Mike Repole's pair of Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty get in their final tune-ups at Churchill Downs for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). Both colts went five furlongs.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sidney's Candy, a TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) hopeful, covered a half mile on firm turf in :50 at Churchill Downs Oct. 25. He is trained by Todd Pletcher for WinStar Farm and Rubio Stable.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Third at mid-stretch, former claimer Headache closed steadily to edge Where's Sterling by a half-length in the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II) in Illinois Oct. 8.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Grade I winner Giant Oak faces stiff competition from nine challengers in Hawthorne Racecourse's marquee fall event.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Standout filly Havre de Grace put herself in the picture for Horse of the Year honors with a gutsy win in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) over males at Saratoga Sept. 3.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Will Havre de Grace beat the boys? If not, then who's the winner?
Havre de Grace will face males for the first time in the $750,000 Woodward (gr.l) Sept. 3 at Saratoga, where she will meet seven rivals.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Extra steeplechase adds lift to three Thursdays.
Winless since August, 2009 and dismissed at 15-1 against an accomplished field, Kensei sprung a big upset in the $200,000 Salvator Mile (gr. III) when he came from off the pace under Edgar Prado to win July 2 at Monmouth Park
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Morning Line, winner of the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct in his last start, heads a field of seven in the Salvator Mile Stakes (gr. III) at Monmouth Park.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The first two finishers in the controversial March 5 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) are ready for a rematch -- in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, proof of what a $1 million purse and graded status can do for a race.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Jason, Tom and Rich handicap the San Felipe (gr. II), Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) and the Timely Writer S.
Luis Olivares' Tackleberry will seek his fifth stakes victory in six starts when he returns to face seven foes in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) at one mile March 12.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Trainer Todd Pletcher sent 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo through an easy four-furlong breeze at Palm Meadows Sunday, Feb. 6, the colt's second work since winning the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Churchill.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Giant Oak, who won the Clark Handicap (gr. I) via disqualification last out, validated that win by posting a rallying victory in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Nick Zito trainees Fly Down and Morning Line, both thought to be among the top handicap horses in 2011, could wind up as the top two choices in a star-studded Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Three probable starters in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park -- Giant Oak, Eldaafer and Rule -- posted workouts during the morning of Jan. 30.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
A total of 312 horses from 18 countries, including 49 from the U.S., have been nominated to the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) at Meydan Racecourse March 26.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Soaring Empire got his 2011 campaign off to a nice start when he turned back even-money favorite Morning Line and held off multiple graded-stakes winner Rule in the Hal's Hope Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 8 at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Morning Line, who last came into his own during the second half of his 3-year-old campaign and is expected to be one of the top older horses in 2011, makes his season debut in the Hal's Hope Stakes Jan. 8 at Gulfstream.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
After winning a pair of Triple Crown races, besting this year will be quite a challenge for WinStar Farm. But if 2010 was the year of the 3-year-old for WinStar, 2011 may just be the year of the older horse.
Friday, December 10, 2010
WinStar Farm's colt has a non-displaced right-front condylar fracture and will not be entered later today in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Todd Pletcher still might have as many as five Kentucky Derby (gr. I) starters, but he no longer has the horse to beat now that Eskendereya is out of the May 1 race.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ron Mitchell gives updates on Lookin' At Lucky, Rule, and Devil May Care. Presented by Taylor Made Stallions.
In light of the defections of Rule and Eskendereya from the contenders list and the confirmation Devil May Care will be entered, here is the list of Derby hopefuls based on graded stakes earnings as of mid-morning April 26.
Monday, April 26, 2010
WinStar Farm's Bill Casner confirms he has not been pleased with Rule's progress at Churchill Downs and the colt will not be entered in Saturday's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Monday, April 26, 2010
Five Todd Pletchers and Sidney's Candy topped Saturday's Kentucky Derby works.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Arkansas Derby (gr. I) runner-up works a half-mile under Calvin Borel in the slop at Churchill Downs; one of five workers for trainer Todd Pletcher
Saturday, April 24, 2010
WinStar Farm's homebred Rule drills five furlongs in the slop at Churchill Downs Saturday morning in 1:00.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Steady rainfall in Louisville early Saturday, April 24, did not deter trainers of horses being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) from going through with their scheduled workouts.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
With WinStar Farm's management team on hand, Illinois Derby (gr. II) winner American Lion tuned up for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with a workout April 20 over the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Eskendereya (Palm Meadows), Sidney's Candy (Churchill Downs), and Endorsement, candidates for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), worked five furlongs April 17.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Robby Albarado, who rode Endorsement to an upset win in the Sunland Derby (gr. III) March 28 and is also the regular jockey for Noble's Promise, has committed to riding Endorsement for the May 1 Kentucky Derby.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Trainer Todd Pletcher had three of his Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands contenders work a half-mile the morning of April 11 at Palm Meadows in Florida: Discreetly Mine, Misson Impazible, and Rule.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Let's concentrate on the obvious: Sidney's Candy, Eskendereya were impressive; WinStar Farm could have as many as five starters.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Victory in the March 20 Florida Derby (gr. I) propelled Robert LaPenta's Ice Box into sixth position on the graded earnings list of leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ice Box, the less fancied of two runners trained by Nick Zito for owner Robert LaPenta, ground out a nose victory over another outsider, Pleasant Prince, in the $750,000 Florida Derby (gr. I) March 20.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Jason, Evan, and James Scully of twinspires.com preview the Florida Derby (gr. I) and Bonnie Miss (gr. II).
The second wave of 3-year-olds will be hitting the shore all at once in the $750,000 Florida Derby.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
WinStar Farm's homebred Rule, part of trainer Todd Pletcher's powerful stable of 3-year-olds, is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the $750,000 Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park March 20.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010Despite losing by less than two lengths in his first stakes try, Drosselmeyer seems to have fallen off the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) radar of many. Winstar Farm's racing manager Elliott Walden thinks it could be a mistake.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Todd Pletcher's powerful stable of 3-year-old stars were prominent on the work tab March 6 in South Florida and the trainer set a temporary schedule for many of them.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Two-time Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta (National), and Fountain of Youth winner Eskendreya (3-Year-Old) top the first NTRA polls of 2010.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Being graded for the first time in 2010, the Sunland Derby, the second richest Derby prep in North America, takes on added importance.
Todd Pletcher has been one of racing's leading trainers the past decade, though the sport's biggest prize, the Derby, has eluded him. This could be his year.
WinStar Farms, owner of last year's Lane's End winner Hold Me Back, have nominated 10 to the 39th running of the Lane's End. Todd Pletcher is the leading trainer by nominations for the second straight year with 13.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Rule, Caracortado, and Sidney's Candy dominate weekend stakes in Florida and California.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Rule cemented himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender with a convincing three-length win in the Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Rule led at every call and further cemented himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contender with a convincing three-length win in the $225,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thoughts on the Rachel/Zenyatta showdown, and picks for Saturday's 3-year old stakes.