#Risen Star

Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Mandaloun (pink cap) wins Sunday's Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Photo courtesy of Monmouth Park June 14 (UPI) -- Maybe it's a little early to crown Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality as best 3-year-old in the nation, especially after Mandaloun's impressive victory in Sunday's Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth…

Now we are talking Kentucky Derby preps. This time we mean it. Life Is Good can race across, up and down or diagonally through the San Felipe. Greatest Honour can close on pedestrian fractions in the Fountain of Youth. Concert Tour can be anointed prince of the Bob Baffert Invi … er … Rebel Stakes. Essential Quality can be forgotten with his…

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…

Tiz the Law is the 6-5 morning line favorite for Saturday's 152nd running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. The Barclay Tagg-trained multiple Grade 1 winner will break from the eight post against nine competitors in the 1-1/8 mile test around one turn. Posts were drawn Wednesday. "It could have been worse. I was hoping to get five…

While opening day of the Santa Anita winter/spring meet is traditionally scheduled on the 26th of December, it is also considered the ceremonial start of the next year. If Monday's festivities are a harbinger of what is to come, 2023 should be a pretty good year. Under a perfect southern California winter sky, a massive, enthusiastic crowd of…

Assessing The Early Favourites For The Kentucky Derby The whole world's eyes will be on Churchill Downs in May, as the 2022 Kentucky Derby is staged on the second Saturday in the month. Once again, the leading three-year-olds in the United States will be on show, as the Triple Crown season gets underway. Much like taking advantage of the Bet365…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, who came up just shy of Grade 1 glory twice this spring in the Triple Crown, secured both his first top-level victory and a place at the top of the sophomore division with an emphatic 5 1/4-length victory under Joel Rosario in the 153rd renewal of the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million…

Get the best Kentucky Derby plays from the horse racing experts at TwinSpires, including exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks. The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby will feature a fierce field of 20 horses set to race 1 1/4 miles on Churchill Downs' historic race track on Saturday, May 7. One undefeated runner, a Japanese-bred starter, and a…

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…

We're just over two weeks out before the 154th running of Triple Crown's third leg. Belmont Stakes will take place on June 11, 2022, at the same historic place, Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Preakness Stakes was run without the Kentucky Derby-winning horse Rich Strike. Rick Dawson, Rich Strike's owner, felt the colt needed a break after his…

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…

Fair Grounds will be an important part of the Kentucky Derby trail hosting the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby. On Friday they run the last card before the holiday break. Post: 1:15 PM CT; $16k Maiden Claiming going 6 furlongs on dirt; Entries: 6 #3 PLANTERS PUNCH (3-5) gets the top selection. He shouldn't have trouble with the 6 furlong…

Fair Grounds' Barn Notes: Jace's Road Will Return in Dec. 26 Gun Runner Stakes (The Alys Look will run in the Untappable Stakes / Hodges Photo & Courtesy of the Fair Grounds) From the Fair Grounds Media Team: West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables' Jace's Road, who finished a good third in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs two…

The colt who appears likely to be named the official 2021 Kentucky Derby winner returns to the races Sunday afternoon. Mandaloun headlines a five-horse field going 1 1/16 miles in the $150000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Post time is 4:50 p.m. EDT, with TVG to broadcast the local prep for next month's Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes. When…

A points-based system determines which 20 horses will load into the Churchill Downs starting gate on the first Saturday in May. Generally, the prep races that offer the most points are the most impactful. A total of 37 races comprise the USA Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule. The first 21 of those races is considered the Kentucky Derby prep…

Defending race champion Mishriff will once again take on a strong group of American shippers when he tops a field of 14 entered for Saturday's $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack. Mishriff is well proven on dirt, but has done all his recent running on the turf. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the 5-year-old son of Make Believe has…

Race 9: 1 1/16th (Dirt), Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3), Purse $400k, 3 (Saturday) The Grade III Lexington Stakes is the last gasp for the Kentucky Derby Prep Trail. Up for the taking are Points that include, 20 for the "Winner," 8 for the "Place" horse, 4 for the "Show" runner, and a measly 2 for the entry who rounds out the "Super." In the…

The 2022 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga offers a purse of $600000. It is the premier local prep for the Travers Stakes (G1), The Spa's flagship race for three-year-old dirt routers. Though the 2022 Jim Dandy only drew a field of five horses, the group is long on talent. The second- and third-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Epicenter…

