#Holly M. Smith

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…

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…

Notes, Quotes, G3 Cardinal Stakes: Dalika (Dalika wins the Cardinal Stakes / All Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Dalika (GER) scored her third front-running graded stakes win of the year when she rolled to a 1 ¾-length victory over Perseverancia in Thursday's 47 running of the $268500 Cardinal (Grade III) on…

Notes, Quotes & Photos From G2 Golden Rod Stakes: Hoosier Philly (Hoosier Philly / All Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: The promising 2-year-old filly Hoosier Philly stamped herself as a divisional leader and tantalizing prospect for the Longines Kentucky Oaks as she easily won Saturday's 79 running of the $400000…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Proxy Gets Big Speed Figure After G1 Clark Win (Proxy / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs' Media Team: Godolphin's talented 4-year-old colt Proxy earned his first career stakes victory Friday with his determined three-quarters of a length win in the $750000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade…

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…

Aqueduct Barn Notes: Kathleen O Returns in G3 Comely Stakes (Kathleen O / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the NYRA Media Team: Winngate Stables' dual graded stakes winner and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks alumna Kathleen O. resumes serious business against a field of seven other sophomore fillies in Friday's 73rd running of the Grade 3, $175000 Comely going…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: KY Derby Winner Returns in G1 Clark'Cap (Rich Strike / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: RED-TR Racing's Kentucky Derby (Grade I) hero Rich Strike will return to Churchill Downs and face a compact field of seven entered in Friday's 148 running of the $750000 Clark presented by Norton…

Notes & Quotes From the Claiming Crown Jewel (& More): Keystone Field (Keystone Field / All Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Keystone Field, owned by Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm, swept past early leaders Benevengo and Frosted Grace leaving the final turn and determinedly turned back a late charge by 2-1…

Set Piece Is Set to Return to Churchill Downs in Sunday's G3 River City (Set Piece / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winner Set Piece (GB) leads an oversubscribed cast of 14 horses that were entered in Sunday's $300000 River City (Grade III) at Churchill Downs. Sunday's featured…

Churchill Downs' Newsstand: Jace's Road Returns in Sunday's G3 Street Sense Stakes (Trainer Brad Cox conditions Jace's Road / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Albaugh Family Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds' Jace's Road, an impressive debut winner and recent third-place finisher in the $300000 Iroquois Stakes…

Live Racing Returns to Churchill Downs on Sunday for 19-Day Fall Meet (Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky shifts from Keeneland to Churchill Downs on Sunday as the home of the Kentucky Derby readies to open its 133 Fall Meet with an 11-race program - all for promising…

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…

Fulsome Could Break Out in Saturday's Ack Ack Stakes From the Churchill Downs Media Team: (Fulsome / Photos by Holly M. Smith) COX HOPES FULSOME FINDS PACE IN ACK ACK - Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winner Fulsome will attempt to tally his third victory at Churchill Downs in Saturday's $300000 Ack Ack, and trainer Brad Cox hopes the 4-year-old…

KY Derby Winner Rich Strike May Find Riches Again in Saturday's G2 Lukas Classic (Rich Strike / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is back at Churchill Downs and trainer Eric Reed is hoping his prized colt will notch a third-career victory beneath the historic Twin Spires in Saturday's…

Opinions, Observations & Outlooks: A Great Weekend of Racing Hypes Hopes for Fantastic Fall What a great weekend of racing action all over the United States. The return of some super stars ready to regroup and regain their status after a recharge. The emergence of some potential profile runners for our future. The pomp. The circumstances. Here's a…

G2 Lukas Classic Preview: Rich Strike Could Hit It Big Again This Saturday (Rich Strike / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Saturday's G2, $500000 Lukas Classic is shaping up to be one of the more competitive races in North America this year. Grade I winners Happy Saver and Hot Rod Charlie are among the nominated…

Bourbon Trail Stakes: Home Brew Inches Out Victory (Home Brew, on the rail, inches out a victory in the Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Three horses made a thrilling dash for the finish line in Saturday night's second running of the $275000 Bourbon Trail ® for 3-year-olds at…

G3 Dogwood Stakes: Echo Zulu Returns in Style (Echo Zulu / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Champion filly Echo Zulu broke alertly from the rail and used her tactical speed to wire the field of five 3-year-old fillies in Saturday night's 47 running of the $274000 Dogwood Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs by a…

Harrods Creek Stakes: Gunite Fires On All Cylinders (Gunite wins the Harrods Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday night / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Grade I winner Gunite, the odds-on 3-5 favorite, ran down front-running stakes-winner Conagher with a furlong to run and scored a three-length victory in…

Seneca Overnight Stakes: Sixtythreecaliber Is Deadly (Sixtythreecaliber wins Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Sixtythreecaliber needed every inch of the stretch to wear down pacesetter Falconet and win Saturday night's second running of the $160000 Seneca Overnight Stakes…

No Decision Yet on Whether Team Asmussen Will Run Both Echo Zulu & Wicked Halo in G3 Dogwood Stakes (Wicked Halo / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Winchell Thoroughbreds' racing manager David Fiske reported Friday morning that "no decision has been made at this time" if stablemates Echo Zulu and Wicked Halo will both…

Gunite Ready to Fire in Saturday Night's Harrods Creek Stakes (Gunite / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Winchell Thoroughbreds' Grade I-winning sprinter Gunite will meet Patricia's Hope and Mark Farrar's speedy Conagher for the third time as the headliners in Saturday night's second running of the $275000 Harrods…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Echo Zulu Returns in Saturday's G3 Dogwood Stakes (Echo Zulu / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' three-time Grade I-winning filly Echo Zulu will make her first start since finishing fourth in this year's $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade…

Del Mar News: Post Position Draw for G1 Pacific Classic (Seeking the Soul after winning the G2 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Del Mar Media Team: Charles Fipke's well-travelled Seeking the Soul drew Post 5 Tuesday in a field of 10 and was installed the 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's 29th edition of…

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…

Churchill Downs Ready To Pop Gate on September Meet (Set Piece gets a morning bath at Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Horse racing on the Kentucky circuit shifts to Churchill Downs on Thursday, Sept. 15 with the first of three Twilight Thursday programs at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) as the famed…

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…

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)…