#Victor Espinoza

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A lost coin toss. A failed mating. Terrible post-position draws to the extreme inside or outside in a 20-horse field. Sudden weather changes that turn an already-quirky dirt surface into goo, leading some thoroughbreds to skip over it while others trudge home. As fans await the 143rd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, history suggests…

Ahmed Zayat, whose Zayat Stables entered three horses in the Kentucky Derby, was all smiles this week at Churchill Downs and after the post positiion draw on Wednesday night. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire) By Tom Pedulla, America's Best Racing LOUISVILLE - Owner Ahmed Zayat described himself as "ecstatic" after American Pharoah drew post position 18…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

Last Saturday's Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby and Jeff Ruby produced as many as seven starters for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. A similar allotment may be known by the end of racing Saturday after the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass and Wood Memorial. The Santa Anita Derby in California features the brilliantly fast Forbidden Kingdom and Messier in…

Wildatlanticstorm keyed a lot of firsts, winning the $400000 Springboard Mile on Saturday night, for trainer Ray Ashford at 15-1 odds. The large colt scored the biggest 2-year-old stakes race of the Remington Park season. For the third time in the past five years, a locally-based horse took on all shippers from around the country and got the best…

ARCADIA - In one of the day's most thrilling finishes, Howbeit out-bobbed the old warrior, C Z Rocket, at the wire to win the $200000 Grade II Santa Anita Sprint Championship by a nose Saturday under Mike Smith. Smith and winning trainer Mark Glatt don't team up often, but when they do they've been a lethal combination. In the past two years, Smith…

A delicious confrontation between two of the aces from this year's Triple Crown events will unfold at Del Mar Sunday when Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and Kentucky Derby/Belmont Stakes competitor Rock Your World match strides over a mile in the 47th running of the $100000 Shared Belief Stakes. Six in all have entered the headliner for…

Mr. Misunderstood wins Saturday's Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs, headed for bigger things in the year to come. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs A spate of major weekend races around the world fueled hopes for the coming season, even as this year's championships are still being debated. In Australia, Redzel silenced any lingering doubts…

Opening weekend at Del Mar ended with a bang when two long shots came home in the final two turf races, and horseplayer Caitlin Oishi was all over it, hitting the Pick 4 for $7620 and placing win bets behind her best opinions to bring her total over $8000. This isn't her first Del Mar big score; she hit a Pick 5 at Fair Grounds bigger than this…

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…

One of horse racing's biggest events runs this weekend - the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Racetrack. Our ponies ace has you covered with a full breakdown of the field and her trifecta in our Breeder's Cup picks and predictions. Breeders' Cup weekend is upon us with a stacked card kicking things off Friday, featuring the top fillies and mares,…

Flip a coin when deciding which was more surprising Saturday at Del Mar - Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi winning two Breeders' Cup races or his 5-year-old mare, Marche Lorraine, scoring a shocking 49-1 upset in the $2 million Distaff. The Distaff, traditionally one of the most formful of the Breeders' Cup races, was hardly that on this day as…

PIZZA BIANCA RETURNS TO THE SCENE OF HER GREATEST TRIUMPH Pizza Bianca was a little known 2-year-old filly when she first arrived at Del Mar at the beginning of November last year. She left a celebrity with a Breeders' Cup victory to her credit. She's 3 now and back at the seaside oval to compete in the G1 Matriarch Sunday, contested at a mile on…

A trio of stakes races, headed by the 82nd edition of the Grade 1, $400000 Hollywood Derby, will highlight a special racing card Saturday at Del Mar on the penultimate day of the sport for the 2022 Bing Crosby Season. Also on the nine-race program will be the 32nd running of the Grade 3, $100000 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the…

Horsemen show a lot of support for Del Mar; Tizamagician to do the trick in Cougar II; Osunitas, Wickerr enhance weekend program DEL MAR, Calif.- Flavien Prat, the riding champion four of the last five years, has mounts booked for all 10 races as Del Mar opens its 82 summer season today. Soon after the last one he'll catch a plane for New Jersey…

