Jockey Ken Church, winner of over 2,000 races, dies at 90

Ken Church, who rode over 2,000 winners during a 20-year career that included four mounts in the Kentucky Derby, died Monday. He was 90.

Church was diagnosed with pneumonia a week ago at the retirement facility where he lived in Reno, Nevada, and was taken to a hospital. He contracted COVID-19 there and died, his daughter Debbie Anderson told Del Mar racetrack officials in California.

In 1946, Church got a job as an exercise rider at Woodbine in Toronto, located about 200 miles (300 kilometers) from his birthplace in Windsor, Ontario. The following year he was offered a job riding for future Hall of Fame trainer Harry Trotsek, who developed Hall of Fame jockeys Johnny Sellers and John Rotz.

Church won his first race on July 27, 1947. He rode in 14,000 races during this career. His best finish in the Kentucky Derby was fifth place aboard Oil Capitol in 1950. He won five consecutive races in one day at Chicago’s old Washington Park on June 10, 1952.

After riding in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky and New Jersey, Church relocated to California in 1963 and the following year won the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap aboard Mr. Consistency.

He was nicknamed “The Prince” by his fellow riders because of his wavy blond hair and good looks.

After retiring in May 1967, Church remained in the racing industry and worked for several years in the publicity department at Del Mar north of San Diego. He also worked at Southern California’s other major tracks, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.

Church sometimes returned to the saddle to participate in Del Mar’s Rocking Chair Derby, a race for retired jockeys held from 1973-78. He won the 1974 edition.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Nancy. Besides his daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Laurie Kurluk, and a son, Michael. His family said Church requested no services.

The 2023 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series comes to Gulfstream Park on Saturday, Jan. 28 (4:30-6 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock). Some of the biggest names in the sport are potentially going after the $4.5 million at stake.

Cyberknife is most likely the biggest name that is probably to be in the field of the headline dirt race. He finished second in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1), but notched four wins in 2022, including the Haskell Stakes (G1) and Arkansas Derby (G1). Cyberknife is trained by Brad Cox, ridden by Florent Geroux and owned by Gold Square LLC.

Other probable invitees include Florida Derby (G1) champ White Abbario and Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Simplification.

Colonel Liam, last year’s back-to-back $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf winner, is possibly heading back to Gulfstream in an attempt to attempt an unprecedented three-peat. The Pletcher-trained horse tallied a 6th-place finish in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) at the end of December.

Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) second-place finisher Ivar (12-1) and Hollywood Derby (G1) champ Speaking Scout are among the other Pegasus World Cup Turf invitees.

You can watch the Pegasus World Cup and the Pegasus World Cup Turf on NBC and Peacock on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 4:30-6 p.m. ET as well as on NBCSports.com, Peacock and the NBC Sports app.

What is the Pegasus World Cup? 

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series is a series of invite-only races held annually at Gulfstream Park since 2017 (originally only offering the dirt race before adding the turf division two years ago). The $3 million Pegasus World Cup runs 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf runs 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Both races are for horses aged 4 years and older and are invitation-only.

You can watch the Pegasus World Cup and the Pegasus World Cup Turf on NBC and Peacock on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 4:30-6 p.m. ET as well as on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

The $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) will run that day as well.

When is the Pegasus World Cup?

The 2023 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET. It will be broadcasted live on NBC and can be streamed live on NBCSports.com and Peacock.

Where is the Pegasus World Cup?

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series is held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Gulfstream Park is also home to several Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, including the Florida Derby (G1), the Fountain of Youth (G2) and the Holy Bull (G2).

How can I watch the 2023 Pegasus World Cup?

NBC Sports is home to the 2023 Pegasus World Cup, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on TV, in the NBC Sports app, on NBCSports.com and on Peacock before, during and after the two headlining races. The 2023 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET.

Who won the Pegasus World Cup last year in 2022? 

Life Is Good denied Knicks Go a chance to win in back-to-back years. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt then continued a fabulous 2022 campaign with three graded stakes win before finishing 5th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

One race earlier, Colonel Liam recaptured the magic from 2021 to win the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf. It took him nearly an entire year to participate in his next race, which resulted in a 6th place finish at the Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2).

Watch the 2023 Pegasus World Cup on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

ARCADIA, Calif. — It’s proving time for 3-year-olds in the barn of trainer Bob Baffert.

The next four months will weed out the best of the bunch as the calendar moves closer to May and the start of the Triple Crown series.

“See what you have, see what they like to do,” Baffert said. “You learn from the races and hope they stay healthy. That’s the main thing.”

Reincarnate put his name on the top of the heap for now, winning the $100,000 Sham Stakes by a neck for Baffert, who completed a 1-2-3 sweep at Santa Anita.

Baffert has won the Sham in seven of the last 10 years.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Reincarnate ran 1 mile in 1:35.87 under overcast skies.

Sent off at 16-1 odds in the field of five, Reincarnate paid $35 to win, an unusually high price for a Baffert-trained horse.

Newgate was second, while 3-5 favorite National Treasure was another three-quarters of a length back in third. National Treasure was making his first start since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in November.

“He never could get him in a comfortable spot,” Baffert said of jockey John Velazquez aboard National Treasure. “We just got to work on him, get him a little bit relaxed, chill him out a little bit.”

Reincarnate broke sharply and went to the lead, where he ran for much of the race.

“Once I saw that horse turning for home, he’s a stayer, he doesn’t get tired,” Baffert said.

“He’s my Belmont horse,” the trainer joked, referring to the Triple Crown race’s 1 1/2-mile distance.

Reincarnate dueled with Newgate while holding a scant lead through the final furlongs before hanging on at the finish.

“I saw myself in front, so I just let him run,” Hernandez said. “When he got the lead, he tried to wait for company, but when he saw the other horse come to me, he saw him and fought back.”

Baffert’s other entry, Speed Boat Beach, was scratched because the trainer said he wasn’t quite ready for the race. The colt was the 5-2 co-second choice on the morning line. Baffert said Speed Boat Beach would likely be pointed toward the $200,000 San Vicente on Jan. 29.

Packs a Wahlop was fourth and earned two Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Spun Intended was pulled up in front of the grandstand by jockey Mike Smith and vanned off. Trainer Mark Glatt said the horse was OK.

Baffert’s three entries didn’t earn any Derby qualifying points because he’s been banned until after this year’s Derby by Churchill Downs Inc. because of repeated medication violations.

Earlier Sunday, Ice Dancing won the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 3 1/4 lengths and earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on May 5.

Baffert’s fillies, Fast and Shiny, Parody and Huntingcoco, finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. But they were denied the six, four and two Oaks qualifying points for their results because of Baffert’s ban.

His ban at CDI-owned tracks runs from June 2021 until after this year’s Kentucky Derby.

In December, Baffert’s lawyers re-filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against CDI in an effort to allow him to enter horses in the Kentucky Derby on May 6. They initially sought an injunction in February 2022, but it was withdrawn when Baffert began serving a 90-day suspension from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.