#Mike Smith

Few horses have been able to blend the kind of success that Unbridled enjoyed both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed. A strapping, 17-hand colt with a long, ground-gobbling stride, he was slow to develop at 2 after a promising 10 ½-length victory in his career debut. The son of Fappiano was then plagued by a sore hoof at 4, succinctly…

The Battle of Alberta has been an outstanding series so far, just as fans expected between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers will host game four after winning the last game and putting themselves up 2-1 on the series. The Flames need to find their offense again, which wasn't a problem in the first two games. Who will head into…

They will all dream on Saturday. Owners and trainers and jockeys of 20 thoroughbred horses will be hoping their prayers will be answered when the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby is done at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. One thing learned from the prior 144 editions of America's greatest horse race is that any horse entered has a shot to win…

The Edmonton Oilers (22-18-3) visit the San Jose Sharks (13-22-8) on Friday, January 13, with the Oilers coming off a victory in their last game and the Sharks a loss. Oilers (-157) at Sharks (+130) has a clear favorite, according to the moneyline odds. The insights in this article reflect odds as of January 12, 2023 at 3:13 PM ET.

Justify, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, crosses the finish line to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. Rob Carr/Getty Images The 145th Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The first event of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, the…

The official state song "Maryland, My Maryland" will not be performed before the Preakness next month because the lyrics are perceived by some to be racist. A spokesperson for Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness, said Friday the tradition of playing the song before the race will be scrapped on Oct. 3, when the Triple Crown series comes to…

Three-year-old dirt fillies get one last chance to compete at the top level against their own age and sex in the $300000 La Brea Stakes (G1), which runs Monday, December 26 at Santa Anita! The race drew a field of eight, four of whom are already graded winners and four who seek those honors for the first time in their career. The field is led by…

It is the great story of the understudy getting that one shot to step in for the star. One shot to step into the spotlight. And maybe even stay there. When Drew Bledsoe got hurt, in came Tom Brady. Wally Pipp was replaced by Lou Gehrig. Phil Fulmer less elegantly for Johnny Majors. On the other hand, sports are full of one-hit wonders like Jeremy…

This is trainer Bob Baffert's really fun time of the year, running his stable full of talented 3-year-olds and learning which ones are ready for the big time and which are maybe a cut below. Cave Rock, Arabian Knight and Faustin might be at the head of the class right now, but Baffert unveiled three others Sunday at Santa Anita that he hopes could…

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…

By the time the Grade 1, $1017500 Haskell Stakes was about to start Saturday evening, trainer Brad Cox was under extra pressure. He had been on a private plane from Saratoga only a few hours earlier with rival trainer Chad Brown, Brown's girlfriend and three jockeys. By the time the Haskell rolled around, Brown had won five races, including four…

Six months ago, I left behind everything I knew in the move from Sydney to Hong Kong, naive and unaware. I mean, how hard could it be? I've made the quantum leap from riding a bicycle with training wheels to riding a unicycle - and there have been plenty of stumbles along the way. I've only just got balanced but there's still a long way to go…

Speed Boat Beach winning the Cecil B. DeMille Dec. 4, 2022 at Del Mar. (Benoit Photo) Stable Notes By Victor Ryan ARCADIA, CALIF.- Speed Boat Beach, a two-time stakes winner on turf, was scratched from today's Grade III Sham Stakes going a mile on dirt by trainer Bob Baffert. Speed Boat Beach was the 5-2 co-second choice on the morning line Baffert…

Two weeks after a Grade 1 win at Saratoga, trainer Christophe Clement is putting the star of his barn back in the starting gates. Gufo (7-5) is morning-line favorite Saturday for the Grade 2, $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes. Post time from Kentucky Downs is 5:45 p.m., with the race broadcast on both CNBC and FanDuel TV, the network formerly…

Kentucky Derby 147 champ Medina Spirit will run from the No. 3 spot in the gate at Pimlico in the 146th Preakness Stakes on May 15 with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert agreeing to a special set of conditions after the colt failed his post-Derby drug test. He opens as the 9-5 favorite. The 2021 Preakness Stakes will air on Saturday, May 15 from 2…

