#Street Sense

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…

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…

Essential Quality, shown winning the Grade I Travers, is among the favorites in a Breeders' Cup Classic field announced this week. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 29 (UPI) -- It's a week for looking forward as horse racing around the globe nears its annual champion-making events and youngsters get in final licks to make a case…

Even if a race does not carry qualifying points, if there are 3-year-olds running, it could end up being a prep for Kentucky Derby 2023. In addition to the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, there are six other races Saturday that include 15 horses who already are in the Derby futures market in Las Vegas or are on the verge of being there. Maiden…

As times change, even a two-time Triple Crown-winning, Hall of Fame trainer has to adjust. In an era when horses are racing less and less, Bob Baffert looks like he is not only ahead of the curve, but he is leading the vanguard. This goes way beyond what he did with Justify in a gaudy, 112-day dash from apprenticeship to retirement. Very quietly,…

While I was watching yet another NFL halftime show precede and perhaps trigger a stadium power outage, I went back to my computer window that was locked Thanksgiving morning into the very early betting on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Four times a year I am thankful for the a-ha, teaching moment that the KDFW provides. And it happened like…

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…

Making the Grade, which will run through the 2019 Belmont Stakes, focuses on the winners or top performers of the key races, usually from the previous weekend, who could impact the Triple Crown. We'll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner,…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby series opened in late September, but the prep season doesn't get into full swing until the New Year. And the first qualifier of 2023 took place at Oaklawn Park on New Year's Day, the Smarty Jones. Twenty-six additional point races will be offered for the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) over the next 3 1/2 months. Let's…

Colonel Liam, shown after winning the 2021 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park, returns to try for a repeat win Saturday. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park Dec. 30 (UPI) - Eight horses celebrate their third birthday Sunday by lining up for the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park - the holiday weekend's way station on the "Road…

Trainers have a lot of customary language to go to when describing their horses on a regular basis. One line that is thrown around a lot is - "the horse will tell us when he's ready." Jace's Road was that horse on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for trainer Brad Cox, who was also victorious with the colt Corona Bolt in the $100000…

Maximum Security, the colt disqualified from victory in the Kentucky Derby, returns to the winner's circle Saturday at Belmont Park. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 28 (UPI) -- It was a very good weekend of horse racing for Japan as Lys Gracieux landed the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia and Almond Eye returned to her dominant…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Notes & Quotes From Gun Runner Stakes & Untappable Stakes: Jace's Road & Pretty Mischievous (Jace's Road / Hughes Photo & Courtesy of the Fairgrounds) From the Fairgrounds Media Team: Trainers have a lot of customary language to go to when describing their horses on a regular basis. One line that is thrown around a lot is - "the horse will tell us…

Jace's Road with Florent Geroux aboard wins the $100000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. (Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir) Fair Grounds Press Release NEW ORLEANS, La.- Trainers have a lot of customary language to go to when describing their horses on a regular basis. One line that is thrown around a lot is - "the horse will tell us when…

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 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,…

The post positions for the 2020 Kentucky Derby are set, and the entry list includes 18 horses for what's now the second leg of horse racing's annual Triple Crown. Yes, the Triple Crown races are being run out of their traditional order for the first time since the early 1930s, but the Kentucky Derby specifically is experiencing significant change…

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…

Determinedly makes his first try against dirt stakes horses in the $100000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds on Monday after an impressive maiden win at Churchill Downs. He does offer a few questions, but he might present a fair enough price for bettors. Here is a more detailed explanation of why Determinedly is the selection plus an idea for a…

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…

For the past 37 years, announcer Richard Grunder's enthusiasm for horse racing has left an enduring impact on countless visitors to Tampa Bay Downs. "There is no one on the planet who is more passionate about horse racing. Period," said Pete Aiello, the announcer for Gulfstream Park. "Nobody eats, sleeps and breathes horse racing more than he…

When the Turkish Jockey Club announced the death of classic winner and stallion Sea Hero in mid-July, the statue of the horse that resides in the Saratoga Race Course paddock was adorned with a blanket of flowers in the colors of owner and breeder Paul Mellon's Rokeby Stables. Social media was filled with pictures of the statue, along with glowing…

IMAGO/ZUMA Wire, Tim Sudduth/Eclipse Sportswire/C Final Kentucky Derby prep race of 2022 takes place at Fair Grounds The Gun Runner Stakes is staged at Fair Grounds, and will feature seven horses If you're looking for the latest free horse racing picks, predictions, and odds for the Gun Runner Stakes, then look no further than Vegas Odds. Jump…

The Kentucky Derby trail through New Orleans begins on Monday as an evenly matched group of seven juveniles have been entered in the $100000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. Leading the way is Hayes Strike. Trained by Kenny McPeek, he broke his maiden nicely going mile-five starts back at Ellis Park. He has run consistently better in three graded…

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…

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…

Kentucky Derby Past Performances and statistical view at the Run for the Roses. Since 1940, a lot of talk has been placed on a Kentucky Derby hopeful's final start and where they will prep and how well the past performances were. The interest in this annual right of passage for the owners of each horses and for Kentucky Derby handicappers as well…

