#First Samurai

As Keeneland prepares to host the 2022 Breeders' Cup in two weeks, the Lexington, Ky., track continues its October meet Saturday with a graded stakes for filly sprinters. Smash Ticket (5-2) is morning-line favorite for the Grade 2, $350000 Raven Run Stakes. Post time from Keeneland is 5:16 p.m., with FanDuel TV to broadcast the seven-furlong sprint…

Colonel Liam, shown after winning the 2021 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park, returns to try for a repeat win Saturday. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park Dec. 30 (UPI) - Eight horses celebrate their third birthday Sunday by lining up for the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park - the holiday weekend's way station on the "Road…

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Practical Move upset three of trainer Bob Baffert's 2-year-olds in the weekend's feature race, the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity, adding his name into the mix of candidates for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Things went a bit more to expectations among the Japanese 2-year-olds as the three favorites reported 1-2-3 in Sunday's Grade 1…

A total of seven fillies and mares will travel seven-eighths on the Aqueduct main oval in Saturday's $120000 Pumpkin Pie S. Peter Brant's #2 Boston Post Road comes off of a pair of huge allowance seconds in succession and seems poised to notch her initial stakes victory with improvement on Saturday. Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Quality…

The Mid-Summer Derby is now the Mid-Summer Derby Prep thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1 million Travers Stakes was shifted to Aug. 8 from its traditional spot on the last Saturday in August so that the Grade 1 fixture can serve as a stepping stone to the rescheduled Kentucky Derby, now set for Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. And this year the…

Gary Barber's Perfect Flight rallied from last under Ricardo Santana Jr. to upset Apprehend and Ramon Vazquez and give trainer Peter Miller a one-two finish in Tuesday's $250000 Zia Park Derby at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. The Derby was one of seven stakes on the Land of Enchantment Day program with purses totaling $900000 and came one race after…

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…

The history of 151 years of horse racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots can be read in the stakes names, from the Colonel Power to the Rachel Alexandra (G2), the Allen Lacombe to the Buddy Diliberto. That tradition continues with the addition of six new opening weekend restricted stakes, serving as the perfect springboard for Louisiana…

Just Cindy wins the Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Thursday's opening day at Saratoga. Photo by Chelsea Durand, Cognianese Photos, courtesy of New York Racing Association July 15 (UPI) -- Saratoga is back into action this weekend, with trainer Chad Brown ready to make a statement on the turf course and the usual top-self competition…

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $200000 HALLANDALE BEACH, FL -EKB Stables' Corey surged between horses at the top of the stretch to engage R Adios Jersey in a ferocious battle to the wire, prevailing by a half-length and ending the heavy favorite's unbeaten streak in Saturday's $60000 Bal Harbour at Gulfstream Park. R Adios Jersey, the 3-5…

Messier wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 15, 2021 Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the winners of both 2-year-old races at Del Mar, Bell's the One was a popular winner at Churchill Downs, while Mandate scored a big upset at Aqueduct in highlights of weekend horse…

Will Take Charge, runner-up to Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders' Cup Classic and the 2013 Eclipse Award Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, takes on a field of ten rivals in Sunday's Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, the first installment of the 2014 Jockey Club Tour on FOX. (Post time: 6:01 p.m. Eastern; TV: Fox Sports 1). Hall of Fame trainer D.…

It's Closing Day... Keeneland wraps up its April Meet in style. The Grade 3 Bewitch S. is the highlight! Check out J.N. Campbell's selections, and a rundown of some of the key wagers! Race 1: 1-6-3-5 Race 2: 8-12-5-1 Race 3: 7-10-5-4 Race 4: 6-4-11-8 Race 5: 1-6-3-5 Race 6: 8-4-6-3 Race 7: 1-5-8-4 Race 8: 5-4-6-3 Race 9: 5-7-4-6 Race 10:…

Reigning champion 2-year-old filly and'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu made it five stakes wins on Saturday for her sire Gun Runner with a dominant performance in the GIII Dogwood S. under the lights at Churchill Downs. Last seen tasting defeat for the first time when a tiring fourth behind Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks over…

Cyberknife, shown winning the Arkansas Derby, runs in Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby brings together many of the top U.S. 3-year-olds just hours after a few of the top prospects for next year's European Classics kick off the…

Kenny McPeek captured his third GIII Pocahontas S. in the last eight years when Fun and Feisty (Midshipman -Grouse Grind, by First Samurai) crossed the line an emphatic winner Saturday at Churchill Downs. The winner didn't have any speed in the 12-horse field and settled in the back, second from last yet well in front of Naughty Gal (Into…

Fun and Feisty, owned by Michael Mackin's Lucky Seven Stable of Louisville, displayed a powerful late kick down the stretch and comfortably won Saturday's 54 running of the $300000 Pocahonatas (Grade III) for 2-year-old fillies by 3 ½ lengths over Shoplifter at Churchill Downs. Fun and Feisty ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.86 to give jockey Julien…

BALTIMORE, Md.- Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Grade 2 winner Plum Ali, winless in her last three starts, faces six rivals as she chases a fifth career stakes victory in Saturday's $100000 All Along at historic Pimlico Race Course. The 51 running of the All Along for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass is…