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…

Country House won the 145th Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security - who crossed the finish line first - was disqualified for a race infraction, an unprecedented result in race history. Read full coverage of the race here. Bob Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018, has three horses in…

Southern California's first points-paying Kentucky Derby prep of 2023 features only two runners eligible to collect those points. National Treasure is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $100000 Sham Stakes. Post time from Santa Anita is 6:30 p.m. EST, with FanDuel TV showing the one-mile trip for 3-year-olds. Bob Baffert trains National…

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 Breeders' Cup Classic pits the top horses from around the world against each other in the ultimate showdown to finish out the year in horse racing. Here's everything you need to know about racing's grand finale this weekend at Santa Anita: What is the Breeders' Cup Classic? The $6 million Classic is a 1 1/4-mile race on the dirt with 14 spots…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues on both coasts this weekend with the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, Jan. 7, and the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita the following day. Both are one-mile, but over different track configurations. The Jerome is run around one turn, the Sham over two turns. Both award the same number of Kentucky Derby…

Carmelita's Man. (Benoit Photo) Stable Notes By Victor Ryan / ARCADIA, Calif.-The 10th and final race on Saturday's California Cup program is the $200000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic for older state-breds going 1 ⅛ miles on turf. While a field of nine was entered, led by 2-1 morning-line favorite Carmelita's Man, only eight will go postward as The…

G3 Sham Stakes Preview: Spun Intended Could Spell Trouble From the Santa Anita Media Team: In what appears to be a David vs. Goliath scenario at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Glatt's Spun Intended will take on no less than four Bob Baffert Derby hopefuls among a field of six sophomores in Sunday's Grade III, $100000 Sham Stakes at one mile. Named for…

Fresh off a visually impressive win in an ungraded stakes Nov. 19, C R K Stable's Justique heads a field of six sophomore fillies going seven furlongs in Sunday's Grade III, $100000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita. Originally scheduled to be run on New Year's Day, the Santa Ynez was re-drawn Thursday due to this past Sunday's races being…

In what appears to be a David vs. Goliath scenario at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Glatt's Spun Intended will take on no less than four Bob Baffert Derby hopefuls among a field of six sophomores in Sunday's Grade III, $100000 Sham Stakes at one mile. Named for the winner of the 1973 Santa Anita Derby and subsequent runner-up to Secretariat in that…

The first full weekend of live racing action in 2023 features a pair of Kentucky Derby prep races - the Jerome Stakes from Aqueduct on Saturday and the Sham Stakes from Santa Anita on Sunday. Both races offer 10-4-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby to the top five finishers. Saturday's $150000 Jerome Stakes has drawn a field of…

Former University of Kentucky and NFL player Jacob Tamme now focuses on tending to his Angus cattle herd and raising his family. The Kentucky native is also a racehorse owner and breeder, with Royal Ascot winner Con Te Partiro (who he raced in partnership) among his biggest successes. Get to know him in the fun Q&A below before hearing his thoughts…

The Battle of Alberta is back once again for game three as the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames tonight. So far through the first two games, this series has certainly lived up to the hype as the Oilers managed to get a multi-goal comeback in game two after scoring four straight goals to win 5-3. Can we expect more high scoring in game three…

Last time we looked, Mark Messier was approaching his 62nd birthday later this month, he was ensconced as a hockey commentator on ESPN and, even though he still looks like he spends hours in the gym, he's well past his playing days. But the Edmonton Oilers could use some of Messier's old dressing room fire. He would be in somebody's face or giving…

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The best bet value is entirely in the #3 candidate, Brian Daboll, to win NFL Coach of the Year. We expect him to close the favorite given the obstacles he had to overcome, and we believe his story is by far the best of every candidate. Why? Daboll inherited a team with the worst record in the NFL the prior five…

The 145th running of the Grade-1, Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4, at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the only race in the U.S. with a 20-horse field and it can provide great wagering opportunities for bettors. The favorite has won the run for the roses the last several years, but even with the top choice…

The 2021 Preakness Stakes gets underway this evening, putting the second jewel of the horse racing Triple Crown up for grabs. Here is everything you need to know to enjoy the thrilling race that was preceded by the Kentucky Derby and leads into the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness Stakes 2021 is set to run on Saturday, May 15 with an approximate post…