Flightline wins his third straight race in style in Sunday's Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita. Benoit photo, courtesy of Santa Anita Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Epicenter entered the Kentucky Derby picture with a handy win Sunday at Fair Grounds while a sparkling Opening Day program at Santa Anita featured a dazzling performance by budding superstar…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The horses for the 143rd 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. Purse: $2 million guaranteed Distance: 1¼ miles Track record: 1:59 2/5 (Secretariat, 1973) Post…

The 2021 Breeders' Cup organizers are doing their darn best, in the form of the stellar weekend's $31 million in purses, to bring both this series and the sport at large back to the fore, despite the rough-and-tumble of the second year of the pandemic. The Classic brings us quite the bright nosegay of favorites in Medina Spirit, whose hardy Derby…

DEL MAR, Calif.- Tizamagician will try again to get back in the winner's circle when the stakes action at Del Mar shifts to the main track Sunday for the mile and an eighth, G3 Native Diver. The son of Tiznow heads up a six-pack of horses, 3-year-olds and up. He hasn't had his picture taken after a race since winning the G3 Cougar II during the…

Rich Strike gave us another exciting and unexpected Kentucky Derby chapter Saturday, outrunning race favorites Messier and Epicenter down the stretch to pull off the second-biggest upset in the Race for the Roses. Rich Strike, an 80-1 long shot who only entered the field Friday as a last-minute replacement for Ethereal Road, paid off big-$163.60,…

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Victor Espinoza was curious as he gave American Pharoah his head and let the colt slingshot around the far turn at Monmouth Park, a charming racetrack on the Jersey Shore. Espinoza peeked beneath one shoulder, glanced over the other, then narrowed his eyes between his colt's ears and stared down the stretch. The ears of American…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

The only graded stakes on Saturday's racing schedule features distaffers battling under the twin spires. Coach is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Chilukki Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 5:35 p.m. EST, with FS2 showing the one-mile race for 3-and-up fillies and mares. The Chilukki is part of a November Churchill…

Quinoa Tifah wins her career debut Thursday at Gulfstream Park. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park April 17 (UPI) -- There's quality in lieu of quantity in this weekend's horse racing action with two "Grade A Prime" events at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and the belated start of 2-year-old action in Florida. In Japan, 3-year-olds are the…

The Pacific Classic Stakes 2022 has a purse of just over $1m and all eyes will be on the John W. Sadler-trained FLIGHTLINE as his star 4 year-old puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Del Mar contest this Saturday. The Sadler barn will also be looking for their fourth Pacific Classic win since 2018, having landed the pot 12 months ago with…

Sunday's 49th edition of the $250000 Eddie Read Stakes has proven a popular nine-furlong spin on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course, drawing the maximum number of runners with 11 and one more besides who sits and waits on the also-eligible list. The Grade II Read is named for Del Mar's first director of public relations, a role he filled exceptionally…

WITH just shy of £9 million in prize-money on offer, the Dubai World Cup is one of the world's biggest and most valuable horse races. Run under the lights of the stunning Meydan circuit, the race is the centrepiece of this Saturday's Dubai World Cup night. Horses from all over the world come to compete for their slice of the £8.8 million pot, with…

Although she took and awkward stutter-step leaving the gate, And Tell Me Nolies settled comfortably while mid-pack in the early stages of Saturday's Grade II, $200000 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita and rallied impressively under Ramon Vazquez to easily run down both Ice Dancing and Home Cooking turning for home en route to a comfortable three…

Flightline taking the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire DMTC News/From the Wire DEL MAR, Calif.-It was a Breeders' Cup to remember for many of the connections who participated in racing's biggest event after spending all or part of their summer at Del Mar this year. In addition to the 23 horses who raced or trained…

That's the way it usually works when Bob Baffert sends a horse to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Sunday should be no different, when the trainer makes his nearly annual trek to the Jersey Shore to saddle American Pharoah in the colt's first race since taking the Belmont Stakes and becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 37…

Lone Star Park hosts its "Million Day" on Memorial Day... it should be a great day for wagering and watching! Our turfman has you covered with free picks, and some targeted analysis. The Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile anchors the card...

