#Ian Wilkes

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Wit, who races for the Repole, St. Elias and Gainsway Stables, followed his usual racing pattern of coming from off the pace when he took the trophy in the Spa's $135000 Better Talk Now Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course. With Jose Ortiz in the saddle for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the colt by Practical Joke…

HENDERSON, Ky. -- Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. won on four his five mounts Friday on Ellis Park's eight-race card, including with the promising 2-year-old colt Tiz the Bomb. The race he lost? Gus Gus, owned by trainer Ian Wilkes' wife, Tracey, and Hernandez's wife, Jamie. The two couples also bred the 2-year-old gelding. But Gus Gus' second place in…

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…

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…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The horses for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby 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 Mike Battaglia of Churchill Downs. Purse: $2 million guaranteed Distance: 1¼ miles Track record: 1:59 2/5 (Secretariat, 1973) Post…

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…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Sconsin Returns in Sunday's Dream Supreme Stakes (Sconsin / Photos by Coady Photography) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Lloyd Madison Farm's growing broodmare band will add another member to their roster with their homebred Sconsin, who has a date with 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in a few months. The…

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…

Pimlico Race Course has a complicated history, but somehow it is still in operation. Known as the "Home of the Preakness," it will only be running for a short time in May. Watch and wager while it lasts... The Black-Eyed Susan Day on Friday is upon us, and it promises to have a strong All-Stakes Pick 6 in races 8 through 13. The "featured" race for…

Trainer Todd Pletcher will be back in the Kentucky Derby. Was there ever any doubt? Needing some of his 3-year-olds to come through on a big Saturday of Derby points qualifiers, Pletcher's horses responded in a huge way. Known Agenda ($12.80 for a $2 bet) made his move at the top of the stretch and pulled away from Soup and Sandwich to win the…

Before the holiday weekend gets started, Churchill Downs rolls out another Friday card. Check out these selections below, plus some targeted analysis from our reside'capper, J.N. Campbell. Race 1: 3-2-6-4 Race 2: 5-1-3-8 Race 3: 4-2-6-1/1A Race 4: 6-8-4-5 Race 5: 10-6-2-9 Race 6: 5-8-6-2 Race 7: 8-3-4-10 Race 8: 3-1-2-4 Race 9: 10-6-2-4 **Most…

Keeneland Barn Notes: Twilight Gleaming Headlines Field for Sunday's Franklin Stakes (Twilight Gleaming / Coady Photography) From the Keeneland Media Team: TWILIGHT GLEAMING (IRE) HEADS OVERFLOW FIELD FOR SUNDAY'S FRANKLIN Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming (IRE), winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar,…

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),…

The Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, Saturday at Churchill Downs, represents the first points race for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Continue reading to see how the experts are playing the race. Ron Flatter, Horse Racing Nation Winner: #9 Guntown On the board: #6 Stellar Tap Longshot I like: #7 Red Knobs Analysis: Guntown had a troubled debut but made up for it…

However green the enormous 2017 Kentucky Derby field of twenty might seem, and it is pretty darn green, tomorrow evening the colts will still be bugled to the track through a wild crowd, muscled into their gates, and will engage in a blistering horse race. Somebody, be it an odds favorite like Classic Empire or McCraken, or a lovable long shot like…

We know everyone (at least it seems like everyone, or at least everyone in our world) is immersed in the football season with wall-to-wall college football on Saturday, but Team Tuley is still looking for value at tracks from coast to coast. Last Saturday, I came through with a 12-1 winner as Red Knight ($26.04 to Win, $9.50 to Place) won the…

1ST RACE - 2 3/8 miles, Steeplechase, 4YO and up, Allowance. Purse: $70000. No. Horse;Jockey;Trainer;Odds 1 Bandua;Jamie Bargary;Neil Morris;2-1 1A Project Two (IRE);Thomas Garner;Leslie Young;2-1 2 Ancient Times;Ross Geraghty;Archibald Kingsley;8-1 3 Who's Counting;Sean McDermott;Sean McDermott;6-1 4 Fightinirishtabit;Harrison Beswick;Richard…