stakes company as the headliner in Saturday's $300000 Chilukki Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs. The one-mile Chilukki Stakes for fillies and mares will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:35 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1…

Pappacap (green silks), shown finishing second to Corniche in the Breeders' Cup Classic, is among the favorites for Saturday's Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, a 50-point qualifier for the Kentucky Derby. Photo by John Voorhees, Eclipse Sportswire, courtesy of Breeders' Cup Feb. 18 (UPI) -- This is the weekend when we find out if a few highly…

A $1000000 purse and an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf are at stake Saturday, September 10 in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2)! As with so many of Kentucky Downs's rich races, the Turf Cup drew an overflow field: 12 in the starting gate, plus one horse on the also-eligible list. Thanks to both the field size and the undulating, pear-shaped…

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…

When it comes to Illinois-bred turf horses, trainer Chris Block is one of the names that always is among the first to be recognized. Top Illinois-bred stakes horses like Fort Prado, Suntracer and Mystery Giver are just a few Block has trained and the next set of stars appear to be lining up for Block as the turf stakes program continues at…

Cave Rock wins the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, on to the Breeders' Cup. Benoit Photo, courtesy of Santa Anita The final weekend of prep races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships produced some impressive efforts and identified some likely favorites for the big weekend just a month down the road. War Like Goddess earned a spot against…

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),…

Keeneland Barn Notes: Champ Letruska Returns to Regular Work (Letruska / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Keeneland Media Team: CHAMPION LETRUSKA RETURNS TO KEENELAND WORK TAB St. George Stable's Letruska, who made Keeneland her main base of operations during an Eclipse Award-winning campaign in 2021, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 over a fast…

Monday's fourth race from Colonial Downs is the $125000 Brookmeade Stakes for Virginia-bred or sired fillies and mares traveling 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course (Post time 3:09 p.m. EDT). No. 1 Mo Clare's (7-2) might be loose on the lead from the inside post. Chris Block excels with new additions to his barn and this mare almost went all the…

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares picks and plays for Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs and Presque Isle Downs, along with thoughts on Colonial's $82227 Pick 5 carryover. Today's special offers from TwinSpires include: Trifecta Tuesday: Receive a 15% bonus on trifecta winnings (excluding stake amount; up to $25 per day) on every Tuesday from…