Starting at 1:00 p.m. EST, we have 11 races at Keeneland. Using numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets on FanDuel Racing. As always, check the program for racing information and scratches and changes. Also, watch the weather and track conditions. (I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells…

The Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race, which offers entry into the F&M Sprint (G1). Analysis of the race below...

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - The opposition knew Knicks Go would charge out of the starting gate. Yet, none of his rivals went after him. He had it all his own way in setting an uncontested lead and winning the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Del Mar. Knicks Go ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.57. He earned his fourth straight…

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Knicks Go set the early pace and kicked away to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar. Ridden by Joel Rosario, 5-year-old Knicks Go squared off against a trio of top 3-year-olds - controversial Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and…

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

ARMAGNAC MAKES SWITCH TO GRASS IN G3 LA JOLLA SUNDAY One of the things trainers love about Del Mar, aside from its great weather and being close to the beach, is the opportunity to train horses on the turf. Obviously that's a plus for those conditioners who have established turf horses, but it's especially handy for those trainers who have wondered…

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Trainer John Sadler woke up feeling confident on Pacific Classic day, believing he had the best horse in the field. "The toughest thing all day was getting into the parking lot," he said. Accelerate never gave Sadler reason for concern, living up to his name with a record 12 1/2-length victory in the $1 million race at Del…

Did you know active subscribers receive our Inside Track wagering guides absolutely FREE? Subscribe today and be the first to receive our upcoming MONSTER wagering guide to the 2022 Breeders' Cup! C R K Stable's Justique, an impressive first-out winner that would appear to be much better suited routing, rates top billing among a talented field of…

Life Is Good warms up for Breeders' Cup with a win in Saturday's Grade I Woodward at Aqueduct. Photo by Dom Napolitano, courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Some monumental showdowns loom in next month's Breeders' Cup World Championships after impressive weekend performances by the likes of Life Is Good, Hot Rod Charlie, Ce Ce…

ARCADIA, Calif.- She's back for more. Bo Hirsch's brilliant homebred Ce Ce, winner of last year's Grade III, $100000 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita, is hoping to take Sunday's edition and repeat a sweep of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Named in honor of the late Sherwood C. Chillingworth, a highly…

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.…

It's time once again for pricey mint juleps and off-key singing of "My Old Kentucky Home." The Kentucky Derby will be run this Saturday at Churchill Downs racetrack. Veteran Derby watchers say there does not appear to be a standout horse in this year's field, but someone must win, and many people will make money on it. Here's what we know about…

Two weeks removed from the Breeders' Cup, you're probably ready to tackle a fresh handicapping challenge. In this case, we'll steer you toward Saturday's $100000 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, which has drawn a competitive and intriguing field. Eight horses were entered for the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 3 race, including one - #6 Eight Rings -who competed…

Almost all of the prerace hype for the Pegasus World Cup is focused on the rematch between California Chrome and Arrogate. The fervor was stoked by their duel in the Breeders' Cup Classic, with Arrogate winning by a half-length. Saturday at Gulfstream Park the two top-rated thoroughbreds will reprise their rivalry with $7 million on the line as the…

MEET THE MAN WHO RIDES FLIGHTLINE FOR A LIVING You're a true horseman when every time you see a quality horse you wonder'What would it be like to ride him.' The man to answer that question about Flightline, this Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic favorite, is Juan Leyva, assistant trainer to John Sadler and exercise rider for Flightline. "He's not like…

The "Run for the Roses" sets off at 6:34 p.m. Saturday, May 6, (TV: NBC, coverage starts at 2:30 p.m.) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Classic Empire, is the favorite at 4-to-1 odds. Here are five things to consider before putting your money on last year's best 2-year old: • The favorite has won the Kentucky Derby last four years and wins…