#Tom Amoss

In what will go down as the most surreal week in sports since 9/11, racing got a double spoonful of distasteful medicine. As the sports world - and the real world - come to grips with the spreading coronavirus, the horse world must also sort out the impact of the criminal bombshell that dropped Monday. Rival trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro,…

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 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…

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…

Regal Glory, shown winning the 2021 Matriarch at Del Mar, takes on male rivals in Saturday's Grade I Fourstardave at Saratoga. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Turf racing at Saratoga, Del Mar and Churchill Downs tops the weekend agenda, with a pair of Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" slots up for grabs. A third…

Notes, Quotes & Photos From G2 Golden Rod Stakes: Hoosier Philly (Hoosier Philly / All Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: The promising 2-year-old filly Hoosier Philly stamped herself as a divisional leader and tantalizing prospect for the Longines Kentucky Oaks as she easily won Saturday's 79 running of the $400000…

Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) ran to her billing and kept her perfect record in tact Saturday, scoring her third straight win at Churchill Downs in the GII Golden Rod S. A debut winner going 5 1/2urlongs at this oval Sept. 25, the $510000 KEESEP acquisition showed two turns was no problem, charging home to a 7 1/2-length victory in a sloppy…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The promising 2-year-old filly Hoosier Philly stamped herself as a divisional leader and tantalizing prospect for the Longines Kentucky Oaks as she easily won Saturday's 79 running of the $400000 Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs with overwhelming authority by five lengths. Hoosier Philly, who ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast…

The promising 2-year-old filly Hoosier Philly stamped herself as a divisional leader and tantalizing prospect for the Longines Kentucky Oaks as she easily won Saturday's 79th running of the $400000 Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs with overwhelming authority by five lengths. Hoosier Philly, who ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.94…

Nine juvenile colts whose connections harbor Kentucky Derby dreams are expected to go to post Saturday in an intriguing edition of the Grade 2, $400000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. Instant Coffee, a lightly raced son of Bolt d'Oro trained by Brad Cox, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the 1 1/6-mile race for 2-year-olds, a Derby…

For me, one main attraction to superfectas is that a superfecta probable payout pool is not displayed making this bet an unknown endeavor relative to an exacta and even trifectas in some circumstances where the probable payouts are available. However, if you observe the pool results over a long period of time, you will come to realize the heavily…

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…

Away since suffering her first career loss in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Kathleen O. returns on Friday to headline a field of seven sophomore fillies in Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. The daughter of Upstart was one of the top choices in the most prestigious race of the year for 3-year-old fillies, but was well back early and could only manage…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: 148th Running of Clark'Cap Commemorates Exterminator's Win From the Churchill Downs Media Team: 148 RUNNING OF CLARK MARKS 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EXTERMINATOR'S HISTORIC VICTORY It's been 100 years since Willis Kilmer's famed Exterminator rallied to a 1 ½-length victory in the 1922 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. At…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Mr Wireless Was Well Connected On Friday (Mr Wireless / Coady Photography) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: It was a sentimental win Friday at Churchill Downs for Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable's Mr. Wireless. Just days before his allowance victory, his co-owner/breeder John Kerber passed away at age 86. Kerber, who…

Beauty Generation, shown during morning track work Thursday, is one of many headliners on the Champions Day program Sunday at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club April 24 (UPI) -- With much of the world's horse racing still out of action because of the coronavirus, Hong Kong steps up this weekend with a trio of…

The two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships will get going Friday at Keeneland. Friday's five Breeders' Cup races will start at 3 p.m. with the Juvenile Turf Sprint and conclude with the Juvenile Turf at 5:40 p.m. All five Breeders' Cup races will be televised by USA Network. Here's an analysis of each race: The pick: The Platinum Queen (#12) is…

Curly Jack out on the track before sunrise. Coady Photography Breeders' Cup Notes/Edited LEXINGTON, Ky.-The son of 2017 Sentient Jets Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Good Magic, Curly Jack, had a 2m gallop followed by a gate schooling session Wednesday. He had his final timed workout on Oct. 28 going 4f in 49 4/5 a few days after shipping from…

After bumping with a rival into the first turn, Two Phil's tracked a contested early pace down the backstretch and then rolled home to a 5 1/4-length win over Hayes Strike in Sunday's Grade 3, $199800 Street Sense Stakes, the feature on opening day of Churchill Downs' fall meet. Jareth Loveberry rode the winner for trainer Larry Rivelli and owners…

Churchill Downs' Newsstand: Jace's Road Returns in Sunday's G3 Street Sense Stakes (Trainer Brad Cox conditions Jace's Road / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Albaugh Family Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds' Jace's Road, an impressive debut winner and recent third-place finisher in the $300000 Iroquois Stakes…