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…

Madison Olver all smiles after winning her first career race aboard Curbstone (NYRA/Coglianese) NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Apprentice jockey Madison Olver, who launched her career on November 12 at Aqueduct Racetrack, earned her first victory in her 16th attempt aboard Curbstone for trainer Tom Morley in Friday's sixth race, a $40000…

There's a reason we're the #1 trusted source for premium racing picks & info. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will have three opportunities to win the $300000-guaranteed Starlet - the final Grade I of 2022 for 2-year-old fillies - for a sixth consecutive year Saturday at Los Alamitos. The race at 1 1/16 miles is being offered locally for the ninth…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby winds down on Saturday with the running of the $1 million, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Held over 1 1/8 miles, the historic race boasts an impressive roster of winners highlight by champions and/or classic winners American Pharoah, Creator, Curlin, Lawyer Ron, Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones, Victory Gallop, and…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Racing on the 2023 Kentucky Derby trail in New York resumes on Saturday at Aqueduct with the Grade 2, $250000 Remsen Stakes. The 1 1/8-mile contest, which is the second official Derby qualifying race of the year at the Big A, attracted a field of seven 2-year-olds and offers points to the top five finishers (10-4-3-2-1). Last year the Remsen…

Past Kentucky Derby winners Pleasant Colony, Go for Gin, and Thunder Gulch … Preakness Stakes winners Pleasant Colony and Pine Bluff … Belmont Stakes victors Thunder Gulch and Mo Donegal … Since 1980, the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct has been won by a bevy of top-class horses, including the above-mentioned American classic winners. Other…

Tuskegee Airmen breaks his maiden first out Sep. 24 at Parx (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO) By Mary Eddy - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Cash is King and LC Racing's undefeated Tuskegee Airmen will make his graded stakes debut for trainer John Servis in Saturday's Grade 2, $250000 Remsen, a nine-furlong main track test for juveniles, at Aqueduct…

One of the most interesting races to be held at the Breeders' Cup 2022 will be the Breeders' Cup Juvenile 2022. It will give us a first look at some of the leading contenders for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, as a field of horses aged two compete over a distance of 1 1/16 miles. Famous winners of the race include Timber Country, Street Sense, and…

Epicenter, shown training before his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, meets the winner of that race, Rich Strike, again Saturday in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The "Midsummer Derby" at Saratoga pits the first three finishers from the Kentucky Derby against one another again in…

Grab your favorite hat and a refreshing mint julep, because it's almost time for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. And if you're the gambling type, it's just about time to head toward the ticket window to place some bets on this year's field of horses. Per usual, 20 horses will be competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Seasoned gamblers know that the race…

Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun works out at Churchill Downs in preparation for Saturday's Stephen Foster Stakes. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs July 1 (UPI) -- The Fourth of July weekend kicks off the second half of the horse racing year with a bang as Mandaloun, Life Is Good, Ce Ce and other notables return from layoffs. Adding to the…

Last week, Churchill Downs offered the only opportunity to wager on the winning 2023 Derby sire through the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager pool, which closed on Sunday with interesting results. As with any other race, the pool ended with notable underlaid and overlaid sire options. Surprisingly, the underlaid sire is arguably the popular Gun…

Since 2000, 16 UAE Derby alums have come to the US for their shot at the Kentucky Derby winner's circle and a blanket of roses. That group included trendy dark-horse picks like Mubtaahij in 2015 and Mendelssohn in 2018, two horses who drew plenty of money on Derby Day. Mubtaahij went off at 14.40/1, not in the neighborhood of favorite (and winner)…

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…

KY Derby Advance Wager #2 To Be Offered This Week (Forte / Coady Photography) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Fans will have their second of six opportunities to bet on the 149 running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) Thursday-Sunday where Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI)…

Michael McLaughlin's $300000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade 3) winner Curly Jack headlines a field of nine 2-year-old colts that were entered in Saturday's 96th running of the $400000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), a "Prep Season" race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Jockey Club, run at 1 1/16 miles, will award the Top 5 finishers points on a…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Curly Jack May Set Them Straight In G2 KY Jockey Club (Curly Jack / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Michael McLaughlin's $300000 Iroquois Stakes (Grade III) winner Curly Jack headlines a field of nine 2-year-old colts that were entered in Saturday's 96 running of the $400000 Kentucky…

Second last time to the highly regarded and unbeaten Smile Happy in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, Classic Causeway will look to begin his three-year-old season with his first stakes victory when he tops a deep lineup in Saturday's $250000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. A son of Giant's Causeway, Classic Causeway was an impressive…

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…

A trio of Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep races will take place Saturday, Jan. 1, across the country to kick off 2022. By far the most competitive on paper is the $250000 Smarty Jones Stake s at Oaklawn Park, which drew a full field of 14 newly turned 3-year-olds. From top to bottom, the Smarty Jones is stuffed with…