Of the 270 horses in Las Vegas' most recent Kentucky Derby futures, only four sires have seven or more hopefuls. Here is a look at the four and their potential runners for the roses. Into Mischief - 15 Retired in 2008 with a 6: 3-3-0 record, his biggest win came in the Hollywood Futurity (G1) at Hollywood Park. He is the sire of 2020 Kentucky Derby…

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown and it will take place Saturday evening at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The year's derby will be one of the more interesting ones in recent memory since legendary trainer Bob Baffert will not be allowed at the track as he's serving a 90-day suspension. The ban was given to him by…

There may not be as much fanfare for the 2021 Belmont Stakes with no Triple Crown up for grabs, but there will be a crowd, which will be a welcomed sight for race officials. Last year's event was held behind closed doors, but roughly 11000 spectators will be inside Belmont Park for the 6:49 p.m. ET post time on Saturday evening. The Belmont Stakes…

It's time for the final leg of horse racing's triple crown this weekend, as the Belmont Stakes, and one thing for sure is there will be no payday like we had in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago. As usual, this is the smallest field of the three races with only eight horses scheduled to come out of the gate in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday afternoon at…

The oldest stakes race in the country for three-year-olds will have its 153rd running on Saturday when the 2022 Travers Stakes will take place at Saratoga Race Course. First held in 1864, this 1 1/4 miles race is nicknamed the Midsummer Derby and offers a $1.25 million prize to the winner. The 2022 Travers Stakes field is stacked with multiple…

After last year's Preakness Stakes was postponed to October due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 Preakness Stakes will return to its rightful spot on the third Saturday in May. Another change from last year will be the presence of spectators at Pimlico Race Course, with 10000 fans being admitted. That's still a far cry from the 51838 who…

A spot in the Kentucky Derby 2022 will be on the line when 11 three-year-olds leave the starting gate in the 2022 Rebel Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The winner of the $1 million Rebel Stakes 2022 will receive 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby, all but guaranteeing himself a spot in the Run for the Roses on May 7. Trainer Bob…

Trainer Chad Brown will try to win the Pennine Ridge Stakes for a record third time when he sends out two horses -- the favored Unanimous Consent and Napoleonic War -- in the 2022 Pennine Ridge Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The race, a nine-furlong turf race, has been around since 2014, and Brown won it in'16 with Camelot…

Saturday marks the 147th edition of the Run for the Roses, and there is plenty of history that could be made in the 2021 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Louisville-born trainer Brad Cox will send out Essential Quality and Mandaloun in his first Derby appearance, as he seeks to become the first local trainer to win horse racing's biggest prize.…

The list of 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders is filled with horses from the Bluegrass State, but several have roots elsewhere in the country. Just outside the top tier of horses in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds is Zozos (39-1), whose owners, Barry and Joni Butzow, hail from Minnesota. Zozos will be their first Kentucky Derby entry after more than 30…

A field of nine lightly raced three-year-old horses will try to take a step towards the 2022 Kentucky Derby when the starting gate opens on Saturday in the 2022 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Todd Pletcher-trained Mo Donegal is the 5-2 favorite in the 2022 Holy Bull Stakes odds. The Dale Romans-trained Giant Game is getting 7-2 in the…

The Chad Brown-trained Shantisara begins what her trainer hopes will be an Eclipse Award-winning season when she leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Jenny Wiley Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. A winner of five races in nine career starts, Shantisara makes the first start of her 4-year-old year. Brown says she's…

French-born and Japan-based jockey Christophe Lemaire will try to transfer his international success to the United States when he leaves the starting gate aboard Crown Pride in the 2022 Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. The 42-year-old Lemaire has led all Japan Racing Association jockeys in wins for five straight years. On Saturday, he…

Churchill Downs has hosted the Kentucky Derby continuously since 1875, making it the longest-running major American sporting event, but last year it faced one of its most serious challenges because of the coronavirus pandemic. The race was postponed to September and no fans were allowed in attendance, but the Kentucky Derby 2021 brings back…

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…

Two Hall of Fame trainers -- D. Wayne Lukas and Todd Pletcher -- can tie the record for most Kentucky Oaks wins by a trainer when the starting gate opens in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Both Lukas and Pletcher have won the Run for the Lilies four times, one shy of the record held by the great Woody…

Longshot Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will try to match the feat of his father, Keen Ice, when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. In the 2015 Travers, Keen Ice, a 16-1 longshot, rallied past Triple Crown hero American Pharoah to post one of the most shocking upsets in the history of the…