The Race to the KY Derby Is On: A Look at the Various Roadtrips (Secret Oath / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Kentucky Derby fans across the world will be eyeing Hot Springs, Ark. on Saturday as outstanding 3-year-old filly Secret Oath, trained by 86-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, will take on the boys…

The Miss Indiana S. for two-year-old fillies will kick off a stretch of four straight stakes races on Wednesday's 12-race card at Horseshoe Indianapolis, which includes the Cardinal S., Indiana Futurity, and To Much Coffee S. Below we provide our best picks for each stakes race and build a Pick 4 ticket covering races 6 through 9. #11 Hot Little…

The horses for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby 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 Mike Battaglia of Churchill Downs. (Note: International Star, who was to start from the No. 12 post, was scratched Saturday morning with a hoof issue.…

Opinions, Observations & Outlooks: A Great Weekend of Racing Hypes Hopes for Fantastic Fall What a great weekend of racing action all over the United States. The return of some super stars ready to regroup and regain their status after a recharge. The emergence of some potential profile runners for our future. The pomp. The circumstances. Here's a…

A quartet of stakes for three-year-olds, highlighted by the $275000 Dogwood (G3) at seven furlongs, were offered at Churchill Downs Saturday evening. Unraced since a fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu got back in the win column with a sharp wire-to-wire tally in the Dogwood. The classy frontrunner has now won…

Seneca Overnight Stakes: Sixtythreecaliber Is Deadly (Sixtythreecaliber wins Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Sixtythreecaliber needed every inch of the stretch to wear down pacesetter Falconet and win Saturday night's second running of the $160000 Seneca Overnight Stakes…

Ifa pair of victories in $1 million races were the climax, then Echo Zulu'scomeback win Saturday in the Grade 3, $275000 Dogwood Stakes was the epilogue ona red-letter day for über stallion Gun Runner. Lastyear's juvenile champion filly Echo Zulu came back from her 4 1/2-month break -and her only defeat - to outclass four of her 3-year-old peers in…

Bell's the One Returns in Saturday's G2 TCA Stakes at Keeneland (Bell's the One / Coady Photography) From the Keeneland Media Team: Trainer Cipriano Contrereas and Andrew Knapczyk's Inthemidstofbiz will face five other fillies and mares as she goes for a repeat victory in the 41 running of the $250000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) Saturday…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Echo Zulu Returns in Saturday's G3 Dogwood Stakes (Echo Zulu / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' three-time Grade I-winning filly Echo Zulu will make her first start since finishing fourth in this year's $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade…

Michael McLouglin's Curly Jack is the early points leader on the 2023 "Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve" after the Good Magic colt won Saturday's 41 running of the $299250 Iroquois (Grade III) for 2-year-olds by one length over Honed at Churchill Downs. Jace's Road was another half-length back in third and betting…

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One will meet her rival Sconsin for the eighth time Saturday in the $300000 Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs, and trainer Neil Pessin hopes she can avenge her defeat from last year's race. Bell's the One got the better of Sconsin by 2 1/2 lengths in the Lady Tak one month ago. In last year's Open Mind, Bell's the…

On Saturday, September 17, nine two-year-old colts will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The event holds two designations: it is a challenge event for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and also the first prep race for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, offering points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

The 2023 Kentucky Derby trail begins Saturday at the track that will host that event next May. Echo Again (2-1) is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Iroquois Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 4:55 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds. The Iroquois kicks off the series of points-paying preps toward…

Link text An overflow field of juvenile fillies will seek a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) in Wednesday's $200000 Jessamine S. (G2) at Keeneland. The "Win and You're In" affair will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn and has attracted a fantastic field of good-looking prospects. While it is difficult to land on just a…

The lucrative Kentucky Downs meet comes to a close Wednesday with a 12-race card, which is anchored by a trio of stakes races. Here are my five favorite events on the program, accompanied by my wagering advice. Best bet: Really Good (Race 9) Best value bet: Accredit (Race 5) Race 1 No. 2 Joyful Applause (5-1) is the one to beat on speed figures and…

Churchill Downs Ready To Pop Gate on September Meet (Set Piece gets a morning bath at Churchill Downs / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Horse racing on the Kentucky circuit shifts to Churchill Downs on Thursday, Sept. 15 with the first of three Twilight Thursday programs at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) as the famed…

SARATOGA SPRINGS-Gunite and jockey Tyler Gaffalione recovered from a stumbling start and some bumping in the home stretch before staying on to score a neck victory in the 30th running of the $200000, Grade II Amsterdam Stakes, Saratoga's Sunday feature. The win for the 3-year-old colt was the third graded stakes victory in two days for trainer…

Cox Hopes That Set Piece Is "Set" For Saturday's G1 Arlington Million Stakes (Set Piece / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Set Piece (GB) arrived in the United States two years ago to the care of multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and since then owner Juddmonte has been rewarded with seven victories. The…