#Keith Desormeaux

Top contenders for the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby are listed in order of preference, with comments provided by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. Churchill Downs has adopted a points system to determine the Derby field, with points being earned by the top four finishers in designated prep races. The odds are from the…

The Fair Grounds hasn't had the easiest time of it thus far this season, what with its turf course having been shut down for repairs, but the New Orleans oval got back on track the day after Christmas with a 13-race extravaganza chock full of stakes races. James Graham and Brendan Walsh took their fair share of the spoils. Graham brought in the…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There is a full field of 14 entered for the 147th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday, including the Preakness victor Exaggerator and the Belmont champion Creator. Still, the Midsummer Derby, as the race is known, is a wide-open affair in a year in which the crop of male 3-year-olds seems evenly matched. The…

Surveillance with James Graham aboard wins the Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. *Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir) Fair Grounds Press Release NEW ORLEANS, La.- Surveillance stayed perfect on Fair Grounds' main track, winning the $100000 Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes by 2 lengths over Bango. That makes it two stakes wins in…

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…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - He was a big colt - gangly, hardheaded and not particularly well behaved. Arrogate required patience and often tried the patience of those charged with transforming him into a racehorse. Every now and then in the mornings, however, Arrogate would flash at what might come, pumping those long gray legs like pistons and…

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…

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…

The Breeders' Cup is behind us, but Team Tuley continues to look for value at tracks from coast to coast. I'm joined by regular contributors Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed from his Saratoga and Keeneland columns here at VSiN.com/horses) and Rampart race and sports manager Duane Colucci. We live up to the coast to coast claim with plays at Aqueduct in New…

Imagine for a moment being loaded with money. So loaded there was plenty to unload on any of the three sure-fire ways to blow an investment. As some financial wizard told Tony Kornheiser, they are a private plane, a restaurant and a racehorse. Forget about the plane and the restaurant. How about being someone like Jack Wolf? He and his wife Laurie…

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…

KY HBPA Interviews: "Claiming Crown" Coming to Churhcill Downs This Saturday From the KY HBPA Media Team / Jennie Rees: The Claiming Crown was created 24 years ago to serve as a Breeders' Cup-style event celebrating the blue-collar horses that populate most of America's racing programs. With the eight-race series coming to Churchill Downs for the…

After a two-weekend pause, the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday in New Orleans. Pappacap is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $200000 Lecomte Stakes. Post time from Fair Grounds is 7:20 p.m. EST, with TVG showing the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds. The Lecomte awards points toward the Kentucky Derby on a 10-4-2-1…

A busy weekend of Breeders' Cup challenge series races already is underway as Santa Anita Park kicked off its fall meet Friday with three "Win and You're In'' races. Hopefully, your handicapping is about complete for Santa Anita's opening day, which features the $300000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds. Post time for this one is 8 p.m.…

Bob Baffert has dominated Santa Anita's Grade 1, $300000 American Pharoah Stakes, winning it nine times. The trainer enters the race's 2021 edition with three of the seven entrants. Yet, this running comes with the caveat that none of Baffert's runners can earn qualifying points Friday toward the first Saturday in May. Baffert trains Corniche, 6-5…

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…

The post positions are set for all the races at the 2018 Breeders' Cup, and while many horse racing fans are looking forward to Saturday's Classic, there are five key races that will start the event on Friday. The races include the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Juvenile Fillies Turf, Tito's Handmade Vodka Juvenile Fillies, Juvenile Turf Mile, and the…

Nest Could Be A Star In The Making; Undefeated Sy Dog Might Head To Royal Ascot; Brinkman Has Big Plans Old Homestead LESINGTON, Ky.-Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy is the 9-5 morning-line choice in a field of 12 3-year-olds entered in today's 98th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. $1 million…

The 2023 Kentucky Derby trail begins Saturday at the track that will host that event next May. Echo Again (2-1) is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Iroquois Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 4:55 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds. The Iroquois kicks off the series of points-paying preps toward…

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…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday from Churchill Downs where Albaugh Family Stables' undefeated colt Howling Time, the winner of the $200000 Street Sense four weeks ago, tops an ultra-competitive cast of 14 colts and geldings that entered the $400000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade 2). The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club will award…