#Lecomte Stakes

Picks made Monday for fast track and on turf. 1. Bet on Bourbon - Horse likes to win and has drawn the rail and a field he can handle 8. Commercial Flash - Will be one closing at the end. Graham will have him in position 1. Higher Note: Good effort off extended layoff in last outing so there should be some improvement Monday. 7. She's Jersey Tough.…

According to Churchill Downs' Mike Battaglia's opening odds, thoroughbred contender Cyberknife is a 20-1 shot for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Even if he doesn't win, his owner deserves a bouquet of roses or at least a glass of champagne. You see, Al Gold had more important things on his mind when he named his Chestnut colt. The prostate cancer he…

On Dec. 26, 2021, Fair Grounds hosted the inaugural running of the $100000 Gun Runner Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile qualifier on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. The winner was Epicenter, and the fifth-place finisher was Rich Strike; the following spring, Rich Strike and Epicenter ran 1-2 in the Kentucky Derby. The second…

The horses are nearing the starting gate for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. The post position draw and morning line oddswere released today, and the countdown to "the most exciting two minutes in sports" and America's most popular horse race is set. Post time for the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY is 6:57 p.m. ET on…

After almost four months of waiting, the 2020 Kentucky Derby is finally ready to go off Saturday from historic Churchill Downs. When the 16-horse 2020 Kentucky Derby field is called to the post at 7:01 p.m. ET, a normally raucous Churchill Downs will be eerily quiet due to no spectators in the grandstands or infield. Favorites have lost 12 of the…

For many years, the $1 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park has been contested three weeks prior to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. It's been a productive time slot; over the last 25 years, the 1 1/8-mile race has produced champions and/or classic winners American Pharoah, Creator, Curlin, Lawyer Ron, Afleet…

The Grade 2, $400000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes is one of the first few races which are part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series that award 50 points to the winner, which historically has been enough to give that horse a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. Leading the full field of 12, plus one also-eligible, is…

The $1 million Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve as the second leg of the Triple Crown, taking place just two weeks after the fabled showdown under the twin spires at Churchill Downs. But what a difference two weeks makes in how horseplayers approach handicapping the two races. The Kentucky…

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…

Pappacap (green silks), shown finishing second to Corniche in the Breeders' Cup Classic, is among the favorites for Saturday's Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, a 50-point qualifier for the Kentucky Derby. Photo by John Voorhees, Eclipse Sportswire, courtesy of Breeders' Cup Feb. 18 (UPI) -- This is the weekend when we find out if a few highly…

Fresh off a big performance in winning the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, Epicenter will be the horse they all have to beat when a field of nine Kentucky Derby hopefuls head to the post in Saturday's $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Epicenter has been the top 3-year-old male on the grounds in New Orleans this…

He will be the favorite next week for the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. But is it too soon to declare Essential Quality the favorite for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic? Not in the dark recesses of offshore futures. After holding off Hot Rod Charlie in a signature stretch duel to win the Belmont Stakes, Essential Quality burnished his place in…

In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future. Upcoming Entries Epicenter It is possible the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard will have a new name at the top…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve heats up in a big way on Saturday when Fair Grounds hosts the $400000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford. As the first leg of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the Risen Star awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 basis,…