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…

Country House, jockeyed by Flavien Prat and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, was named the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby after it was ruled that post time favorite Maximum Security made a move that significantly changed the outcome of the race. This is the first Derby win for both jockey and trainer. Maximum Security crossed the finish line…

The biggest race run on American soil is here. The $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, which is supposed to draw the best horses that the world has to offer, will be run at embattled Santa Anita Park on Saturday night. Eleven horses have been entered to run in the 1 1/4-mile race, which is in its 36th year. While the horses should be getting the most…

Letruska edges Monomoy Girl in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Photo by Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park April 19 (UPI) -- Million-dollar races at Oaklawn Park produced a big upset and a potential star for the remainder of the year in highlights of horse racing this weekend. The Kentucky Derby field continued…

The horses for the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes 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 Eric Donovan of the New York Racing Association. Purse: $1.5 million guaranteed Distance: One and a half miles Track record: 2:24 (Secretariat,…

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Trainer Bob Baffert celebrated Christmas a day late with five winners on Santa Anita's Opening Day program Monday, likely boosting one of those horses to an Eclipse Award and perhaps setting up another for a repeat raid on the rich races in the Middle East. It was a star-studded day in front of a big crowd at Santa Anita, as Juan…

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…

The Edmonton Oilers put their 3 game winning streak on the line tonight as they face the Anaheim Ducks down at Rogers Place tonight. The Oilers since replacing Coach Dave Tippett with Jay Woodcroft have yet to lose a game. Have they been perfect, no, but they have played good enough to get wins. Tonight should be a game the Edmonton Oilers should…

On the final Saturday of its Bing Crosby Season, Del Mar will offer a stakes tripleheader topped by the Grade 1, $400000 Hollywood Derby, a turf battle deluxe that has drawn an overflow field to the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif. Also on tap for the big afternoon will be the Grade 2, $250000 Seabiscuit Handicap for 3-year-olds and up on…

Sumter, LaJolla Handicap (Benoit Photo) Santa Anita Stable Notes By Victor Ryan ARCADIA, Calif.-Mandella also looks to have a big shot in the Grade II, $200000 Santa Anita Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on grass. Sumter, twice a stakes winner this year at Santa Anita going the same trip, finished his major preparations Friday with a three-furlong…

The highlight of the Boxing Day card for the opening of Santa Anita Park's winter meet has to be the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, as multiple Grade 1 winner Taiba ships home to compete against three-year-olds for one last time. A field of nine total will be going seven furlongs on the main dirt course for the $300000 prize pool. This one will be carded…

While much of the country is suffering through extreme cold and winter storms, officials at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., are preparing for their traditional day-after-Christmas opening on Monday, Dec. 26. Temperatures are expected in the upper 70s and there is no rain in the forecast for Monday, though a storm is expected to roll into…

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…

The final chance for three-year-old dirt males to vie for Grade 1 glory before turning four and having to face older horses comes Monday, December 26, at Santa Anita. The race covers seven furlongs on the Santa Anita main track, and drew a field of nine horses. As usual for such a late-season three-year-old race, it drew a mix of classy locals and…

Not only will Tiz the Law try to keep his hopes for the Triple Crown alive on Saturday in the 2020 Kentucky Derby, he'll also attempt to redeem himself on the track on which he suffered the only loss of his career. After winning his first two starts, the three-year-old finished third at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 30,…

Happy Holidays to all, and a happy Boxing Day of racing will be coming to us live as the Santa Anita winter meet begins with a bang with numerous graded stakes. One of the graded stakes will be run on the turf early in the card, with the San Gabriel Stakes being a Grade 2 going 1 ⅛ miles. This stakes will take place as Race 3, going to post at 3:03…

The annual Dec. 26 start of the Santa Anita season has a natural, anticipatory, turn-the-page vibe to it. But this mark-your-calendar Opening Day mainstay hasn't always been a post-holiday tradition. Although Santa Anita has kicked off its winter/spring meet on the day after Christmas every year since 1977, the track originally opened in 1934 on…

Country Grammer: a fourth Dubai World Cup winner for Frankie Dettori in March Frankie Dettori will be reunited with Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita when the legendary rider kickstarts his US stint on December 26. Dettori, who announced on Saturday that 2023 will be his final year in the…