Arguably the most exciting horse in training returns to the track on Saturday when Flightline leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Metropolitan Handicap, also known as the Met Mile, in Elmont, N.Y. A $1 million purchase three years ago, Flightline is undefeated in three career starts and has won by more than 37 combined lengths. He is the 3-5…

A spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic will be on the line when six of the best older horses in the country leave the starting gate in the 2022 Whitney Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The race has attracted five horses who have won at least $988000, topped by the $5.2 million earned by Hot Rod Charlie. However, the…

Jockey Flavien Prat has one Kentucky Derby victory and one Preakness Stakes win on his resume, but he remains in search of a triumph in the third leg of the Triple Crown. The 29-year-old Frenchman came close to completing the hat trick last year with Hot Rod Charlie, who was 1 1/4 lengths behind Essential Quality for a runner-up finish. Prat will…

A strong contingent of European horses meets some of the best turf 3-year-olds from the United States when the starting gate opens in the 2022 Belmont Derby on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The European group is led by Stone Age and Nations Pride. Trained by Aidan O'Brien, Stone Age is the 9-2 morning-line favorite in the 2022 Belmont…

Trainer Todd Pletcher will try to set the all-time record for wins by a trainer in the Mother Goose Stakes when he sends out Shahama in the 2022 Mother Goose Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The 54-year-old Pletcher has won the race six times and is tied with his mentor, D. Wayne Lukas, for the most Mother Goose wins ever.…

By Andy Serling FOX Sports Horse Racing Analyst Every year, people shift their attention to Louisville on the first Saturday in May for the Kentucky Derby. Whether you are a horse racing expert or betting for fun, there is plenty of action to go around in the first leg of the Triple Crown. In my role as a public handicapper, I make thousands of…

A berth in the 2022 Kentucky Derby will be on the line when 12 horses leave the starting gate in the 2022 Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. The signature race of the 2021-22 season at Tampa Bay Downs, the Tampa Bay Derby 2022 awards 85 Derby qualification points to the top four finishers on a 50-20-10-5 basis, virtually guaranteeing…

Steve Asmussen can tie the record for most Louisiana Derby wins by a trainer when he sends out the favored Epicenter in the 2022 Louisiana Derby on Saturday. The 56-year-old Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North American racing, has won the Louisiana Derby three times, one shy of Todd Pletcher's record of four. Asmussen has a strong…

The Christophe Clement-trained Gufo will try to win the race that barely eluded him last year when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Man o' War Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. A winner of more than $1.3 million in his career, Gufo lost by a nose to Channel Cat in last year's Man o' War. That defeat came after a four-month layoff. On…

A field of 11 three-year-olds will try to take the final step towards the Kentucky Derby when they leave the starting gate in the 2022 Florida Derby on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Since the inaugural Florida Derby in 1952, 24 horses have won both the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, including Spectacular Bid in 1979. The Florida Derby 2022 has…

Trainer Aidan O'Brien can win the Belmont Oaks for the second straight year and the third time overall when he sends out the favored Concert Hall in the 2022 Belmont Oaks on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The 52-year-old O'Brien won the race last year with Santa Barbara and in 2018 with Athena. This year O'Brien goes for No. 3 with…

Keeneland Barn Notes: Blue Grass Winner Zandon Zooms in Pre-Derby Work (Zandon in his work at Keeneland / Coady Photography) From the Keeneland Media Team: TOYOTA BLUE GRASS WINNER ZANDON TUNES UP FOR KENTUCKY DERBY WITH KEENELAND WORK Jeff Drown's Zandon, winner of Keeneland's $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) on April 9, worked 4 furlongs…

Stats, works, videos and more! A field of eight super talented 3-year-old colts will compete Saturday, June 25, in the 2022 G3 Ohio Derby held at JackThistledown for a purse of $500000. The marquee event is the closer on an 11-race card. With a first post of 12 PM ET, the Ohio Derby will post at 5:35 PM ET. With G3 Stonestreet Lexington winner…

Olympiad with Junior Alvarado aboard wins the New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds. This Saturday's Grade 2, $750000 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs brings together a field of seven horses in the Breeders' Cup Classic division trying to earn a "Win and You're In" spot into the big race in November. Leading the field in terms of career…

Itis going to be one long Saturday for Ron Winchell. After flying from Las Vegas to Dubai early in the week, he will test his endurance by staying up until 3 a.m. on Sunday.That is what happens to an owner of three horses who are competing 8000 miles apart inraces worth more than $13 million. "I'mnot sure you can get me to fall asleep on this one,"…