#Paddy O'Prado

The Saratoga Race Course meet has a deeply ingrained reputation as one of North America's major proving grounds for the mettle of a freshman sire, offering some of the deepest 2-year-old competition for both maidens and graded stakes horses. As one of the meets on the calendar that has the full attention of breeders and stallion operations alike,…

Lys Gracieux cruises to victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Arima Kinen in Japan. Photo courtesy of Kasumi Saito Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Lys Gracieux roared to victory over a loaded field in the Arima Kinen in Japan in the marquee event of weekend horse racing while Diamond Oops upset the apple cart in a key Florida sprint with international implications. Firenze…

Festive hats and mint juleps are just accessories to the Kentucky Derby, the annual horse race held in Louisville's Churchill Downs. The horses are the main event, and at this year's 148th race slated for May 7, a Connecticut-owned horse is set to take the track. While Mo Donegal is making his Derby debut this weekend, Durante and Buckley were also…

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Dale Romans went into this year believing he had a solid pair of Kentucky Derby contenders in Brody's Cause and Cherry Wine. Getting them to the starting gate on the first Saturday in May now comes down to Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. The Louisville-based trainer entered both prospects in Saturday's Grade I, $1 million…

The excitement is consuming Keith Luke night and day, though at times it doesn't seem real. "I have the experience where I get to sleep, I wake up in the morning, and we still have a horse going to the Kentucky Derby. It's a positive type of anxiety, and it's surprisingly exhausting," said Luke, economic development director for the city of…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It's typical for supporters of Kentucky Derby horses to wear caps with their favorite's name stitched on the front. Monday morning, the Minnesotans who came to cheer on Zozos got their new white lids, just before they boarded a bus to begin a week of horse-country revelry. Pete Mattson put his hat on right away, signaling his…